Conditions That Require Blood Transfusion Millions of blood transfusions are needed every year for various reasons. Recommended Read:  Overview Of Blood Donation Serious injuries/surgery A common need for blood donations is after a major disaster causing excessive bleeding has occurred such as a road traffic accident of a natural or another disaster. The average car accident victim can need as many as 100 pints (4.5 liters) of blood. Blood donations are also needed for casualties of war. Although not necessarily a major injury, blood may also be needed when a large amount of blood is lost through other mechanisms such as surgery. Infections There are a number of severe infections that can prevent the body from producing different blood components. Blood-related conditions Red Blood Cell Disorders Anemia is an illness resulting from a deficiency in red blood cells or abnormal hemoglobin— an iron-rich component of red blood cells that carries oxygen to all the cells in the body. As a result, individuals with this condition feel lethargic. Some forms of anemia are so severe that they need to be treated with blood transfusions. Iron-deficiency anemia: In severe cases of iron deficiency, anemia can be treated in the short term with a blood transfusion.

A migraine is moderate to a severe headache lasting up to 1 to 3 days. Migraines affect approximately 12% of adults and children and occur primarily in women. These headaches are often incapacitating and associated with additional side effects such as nausea, autonomic dysfunction, and aura (visual impairment). Migraines are some of the most taxing neurological disorders in the world and a major cause of disability in the world. Migraine Symptoms Migraine symptoms vary from person to person. Classic symptoms include; throbbing head pain on one side of the head, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and vision changes. People with migraines will often seek quiet dark places to rest as the pain can be quite severe. Migraines and Auras There are two main types of migraines: a migraine without aura (MO) and migraine with aura (MA). Patients with migraines with aura experience an assortment of neurological symptoms, usually visual, such as shiny shapes, hallucinations, and seeing black spots. However, the aura can impair other abilities such as sensory, speech, motor skills, eye function and brainstem functioning. Only around 20-30% of migraine sufferers experience MA. Types of Migraines In addition to migraines with and without auras, migraines can be further divided into subgroups based on their symptoms or causes.

How migraines develop is not well known. It is believed that migraines are caused by activation of nerves in the face (trigeminal nerves) . Specifically, nerves that sense pain (nociceptors) and also stimulate blood vessels in the head are activated. Stimulation of the blood vessels by these nerves then stimulates regions of the brain involved in pain perception, such as the thalamus and various regions in the cortex. Causes of Migraines Environmental Causes of Migraines There are many environmental causes such as stress, bright lights, difficulty sleeping, ingredients in food and drinks, doing physically strenuous work and menstruation. Individuals can also be genetically predisposed to migraines due to mutations in specific genes. Genetic Predisposition to Migraines More than 100 genes have been shown to have at least one mutation that is associated with migraine development. Most genes that have been shown to contribute to migraines are involved in neuronal or vascular functions. Genome-wide analyses revealed that genes that encode a cation channel expressed in sensory neurons (TRPM8), a protein that influences how neurons relay messages to each other (LRP1) and a protein that may be involved in neurogenesis are also associated with migraines. Non-HM MAs can also be caused by genetic mutation.

Tension-type headaches or TTHs are the most common type of headaches and are often self-treated, and are different from migraines . TTH occurs in roughly 68% of men and more than 88% of women in the United States. They are more likely to occur in a patient’s 30s, particularly in higher educated Caucasians. Symptoms of Tension-Type headaches Tension-type headaches are defined as pain in the head, scalp, neck or even shoulders. THH can last anywhere from 30min to up to 7 days. The pain has been described as a relentless tightening, occurring on both sides of the body, especially in the forehead, temples or back of the head. These pains are often dull and result in a sensitivity to touch the areas experiencing pain. This pain is typically mild to moderate and is unaffected by physical activity. These headaches may be accompanied by discomfort related to light (photophobia) or sound (phonophobia). Causes of Tension-Type headaches Tension-type headaches are caused by tension or tightness of the muscles in their areas. TTH is associated with chronic muscle issues. It is believed that people that experience TTH may be more sensitive to pain in the muscles around the head. However, CTTH is thought to be due to dysfunction of pain regulation by the central nervous system.

Pain experienced across the face or near the eyes in response to nasal congestion is considered to be a sinus headache. These headaches are typically accompanied by a stuffy nose, the pressure in the face, teary eyes, nausea or hyperresponsiveness to light. However, because there is no clear definition of sinus headaches, these headaches are often misdiagnosed as migraines. Sinus headaches are more common during major changes in the weather. What are Sinus Headaches? Sinus headaches are considered a response to inflammation or infection that should be verified by imaging and treated with antibiotics. Surprisingly, headaches are not symptoms of chronic sinus inflammation (sinusitis) unless there is also an infection present. Misdiagnosis of Sinus Headaches These headaches are often confused with migraines as the symptoms may be similar . Most patients self-diagnose and treat these “sinus headaches” with irrelevant treatments. Unfortunately, due to the high level of misdiagnosis of sinus headaches as migraines, these patients risk making their headaches worse. Even many physicians misdiagnose sinus headaches as migraines. Not surprisingly, many patients are dissatisfied with the treatments available for sinus headaches, likely due to misdiagnosis followed by ineffective treatment.