Migraine: Symptoms, Cause, Treatment
Suffering from migraines? First, let's understand what is migraine. Migraine is a headache that affects severe throbbing pain on one side of your head. Moreover, we are going to cover Migraine-types, symptoms, causes, and treatment in short, in this article.
Migraine is a neurological disorder that is found commonly in children to adults. Migraine symptoms can vary from person to person. It's a headache that causes extreme throbbing pain or a pulsating feeling on one side of the head.
At the same time, other symptoms of migraines such as nausea, vomiting, and problems with an extra flashlight and blasting music sounds or loudness make Migraines more uncomfortable. This article will go through the symptoms, causes, recommendations, and treatment options for migraines.
What is Migraine?
As discussed in the above introduction migraine is a neurological disorder that is found commonly in children to adults. Migraine symptoms can vary from person to person. It's a headache that causes extreme throbbing pain or a pulsating feeling on one side of the head.
Adults, teenagers and small kids who come under migraine attacks have to pass through four different stages:
- Prodrome
- Aura
- Attack and
- Post-drome.
Prodrome
Sudden changes can be seen in body activity prior to 1-2 days, which indicates migraine symptoms, such as:
- Constipation
- Mood changes, from depression to euphoria
- Food cravings
- Neck stiffness, pain
- Increase in urination
- Fluid retention
- Multiple yawning
Aura
For a few people, an aura could occur prior to or at the time of migraines. Auras can be the opposite symptoms of the nervous system. They could be seen, but also can also add to the next issues. Every symptom starts slowly and remains with pain or an issue for more than a minute to an hour of time.
A few of migraine auras symptoms are:
Visual occurrences, like seeing various objects, bright light or flashes of light
Vision loss
Pins and needles feelings in hand or leg
Weakness or senseless feeling on one side of the body or face
Problems while talking
Attack
A migraine attack lasts from 4 to 72 hours if not diagnosed. How many migraine attacks take place is not the same, it's totally different from one person to another person. Migraine attacks can come sometime in one individual case, or many times in another case in a week .
Migraine Symptoms
Migraine symptoms might vary depending on the individual. Below are the most common problems and possibilities:
- Pain ranges from moderate to severe, generally on one side of the head.
- Headache with a throbbing or pulsing feeling.
- The ability to detect light and sound.
- Vomiting and uneasiness.
- Vision blur or momentary vision loss.
- Face or limb tingling or numbness.
- Migraine attacks can continue from a few hours to many days and can be incapacitating, making daily activities difficult.
Contact Your Physician
Many times people are not taking proper care and remain without treating the cause. Keep an account of your daily migraine attack and record how you deal with the symptom. Consult a doctor, and discuss your problem to come up with a solution.
Though your headache may be hereditary, consult a physician to check whether your daily one-sided pain can be treated permanently so as to make you feel more comfortable.
Report to Your Physician as Soon as Possible When
- A Nonstop continuous headache like a thunderclap
- Headache with fever, neck pain, loss, seizures, disturbed, numbness or weakness in your body parts, may indicate a sign of a stroke
- Pain in the Head after a head injury
- A chronic headache that is unbearable after coughing, exertion, straining or a sudden activity.
According to the data available, migraines may have a hereditary component, which means they may run in families. Several migraine-related genes have been found by investigators. If both of your parents suffer from migraines, your chances increase to 70%. Migraines appear to be caused by a mix of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.
Women are more prone than males to suffer from persistent migraines (migraines that occur weekly for a month or more). This is most likely due to hormones. Hormones change around the time of your cycle each month. They may also change if you are pregnant or via menopause.
Migraine Causes
The precise explanation of migraines remains unknown. Yet, it is thought to be associated with brain alterations and chemical imbalances. Some things can also cause migraines, such as:
- Anxiety and stress.
- Women's hormonal fluctuations.
- Various meals and beverages, including alcohol, caffeine, and chocolate.
- Sleep habits change.
- Bright lights and loud noises are examples of environmental influences.
Migraine Triggers and Risk Factors
Risk factors increase your chances of getting migraine headaches. Various factors can cause a migraine.
Common Migraine Risk Factors:
Family History: If one or both of your parents suffered from migraines, you are considerably more likely to suffer from them as well.
Food and Drink: Some foods and beverages (see list below) may trigger migraines. Migraines can also be triggered by dehydration, dieting, or missing meals.
Changes in Hormones: Women may get migraines as a result of their menstrual cycles, menopause, or usage of hormonal birth control or hormone replacement treatment.
Stress: Migraines can be triggered by stress. Feeling overwhelmed at home or at work is one example of stress. Yet, excessive exercise or a lack of sleep can also cause stress.
Senses: Migraines can be provoked by loud noises and bright lights.
Medicines: Some medications can cause headaches. In this case, you must Consult your physician if you believe your migraines are caused by your medication. Your physician might be able to suggest another medication.
Illness: Diseases such as the common cold or the flu can cause migraines, especially among kids.
Food products that may cause migraines include:
- Figs
- Raisins
- Plums in crimson
- Sauerkraut
- Seasoning salt
- The snow peas
- The soy sauce
- Onions
- Papaya
- Foods that have been pickled, preserved, or marinated (such as olives and pickles, and some snack foods)
- Tenderizer for meat
- Meat that has been preserved, canned, cured, or otherwise treated
- Cheese that has been aged
- Alcoholic drinks (especially red wine)
- Aspartame
- Avocados
- Beans (includes pole, wide, lima, Italian, navy, pinto, and garbanzo)
- Brewing yeast (including fresh yeast coffee cake, doughnuts, and sourdough bread)
- Caffeine (in excess)
- Soup from a can or bouillon cubes
- Cultured dairy products including chocolate, cocoa, and carob (such as buttermilk and sour cream)
Migraine Self-Care
Migraine cannot be healed, but your physician can help you manage it by providing you abilities to handle symptoms as they arise, which may lead to fewer episodes overall. Therapy can also help migraines become less painful.
What to do next?
If you get regular migraines or severe headaches, you must consult a physician on priority to get an appropriate diagnosis. To rule out other disorders that might be causing your symptoms, your healthcare practitioner may suggest medicines or prescribe imaging tests such as an MRI or CT scan.
In addition to obtaining medical assistance, you can do the following to control your migraines:
- Recognizing and avoiding triggers.
- Keeping a regular sleep routine.
- Using relaxation techniques such as meditation and deep breathing to unwind.
- Exercise on a regular basis.
- Taking prescription drugs exactly as prescribed.
Migraine Treatment
There are various treatment options available for migraines, such as:
- Aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are a few medicines available at the medical shop as painkiller medicines.
- Pharmaceutical drugs, such as triptans, can help to relieve migraine discomfort and associated symptoms.
- Anti-nausea drugs to alleviate nausea and vomiting.
- Botulinum toxin injections have been demonstrated to be useful in migraine prevention.
- Besides standard treatments, some patients can easily benefit from complementary therapies such as acupuncture, massage, and cognitive-behavioural therapy.
Migraine Medication Strategy Is Determined By:
- Your age.
- How frequently do you suffer migraine attacks?
- The type of migraine you experience.
- How serious they are (depending on how long they persist, how much pain you feel, and how frequently they prevent you from going to school or work)
- If they involve sickness or vomiting, as well as additional symptoms.
Any medical problems you may have and drugs you may be taking
Your treatment strategy may involve a combination of:
- Prescription migraine drugs that you take on a daily basis to help prevent migraine headaches and lower the frequency with which you get migraines.
- Prescription migraine drugs that you take as soon as a migraine attack begins to prevent it from getting severe and to alleviate symptoms.
- prescription drugs for sickness and vomiting.
- Changes in lifestyle, such as stress management and avoiding migraine triggers.
- Complementary treatment includes practices such as meditation, acupressure, and acupuncture.
Conclusion
Migraines may be a severe disorder with serious implications for your everyday life. If you get frequent or severe headaches, it is critical that you seek medical assistance and collaborate with your healthcare practitioner to identify triggers and build an effective treatment strategy.
Also, you may enhance your quality of life and minimise the frequency and intensity of your migraines by taking a proactive approach to treating them. It can be caused by a variety of circumstances, including stress, hormone changes, and specific foods/drinks.
Pain relievers, prescription drugs, and alternative therapies such as acupuncture and massage are all effective therapeutic alternatives. Getting medical care and building a specific treatment plan can help reduce migraine frequency and intensity.
FAQ’s
Q. How can I tell if I have a migraine?
Ans. The most familiar symptom of a migraine is an unbearable headache on one side of the brain. The pain is often a medium to the severe throbbing sensation that worsens with movement and hinders you from performing daily tasks. In certain cases, you may have pain on both sides of your head, as well as in your neck or forehead.
Q. What are the 4 stages of migraine?
Ans. Migraines can develop through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome. Not everyone who suffers from migraines progresses across all phases.
Q. Can migraine be cured?
Ans. There is presently no cure for migraines, however, there are some therapies available to assist reduce the symptoms. It may take some time to choose the optimal therapy for you. You may need to experiment with many types or combinations of medications before discovering the most beneficial ones.