Overview
Typically, migraines affect one side of the head and cause throbbing pain or a pulsating sensation. It is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, excessive light, and sound sensitivity. Migraine episodes can last anywhere from hours to days, and the pain might be severe enough to affect your usual activities.
A warning sensation known as an aura arises before or with a headache for some people. Medications can reduce migraine pain and prevent some migraines. The correct medications, in combination with self-help treatments and lifestyle adjustments, may be beneficial.
At Padda Institute, our goal is to identify the root cause of migraines. We might order a diagnostic test after reviewing the clinical history of the patient and if the examination document does not reveal any neurologic findings, such as papilledema. Consult with our specialists today.
Migraine Headache Signs & Symptoms
Migraines can go through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome, and they can afflict toddlers and teens as well as adults. Some migraine sufferers do not progress through all the phases.
Migraine Prodrome
You may detect small changes that indicate an impending migraine one or two days before it occurs, such as:
- Constipation
- Changes in mood, ranging from despair to exhilaration
- Frequent yawning
- Food cravings
- Neck stiffness
- Increased urination
- Fluid retention
Aura
Auras can appear before or during migraines for certain people. Auras are reversible nervous system symptoms.
Examples of migraine auras include:
- Visual manifestations, such as seeing diverse forms, bright spots, or flashes of light
- Vision loss
- You’re on pins and needles a feeling in one’s arm or leg
Migraine Attack
If left untreated, a migraine can persist anywhere from 4 to 72 hours and frequency might vary from person to person. Migraines might hit once a month or numerous times a month.
You might experience the following symptoms during the migraine:
- Pain on one side of your head, but commonly on both sides
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain that throbs or pulses
- Light, sound, and occasionally smell or touch sensitivity
Migraine Post Drome
You may feel fatigued, mentally confused, and washed out for up to a day after a migraine episode. Some people claim to be overjoyed. There may be a temporary discomfort reactivated by abrupt head movements.
When To See A Doctor?
Migraines are undetected and mistreated far too frequently. Keep track of your migraine episodes and how you dealt with them if you experience them on a regular basis. Schedule a consultation with a specialist to address your headaches.
- Consult your doctor if the pattern of your headaches changes or if your headaches feel different.
- An intense, sudden headache, similar to a thunderclap
- Fever, stiff neck, disorientation, seizures, double vision, numbness, or weakness in any region of the body, all of which might indicate a stroke.
- A persistent headache that becomes worse after coughing, exercise, straining, or an abrupt movement
- New headache discomfort after 50 years of age
What are the Causes?
There is no definitive cause of migraines; however, heredity and environmental factors may have an impact.
There may be changes occurring in the brainstem that affect the trigeminal nerve, which is a major pain pathway. Imbalances in brain chemicals including serotonin, which helps your nervous system manage pain, might also play a role.
Migraine Triggers
Migraines happen due to various factors, as follow:
- Hormonal changes in women: Many women get headaches when their oestrogen levels fluctuate, such as before or during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or menopause.
- Drinks: Alcohol, particularly wine, and too much caffeine, such as coffee, are examples.
- Stress: Migraines can be brought on by stress at work or at home.
- Sleep patterns shift: Sleep deprivation or excessive sleep can cause migraines in certain people.
- Changes in the weather: A migraine can be triggered by a change in weather or barometric pressure.
- Additives to foods: Many foods include artificial sweetener aspartame and preservative monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Best Treatment for Migraine
The goal of migraine headache therapy is to alleviate symptoms and avoid future occurrences. We don’t recommend taking any medication without your doctor’s prescription. There are two types of medications used to treat migraines:
- Analgesics (pain relievers):These medications, often known as acute or abortive therapy, are administered during migraine attacks and are intended to relieve symptoms.
- Medication for prevention:To minimize the severity or frequency of migraines, these medications are used on a regular basis, typically daily.
Acute Migraine Treatment for Relief
- Triptans: Prescribed drugs such as rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT) and sumatriptan (Imitrex, Tosymra) are used to treat migraine because of their ability to block pain pathways in the brain. When taken in the form of pills, shots, or nasal sprays, they can relieve many migraine symptoms. The drugs could not be used by those at risk of strokes or heart attacks.
- Dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal): This medication can be used as a nasal spray or injection, and its effectiveness is best when taken shortly after the start of migraine symptoms if the migraine persists longer than 24 hours. Side effects might include migraine-related nausea and vomiting.
- Opioid Medications: Narcotic opioid medications might help people who can’t take other migraine medications. These are highly addictive and are usually used only when all other options have failed.
- Anti-nausea Medications: These will if migraine with aura is accompanied by vomiting and nausea. Chlorpromazine, metoclopramide(Reglan), or prochlorperazine (Compro) come under the anti-nausea drugs and are usually taken along with pain medications.
Migraine Experts At Padda Institute
Padda Institute has the most experienced migraine specialists working in St. Louis & Bridgeton area. Specialists trained in nervous system disorders work together to bring the best possible migraine treatment.Although weather changes do not always trigger migraines, they can increase the intensity and frequency of migraines.
Prodromal symptoms are the early symptoms that are experienced during the initial stages of migraine headaches. They can occur a few hours to a few days before the migraine happens. However, not every attack is preceded by prodromal signs.
Migraine headaches can be managed by making some fundamental changes in the lifestyle such as,
- Eating a balanced diet
- Yoga and meditation’
- Maintaining a sleep schedule
- Counseling sessions and therapies for longer run
Migraines and genes have been connected. Some persons may be genetically prone to greater sensitivity to migraine triggers.
Migraine does not cause intense hunger. Rather, it is accompanied by nausea, aura and sensitivity to light.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, are among the over-the-counter (OTC) medicines used to treat migraines.
Narcotic analgesics and triptans are two prescription drugs used to treat migraine pain. Additionally, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, ergot derivatives, and antidepressants are used to treat migraines. Migraines can also be treated with Botox injections.
Strokes and migraines do not typically coexist. A brain blood artery that is blocked, leaky, or bursts causes a stroke. As a result of oxygen starvation, brain cells begin to deteriorate. It is a medical emergency.
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