A migraine is just a headache, it’s not a big deal! No, it’s a clear no. It’s a neurological disease and can be genetic as well. It affects each person differently. Some people might develop severe attacks that are infrequent whereas some have frequent severe attacks. It’s not easy to take your mind out of it or not to think about the grabbing suffering. So advising someone about the same is not a good idea. It is a common attack. According to stats one in every five women suffer from this. On the other hand, 1 in every 16 men suffers from the same. They are most likely to be caused in females because of hormonal imbalance.
What is a Migraine?
It is beyond a headache as it is a throbbing pain in your head. The pain is excruciating to the point it becomes unbearable. The condition should be taken seriously and treated promptly, otherwise, it can disturb you for days. The condition can be an indication of stress or other neurological disorder. Most of the general physicians believe that this condition can be cured by decreasing stress. Make an online consultation with your family physician for better insight. Online consultation can keep you in touch with your doctor and can help in immediate attack.
What are the causes of Migraine?
Various factors can trigger migraine. But you don’t have to blame yourself for that, it’s not your fault.
Women are most likely to get migraines. Hormonal changes that a woman’s body during pregnancy, menstrual cycle or lactation. The hormone responsible for this is oestrogen. The other causes could be alcohol, stress, medications, caffeine and sleep changes. The main reason for this imbalance is a disturbance in homeostasis. The right homeostasis is maintained by the hypothalamus. This is also called the autonomic centre of the brain which controls thirst, food cravings and temperature. The cortical spreading depression is a theory that is proposed to explain the aura in migraine. Think of it as a water droplet, it spreads like a water droplet to different parts of the body. The spread of depression occurs and this causes visual loss and other sensory effects. General physician believe that people suffering from migraine get an aura, the only difference is that they may not feel it. Once there is a spreading of depression, this can lead to the activation of the trigeminal vascular system. The trigeminal nerve then causes headache with throbbing pain. Referred pain is a concept that can explain headaches in the brain. The final step of migraine includes sensitization of the nerve. The nerve supply is responsible for the sensory actions. Since this gets over sensitive and leads to pain in doing even simple tasks.
What are the types of Migraine?
It is divided into four phases premonitory phases :-
The first phase is a premonitory phase which starts 72 hours before the actual headache. You might experience fatigue, food cravings, light sensitivity(photophobia), yawning and muscle stiffness, especially in the neck. This is a ‘triggered phase’. This phase has reasons for the occurrence like sleep disorders, not eating properly, neck pain etc. All these factors lead to disturbance in the homeostasis of the body. It’s important to tell your general physician about your food habits for the past three days, before
the attack.
The second phase is the aura phase. According to the stats, a third of people experience the aura phase. It is a fully reversible neurological condition. There are four types of aura that are seen in people.
- The visual aura is the condition where the person has blurred vision or spotted vision. This is the most common type of aura.
- The next type is a sensory aura which produces a tingling effect on one side of the body or the face.
- Language aura means difficulty in speech and understanding of the words.
- Motor aura is about weakness in one side of the body which is responsible for the lack or absence of movements.
The third phase is the headache phase which is characterised by pulsating and throbbing pain. The pain could be unilateral or bilateral. The most common is unilateral which means only one side of the brain is affected and experiences throbbing pain. Most of the patients might experience photophobia, nausea and vomiting. Light sensitivity is a very common thing to encounter and can be a triggering point for many patients. Cutaneous allodynia is a hypersensitivity reaction on the skin. Even touching the skin will cause pain.
The final phase of migraine is the postdrome phase. This shows lingering symptoms of migraine. Migraine can be debilitating partly because it hurts when you even sneeze. Consider this as a post-effect of migraine. You may feel pain while moving your neck after the attack.
Symptoms and prevention
The most common symptom is an intense throbbing headache. The person may be sensitive to light and feel dizzy. Sound can also irritate. Visual defects like blurring of vision and spots in vision are seen. You may feel dizzy and have feelings of nausea or vomiting. The symptoms of migraine and headache are different. It’s important to diagnose and differentiate between both.
The prevention of migraine is the only solution. The general physicians advise some ways to prevent it. The lesser the number, the better your condition will be.
A decoction is a way by which you can prevent the attack. Herbs containing anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving factors should be used. Take a glass of water, add neem leaves, a bit of ginger and a pinch of turmeric. Neem leaves have many medicinal properties, whereas ginger and turmeric have anti-inflammatory properties.
Oils like peppermint and lavender have a calming effect. A nice hot oil massage can instantly relieve the pain of headaches. This will also help with nausea and photophobia. You can even take sesame oil and massage your head for a calming effect.
Magnesium-rich diets can help you with relieving pain and other effects easily. This is a long-term solution for all. The deficiency of magnesium can cause headaches due to constriction of blood vessels. Magnesium inhibits the signals which induce aura and visual effect. Green leafy vegetables with a variety of seeds can help you improve the condition.
Yoga techniques can help your mind relax and cool down. Many general physicians also advise to practice yoga daily. Consult your family physician for better help.
Meditation is a good technique to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. It is believed by many general physicians that most of the migraine attacks are caused by stress and worry. Meditation is the best way to reduce stress and worry. This also helps in pain tolerance.
Other ways include medication. This depends on the type of attack. Suppose if you have an acute attack, your general physician might advise you of your nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This includes aspirin, naproxen, and diclofenac. Prophylaxis treatment is required if headache occurs two/three or more times in a month or if there is significant functional impairment during attack. The drugs include propranolol, amitriptyline, calcium channels blockers like verapamil. Anticonvulsants like gabapentin are also used.
Our physical and mental well being are intertwined. It is well said that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body.
