Understanding Migraine: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Migraine
Not all headaches are migraines, and not all migraines present with headaches. A headache is one of the most common forms of pain. Although its cause is unknown, the pain occurs due to the dilation of arteries located in the skull.
(Headache is when you feel a sharp pain, roast phallic is when you feel nothing)
Migraine Symptoms
Migraine Without Aura
- Strong and throbbing pain that usually affects one side of the head.
- Often includes nausea and vomiting.
- Distortion of vision. (That is, all blurred)
- Dizziness and hypersensitivity to light. (The light may feel uncomfortable, and everything around spins)
- Headaches may occur on the same day of the week or month or after a particular event.
- The pains are more intense with physical activity, especially when bending over.
- Lack of appetite. (Not wanting to eat)
- Fatigue. (This is when you feel tired, lack energy in the body, and feel listless)
- Numbness (rigidity in the body), tingling (like animals that walk you through the body), or weakness.
Symptoms After the Migraine Has Gone Away
- Confusion, like your thinking is not clear or sharp.
- Need for more sleep.
- Sore throat.
Symptoms of Migraine With Aura
(When a woman has a different vision of colors and notifies you that strong head pain will come)
The attack begins with an aura (the person sees flashing lights, distorted shapes and colors, and other optical illusions) that lasts 10 to 30 minutes before the pain. Then the aura disappears, and the pain becomes more intense and throbbing.
- The pain attacks one side of the head.
- Migraine can last from 30 minutes to 5 days or more.
- Sometimes, a little vomiting relieves the attack.
It should be noted that some patients experience aura without migraine; this condition is called acephalic migraine.
Treating Migraines
While all migraines are associated with pain, they differ in severity and frequency. It is therefore necessary to create a tailored treatment that meets the individual needs of each patient. The medication is used to treat severe headaches quickly and should be used in the initial phase. Sometimes, they are also effective in reducing other attack symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to noise or light. Preventive therapies are used daily to prevent attacks or reduce their frequency and severity.
Among these therapies are pharmacological and non-pharmacological, such as physical and behavioral therapies. Finally, rescue medication is applied when the intense medication fails. They usually can be administered at home, although some require more aggressive therapy or intramuscular injections given in the doctor’s office or the emergency department. This treatment may cause drowsiness, which is adequate to relieve pain, although some patients complain that it prevents them from continuing with their daily activities. There are four different agents for the individual treatment of migraines:
- Analgesics.
- Antiemetics.
- Ergotamine.
- Triptans.
Some treatments combine several agents, but their abuse can exacerbate the problem rather than alleviate it. There are also several non-pharmacological therapies that are being used successfully in the treatment and prevention of headaches:
- Electric feedback therapy monitors body sensations, from temperature to muscle tension. With this information, the patient attempts to improve control over muscle tension and temperature to eliminate the symptoms associated with headaches and reduce the frequency and severity of attacks.
- Cognitive therapy is learning to control thoughts and reduce negative ones. This allows the patient to control stress and situations likely to trigger an attack.
Migraine Prevention
In order to reduce the severity, duration, and frequency of attacks, prophylactic treatments are used. The prophylactic cure should last at least 3 months and, if successful, should be extended from 6 to 12 months (sometimes even years) before being lessened gradually (do not stop suddenly). Try then a pause of 3 to 6 months and restart if necessary. Usually, the effect is not felt until about 6 weeks of regular intake.