Practically I have seen how migraine headache could be the worst than anything, can ruin your personal and professional lives as well. From this blog we learn how to differentiate the Headache with migraine head pain and effective, easy ways to prevent & manage the migraine head pain.
Migraine is a type of headache characterized by recurrent attacks of moderate to severe throbbing and pulsating pain on one side of the head. It’s often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can last for hours to days, and the pain can be so bad that it interferes with your daily activities.
Medications can help prevent some migraines and make them less painful. The right medicines, combined with self-help remedies and lifestyle changes, might help.
Migraine vs. Headache
Many people use the word “migraine” to describe the headache itself. But head pain is just one symptom of migraine. And headaches can be caused by many other things. Some typical characteristics of migraine headaches include:
- The pain is throbbing or pounding and feels worse when you move around.
- You feel it mostly on one side of your head.
- You also have at least one of these symptoms: sensitivity to light and/or sound, nausea, and vomiting.
Phases of Migraine
Migraine is divided into four phases, all of which may be present during the attack:
- Premonitory symptoms occur up to 24 hours prior to developing a migraine. These include food cravings, unexplained mood changes (depression or euphoria), uncontrollable yawning, fluid retention, or increased urination.
- Aura—Some people will see flashing or bright lights or what looks like heat waves immediately prior to or during the migraine, while others may experience muscle weakness or the sensation of being touched or grabbed.
- Headache—A migraine usually starts gradually and builds in intensity. It is possible to have migraine without a headache.
- Postdrome—Individuals are often exhausted or confused following a migraine. The postdrome period may last up to a day before people feel healthy again.
Symptoms of Migraine
A migraine usually is a throbbing headache that occurs on one or both sides of the head. The headache typically is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite. Activity, bright light, or loud noises can make the headache worse, so someone having a migraine often seeks out a cool, dark, quiet place. Most migraines last from four to 12 hours, although they can be shorter or much longer. Migraines, which affect children and teenagers as well as adults, can progress through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack and post-drome. Not everyone who has migraines goes through all stages.
Prodrome
One unique feature of migraines is an unusual sensation that a migraine is about to occur. This sensation is called a prodrome. One or two days before a migraine, you might notice subtle changes that warn of an upcoming migraine, including:
- Constipation
- Mood changes, from depression to euphoria.
- Food cravings.
- Neck stiffness.
- Increased urination.
- Fluid retention.
- Frequent yawning.
Aura
Another unique feature of migraines is an aura. In a typical aura, a person suddenly will develop blurry or distorted vision or will see pulsating lights. For some people, an aura might occur before or during migraines. Auras are reversible symptoms of the nervous system. They’re usually visual but can also include other disturbances. Each symptom usually begins gradually, builds up over several minutes and can last up to 60 minutes.
Symptoms of migraine auras include:
- Visual phenomena, such as seeing various shapes, bright spots or flashes of light.
- Vision loss.
- Pins and needles sensations in an arm or leg.
- Weakness or numbness in the face or one side of the body.
- Difficulty speaking.
Attack
A migraine usually lasts from 4 to 72 hours if untreated. How often migraines occur varies from person to person. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month.
During a migraine, you might have:
- Pain usually on one side of your head, but often on both sides.
- Pain that throbs or pulses.
- Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch.
- Nausea and vomiting.
Post-drome
Individuals are often exhausted or confused following a migraine. The postdrome period may last up to a day before people feel healthy again. After a migraine attack, you might feel drained, confused and washed out for up to a day. Some people report feeling elated. Sudden head movement might bring on the pain again briefly.
What does a migraine feel like?
Migraine headache pain may feel like the following:
- Throbbing
- Pulsing
- Pounding
- Dull
A migraine can feel different for each person. A migraine headache ranges from mild to severe. Head pain can start on one side and shift to the opposite side. You may also have pain around your eyes or temple, and sometimes around your face, sinuses, jaw or neck.
Types of Migraine
The two major types of migraine are:
- Migraine with aura, previously called classic migraine, includes visual disturbances and other neurological symptoms that appear about 10 to 60 minutes before the actual headache and usually last no more than an hour. Individuals may temporarily lose part or all of their vision. The aura may occur without headache pain, which can strike at any time. Other classic symptoms include trouble speaking; an abnormal sensation, numbness, or muscle weakness on one side of the body; a tingling sensation in the hands or face, and confusion. Nausea, loss of appetite, and increased sensitivity to light, sound, or noise may precede the headache.
- Migraine without aura, or common migraine, is the more frequent form of migraine. Symptoms include headache pain that occurs without warning and is usually felt on one side of the head, along with nausea, confusion, blurred vision, mood changes, fatigue, and increased sensitivity to light, sound, or noise.
Other types of migraine include:
- Abdominal migraine mostly affects young children and involves moderate to severe pain in the middle of the abdomen lasting one to 72 hours, with little or no headache. Additional symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Many children who develop abdominal migraine will have migraine headaches later in life.
- Basilar-type migraine mainly affects children and adolescents. It occurs most often in teenage girls and may be associated with their menstrual cycle. Symptoms include partial or total loss of vision or double vision, dizziness and loss of balance, poor muscle coordination, slurred speech, a ringing in the ears, and fainting. The throbbing pain may come on suddenly and is felt on both sides at the back of the head.
- Hemiplegic migraine is a rare and severe form of migraine that causes temporary paralysis—sometimes lasting several days—on one side of the body prior to or during a headache. Symptoms such as vertigo, a pricking or stabbing sensation, and problems seeing, speaking, or swallowing may begin prior to the headache pain and usually stop shortly thereafter. When it runs in families the disorder is called familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM). Though rare, at least three distinct genetic forms of FHM have been identified. These genetic mutations make the brain more sensitive or excitable, most likely by increasing brain levels of a chemical called glutamate.
- Menstrual migraine affects women around the time of their period, although most women with menstrually-related migraine also have migraines at other times of the month. Symptoms may include migraine without aura, pulsing pain on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, and increased sensitivity to sound and light.
- Migraine without headache is characterized by visual problems or other aura symptoms, nausea, vomiting, and constipation, but without head pain.
- Ophthalmoplegic migraine an uncommon form of migraine with head pain, along with a droopy eyelid, large pupil, and double vision that may last for weeks, long after the pain is gone.
- Retinal migraine is a condition characterized by attacks of visual loss or disturbances in one eye. These attacks, like the more common visual auras, are usually associated with migraine headaches.
- Status migrainosus is a rare and severe type of acute migraine in which disabling pain and nausea can last 72 hours or longer. The pain and nausea may be so intense that people need to be hospitalized.
What causes Migraine?
Doctors don’t know exactly what causes migraines, though they seem to be related to your genes, as well as to changes in your brain. Your genes may even influence what triggers your headaches, whether it’s fatigue, bright lights, or weather changes.
For many years, scientists thought people got migraine attacks because of changes in blood flow in the brain. Most now think this contributes to the pain but isn’t what starts it.
Some experts now believe an attack starts due to chemical changes in your brain. Overactive nerve cells send out signals that lead to changes in the levels of certain chemical compounds in your body, such as serotonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP makes blood vessels around your brain swell, while serotonin causes them to shrink. An imbalance in these chemicals causes inflammation and pain.
Migraine triggers
A number of different factors can increase your risk of having a migraine. These factors, which trigger the headache process, vary from person to person and include:
- Sudden changes in weather or environment
- Too much or not enough sleep
- Strong odours or fumes
- Emotion
- Stress
- Overexertion
- Loud or sudden noises
- Motion sickness
- Low blood sugar
- Skipped meals
- Tobacco
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Head trauma
- Hangover
- Some medications
- Hormonal changes
- Bright or flashing lights
Who is more likely to have Migraine?
Migraines occur in both children and adults but affect adult women three times more often than men. Migraines are genetic. Most migraine sufferers have a family history of the disorder. They also frequently occur in people who have other medical conditions. Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, and epilepsy are more common in individuals with migraine than in the general population. Individuals who have pre-migraine symptoms referred to as aura have a slightly increased risk of having a stroke.
Migraine in women often relates to changes in hormones. The headaches may begin at the start of the first menstrual cycle or during pregnancy. Most women see improvement after menopause, although surgical removal of the ovaries usually worsens migraines. Women with migraine who take oral contraceptives may experience changes in the frequency and severity of attacks, while women who do not suffer from headaches may develop migraines as a side effect of oral contraceptives.
How to diagnose Migraine?
A doctor usually will diagnose migraine based on your history and symptoms. In most cases, a physical and neurological examination will be entirely normal.
There are no special tests to diagnose migraines. For example, a computes Tomography (CT) or Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan of the brain usually will be normal. However your doctor may recommend additional testing if your headaches have features that are not typical for migraines, or if you have developed other worrisome symptoms. If there is any doubt about your diagnosis, your doctor also may recommend a consultation with a neurologist, a doctor specializing in illnesses of the nerves and brain.
How to prevent Migraine pain?
Not all migraine headaches can be prevented. However, identifying your headache triggers can help to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Common migraine triggers include
· Caffeine (either using too much or cutting back on regular use)
· Certain foods and beverages, including those that contain tyramine (aged cheese and meats, fermented beverages0; sulphites (preserved foods and wines); and Monosodium Glutamate (MSG); a common flavour enhancer.
· Stress, or relief from stress
· Hormone levels (menstrual cycles, hormone-containing medication such as birth control pills or oestrogen)
· Lack of sleep or disrupted sleep patterns
· Travel or changes in weather and altitude
· Overuse of pain-relieving medications.
Even if you avoid all possible triggers, you are still likely to experience a migraine occasionally. And many people who get migraines have frequent and severe headaches no matter how well they avoid triggers.
Other methods some people have used effectively to decrease their migraine attacks include diet, biofeedback, yoga, acupuncture, massage and regular exercise.
What foods and drinks are good for Migraine?
Eating and drinking certain things may help prevent migraine attacks. Certain foods contain high amounts of minerals, vitamins, and fatty acids that may help prevent migraine. Here’s a list of what you can add to your diet:
- Magnesium-rich foods: Foods rich in magnesium include dark leafy greens, avocado, and tuna.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Research indicates that increasing omega-3 fatty acids may help people with migraine. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids include fish, such as mackerel and salmon, seeds, and legumes.
- Ketogenic foods: It may not be for everyone, but shows that a keto diet may help reduce migraine attacks compared with a standard diet. This means eating foods that are low in carbohydrates and high in fat, like seafood, nonstarchy vegetables, and eggs. Be careful, though: Some keto-friendly foods may trigger migraine attacks. Always speak with a doctor or a registered dietician before starting a keto diet, as there are risks.
- Water: Maintaining good hydration levels may help prevent migraine and reduce symptoms, as dehydration can be a migraine trigger. Certain teas may also have additional benefits, such as reducing nausea or headache symptoms.
Which foods to avoid for migraine?
- High-sodium food
- High-glycemic food
- High-tyramine food
Regular exercise for Migraine
Biologically, exercise suppresses inflammatory modulators, including numerous cytokines, and stress hormones, like growth hormone and cortisol. Exercise has also been shown to affect microvascular health, which may be implicated in cortical spreading depression. Psychologically, there is evidence that exercise improves migraine self-efficacy and internalizes the locus of control, leading to reduced migraine burden.
Does yoga works on Migraine?
Research found that headache frequency and intensity was reduced in people who practiced yoga in addition to their regular treatment regimen.
Overall, yoga improved the cardiac autonomic balance. Disturbances in the autonomic nervous system and in the regulation of the circulatory system are associated with migraines. If balance is restored, the likelihood of a migraine is reduced.
Meet with a yoga expert to learn and practice suitable yoga poses for migraine.
Biofeedback technique for Migraine
Biofeedback (or biological feedback ) is a type of non-invasive mind-body therapy technique in which you’re hooked up to electrical sensors to monitor your body’s functions like heart rate, blood pressure, brain waves, breathing, skin sweat, and muscle tension. If you’re under stress, these functions may change.
This feedback can then help determine reactions to consciously soothe your behaviours to help bring your body and mind back to a relaxed state.
Biofeedback therapy has been found to be an effective treatment to reduce intense migraine attacks. According to the American Migraine Foundation, the technique can lower your headache frequency and severity by up to 45% to 60%.
Conclusion
If you have migraine or think you have migraine symptoms, reach out to a doctor. They may suggest tests, such as a CT scan or a blood panel, to get a proper diagnosis, which is the key to treatment.
If you think what you eat and drink may contribute to your migraine, consider a food journal to keep track of foods that may be triggering as well as foods that seem to help. Share it with a doctor so you can work on a more personalized treatment plan.
If your migraine attacks are affecting your mental health, you may also want to talk with a certified Wellness Coach.