Migraine: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention & Complications

Migraine Headaches

What is Migraine

A migraine is more than just an uncomfortable headache. It can cause crippling, throbbing, one-sided headache pain that can keep you in bed for days. Movement, lights, sounds, and other stimuli might cause symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, changes in vision, and discomfort. To prevent migraines from taking over your life, a medical expert can help you manage your symptoms.

A migraine is a severe headache that spreads to one side of the brain and causes throbbing, pulsating pain. A migraine's headache phase typically lasts four hours or longer, but it sometimes lasts for days. Physical exercise, bright lights, strong smells, and loud sounds exacerbate this headache.

Migraines may be disruptive. They may disrupt your daily schedule and make it difficult for you to fulfill your social and personal commitments. You can get treatment to help you control your migraines.

Causes of Migraine

Abnormal brain activity is the cause of a migraine headache. Numerous factors can initiate this action. But it's still unclear exactly what happened next. Most medical professionals think that chemicals and neuronal pathways in the brain are involved in the initial attack. The changes influence blood flow in the brain and surrounding tissues.

The age range between 10 and 45 is often when migraine headaches first manifest. They might start later or early at times. A family history of migraines is possible. Women are more likely than males to get migraines. Pregnancy reduces the frequency of migraines in some women.

Triggers of Migraine

Any of the following may trigger a migraine attack:

Withdrawal from caffeine
Changes in hormone levels brought on by using birth control tablets or throughout a woman's menstrual cycle
Modifications to sleep habits, including not getting enough sleep
Consuming alcohol
Physical activity or other sources of stress
Loud sounds or bright lights
Skipping meals
Fragrances or odors
Using tobacco products or being around smoke
Anxiety and stress

Certain foods may also trigger migraine attacks. The most typical are:

Milk
Chocolate
Dairy products, particularly certain cheeses
Foods containing MSG (monosodium glutamate)
Foods containing tyramine include smoked salmon, red wine, aged cheese, figs, and certain legumes
Fruits (citrus, banana, and avocado)
Meats such as bacon, hot dogs, salami, and cured meats that contain nitrates
Onions
Other nuts and seeds, including peanuts
pickled, fermented, marinated, or processed foods

A brain tumor or any other major medical issue is not the cause of true migraine headaches. If your symptoms are coming from a migraine disease or something else entirely, only a medical professional can make that diagnosis.

Risk Factors for Migraine

Migraine can affect everyone. Several variables increase your risk of migraines, such as:

Family History. You have a higher likelihood of getting migraines if you have family members who suffer from them.
Age. Although they can start at any age, adolescents are typically the first to experience them. The intensity and frequency of migraines often peak in your 30s and then steadily decline over the ensuing decades.:
Sexual. Migraine sufferers are three times more likely to be female than male.
Changes in hormone level. For women who suffer from migraines, the headaches may start either before or right after the menstrual cycle begins. Additionally, they might alter with menopause or pregnancy. Following menopause, migraines usually become better.
Depression
Bipolar illness
Fibromyalgia
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety, overactive bladder, and sleep disturbances

Symptoms of Migraine

Everyone experiences migraines differently. Most individuals experience it in stages. These stages include:

Prodrome
Aura
Attack
Postdrome

Prodrome

About 60% of migraine sufferers experience sensations such as these hours or days before they have a headache. This phase is known as the prodrome. At this point, symptoms may include:

Having a high threshold for light, sound, or odor
Feeling tired or low
Depression
Desires for food or a lack of appetite
Mood swings
Extreme thirst
Bloating
Diarrhea or constipation
Frequent yawning
Hyperactivity
Irritability
Neck stiffness

Aura

After the prodrome period, the aura appears. You may have problems with your vision, feeling, moving, and speaking during an aura. Among these symptoms are

Having trouble speaking
Feeling prickly or tingly in your legs, arms, or face; seeing shapes, flashes of light, or areas of brilliant light
Losing your vision

Attack

Typically, a migraine headache starts as a dull discomfort that develops into a throbbing agony. Usually, when you move, it becomes worse. The pain may be at the front of your head, radiate to the sides, or feel like it is affecting your entire head.

About half of the population vomits, and about 80% of people have nausea and headaches. You can also feel lightheaded or pallid and clammy.

The average migraine lasts four hours, although more than three days are possible between severe ones. Two to four headaches each month are typical. While some people get migraine headaches once or twice a year, others may experience them every few days.

Postdrome

A person frequently goes through the postdrome stage after the attack stage. Feelings and moods typically shift at this stage. This stage may last for a day or more following a headache. Symptoms include,

Feeling euphoric and extremely happy
Feeling tired, irritable, or exhausted
Feeling remarkably content or revived
Weakness or discomfort in the muscles
Food cravings or a lack of appetite

Depending on the individual, these stages may vary in duration and severity. Sometimes, a stage gets skipped, and a migraine attack may occur without causing a headache.

Diagnosis Of Migraine

To determine possible reasons, doctors undertake a physical exam, ask detailed questions about your health and family history, and listen to your symptoms to diagnose migraines.

Imaging tests, such as an MRI or CT scan, can rule out further reasons, such as cancers, abnormal brain structure, and stroke.

Treatment of Migraine

The goal of migraine therapy is to cure the symptoms and stop recurrences. Migraine treatment options are numerous. There are two main groups of medications used to treat migraines:

Painkiller Medications. These medications, often referred to as acute or abortive therapy, are intended to prevent migraine symptoms and are used during attacks.
Preventive Medications. These medications are taken regularly, often daily, to lessen the intensity or frequency of migraines.

Painkiller Medications

When used as soon as migraine symptoms appear, pain relief medications are most effective in relieving the migraine pain. Treatment options for it include the following medications:

Pain Relievers. Advil, Motrin IB, and other over-the-counter or prescription drugs include ibuprofen or aspirin. If they are used for an extended period, they may result in headaches related to prescription abuse, as well as stomach ulcers and bleeding.
Triptans. Prescription medications such as sumatriptan and rizatriptan treat migraines by obstructing the brain's pain pathways. For people who are at risk of having a heart attack or stroke, they might not be safe.
Gepants. They are oral calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists. Two oral medications that have been licensed for the treatment of adult migraines are rimegepant and ubergepant.
Dihydroergotamine (Trudhesa, Migranal). For migraines that often last more than twenty-four hours, this medication, which is available as an injectable or nasal spray, works best when administered soon after the onset of migraine symptoms. Increased nausea and vomiting associated with migraines are possible side effects.
Zavegepant intranasal (Zavzpret). This nasal spray was just authorized by the Food and Drug Administration to treat migraines. Zavegepant is the only migraine medication available in the form of a nasal spray. After taking one dosage, migraine pain relief usually occurs between 15 minutes to 2 hours.
Reyvow's Lasmiditan. It is approved to treat migraines with or without aura using this more recent oral tablet. Lasmiditan dramatically reduced headache pain in clinical studies.
Opioid Medications. Narcotic opioids may provide relief from migraine attacks for those unable to take other drugs. These are often only used in cases where no other therapies work because of their significant potential for addiction.
Anti-Nausea Drugs. If you experience nausea and vomiting along with your migraine with aura, these might be helpful. Metoclopramide, prochlorperazine, and chlorpromazine are anti-nausea medications. These are typically given together with analgesics.

It is not safe to use some of these drugs while pregnant. Do not use any of these drugs if you are pregnant or attempting to get pregnant without first consulting your healthcare professional.

Preventive Medications

Taking medication can help avoid getting migraines often. If you get severe, persistent, or regular headaches that don't go away, your doctor may suggest preventive medicine. The goal of preventive medicine is to lessen the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks.

Blood pressure-lowering drugs. Among these are beta blockers like metoprolol, propranolol, and hemangeol.
Antidepressants. Amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, helps stop migraines.
Anti-seizure drugs. If you get less frequent migraines, valproate and topiramate may be helpful. However, they can also have side effects, including nausea, dizziness, and weight fluctuations. It is not advised for women who are pregnant or attempting to get pregnant to use these drugs.
Injections of Botox. For certain individuals, onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) injections approximately every 12 weeks can help avoid migraines.
Qulipta (Atogepant). This medication functions as a gepant, preventing migraines. It's a daily oral pill that you take.
Nursetec ODT (Rimegepant). This medication is special because, in addition to treating migraines when needed, it also functions as a preventative migraine treatment.

Find out if these drugs are appropriate for you by speaking with your doctor. It is not safe to use some of these drugs while pregnant. Do not use any of these drugs if you are pregnant or attempting to get pregnant without first consulting your healthcare professional.

Prevention of Migraine

Not all migraines are preventable. However, you can lessen the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks by taking preventative medicine as prescribed by your doctor. Additionally, you may collaborate with your healthcare professional to identify and prevent your triggers by learning more about them.

Try the following actions to stop symptoms:

Seek out and stay away from triggers. Observe your symptom patterns and record them in a journal to determine the cause.
Control your tension. Mindful breathing, yoga, and meditation are examples of relaxation practices that might be helpful.
Eat at regular intervals.
Consume a lot of liquids.
Make sure you get enough sleep.
Engage in moderate activity daily.
If making lifestyle adjustments doesn't help and you experience migraines around your period, talk to your doctor about preventative medications.

Complications of Migraine

In a nutshell, migraine complications may involve the following:

Chronic migraine. Recurrent or persistent headaches that substantially interfere with day-to-day functioning.
Overuse of Medication Headache. This condition arises when using painkillers often makes headaches worse.
Aura Complications. Symptoms related to the nervous system or perception disorders that may appear before or after migraine attacks.
Status Migrainosus. A severe migraine episode that necessitates medical attention and lasts longer than 72 hours.
Impact on Emotion and Mental Health: Depression, anxiety, and a lowered quality of life are all possible outcomes of migraines.
Cardiovascular Risks. Migraine is associated with an increased risk of stroke and other cardiovascular issues, particularly in women with aura.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Every person uniquely reacts to treatment. Some people seldom ever have migraines and require little to no medical attention. Others occasionally need to visit the hospital or take many medications.

One of the risk factors for stroke is migraine headaches. Smokers are more at risk, especially women who get aura-producing migraines. People who get migraines should also abstain from other stroke risk factors in addition to quitting smoking. Among them are:

Using birth control tablets that include estrogen
Consuming poor food, which raises blood pressure and cholesterol

FAQs About Migraine

Is migraine a serious problem?

Indeed, migraines can pose a significant threat. This is not your average headache; it's a neurological disorder that may produce excruciating pain as well as incapacitating symptoms like light and sound sensitivity and nausea. Migraines can greatly affect day-to-day functioning, including missed social or professional engagements. They may also raise the chance of developing depression and cardiovascular conditions, among other health concerns. Reducing the negative effects of migraines on general well-being requires seeking appropriate management and therapy.

What is the meaning of migraine in Urdu?

The word "migraine" in Urdu is translated as "سردرد" (Sar dard).

How to deal with migraines?

Proactive action is essential to managing migraines effectively. Begin by carefully journaling to discover probable triggers, such as stress, certain food choices, or insufficient sleep. To control tension levels, incorporate stress-relieving methods like deep breathing or meditation. To ensure proper hydration, sip water continuously throughout the day. When needed, use prescription or over-the-counter medicine to relieve symptoms. Finally, get advice from medical specialists to create customized treatment programs and discover practical migraine avoidance techniques.

How can you naturally relieve headaches?

Take a look at these natural headache remedies. Dehydration often causes headaches. Therefore, be cautious to stay hydrated. You should practice deep breathing and meditation, as well as sleep in a quiet, dark environment, to reduce tension and anxiety. Putting a warm or cold compress on your forehead or neck is another method to help you feel better. Furthermore, massages and gentle neck stretches may help to relieve any tension in the muscles that might be the source of the headache. If the headache persists or gets worse, it is imperative to see a healthcare professional for further assessment and treatment.

What is the best medication for migraine?

The most effective migraine medication often varies depending on individual factors including attack frequency and intensity. Triptans, which aid with pain relief and inflammation reduction, and preventative drugs like beta-blockers or anticonvulsants, which work to gradually lessen the frequency and intensity of migraine attacks, are among the commonly given drugs. The best medicine should be chosen in consultation with a healthcare professional based on your unique needs and medical background.

Migraine Headaches - Medical & Health