Everything You Need To Know About Migraines

Everything You Need To Know About Migraines

Migraines

Contrary to popular belief, migraines are much more than just bad headaches. Victims of migraine experience extreme pain and this invariably has an adverse effect on the quality of their lives. Triggered by a number of factors like change in air pressure, menstrual cycles (in women), diet and sleeping habits, migraines can occur once a month or multiple times in a month. Although common amongst both genders, women are three times more prone to suffering from this condition than men. Even know how can doing botox helps in curing migraines?

Migraines disrupt the normal life of an individual and it is one of the most dangerous and annoying disability. People generally define migraines as nothing but a great amount of pain however there are other characteristics of this condition too, like noise sensitivity, nausea, light sensitivity and worsening of headache with exertion. A small percentage of the victims also experience flashing lights and vision changes right before the commencement of agony. Migraines can occur on both sides of the head, on one side or in the back of one’s head, but mostly they occur on the temples.

Natural solutions like consuming butterbur root and magnesium can help in alleviating the pain experienced during migraines. There are some food groups whose intake can trigger migraines, some of the most common being chocolate, red wine, cheese, nuts, citrus fruits, food with an excessive amount of salt or cream and sourdough bread. Fermented foods are also culpable and have been known to cause migraines.It is very easy to identify a migraine - one usually feels a stabbing or throbbing pain which can aggravate to the point wherein it is simply intolerable. Anyone suffering from an attack finds it impossible to carry on with day to day activities. 

During migraines, people generally avoid going out in the sun and instead shut themselves off from loud noises like children playing or traffic. A quick nap with medicated balm smeared on one’s forehead also helps. However, in case these aren’t strong enough to tackle the problem then one can try some preventive drugs. Migraine victims are advised to remain in a dark room with complete silence when an attack occurs. It is best to block as much light and sound as possible till the time the pain completely subsides.

Medications that can narrow the veins and arteries have been found to be effective for combating migraines. Consuming pain relievers like aspirin or naproxen also helps, but only at the beginning stages of the headache. A better option would be to treat these headaches as soon as possible and not wait until the time they get out of hand. Never make the mistake of consuming drugs after vomiting or nausea happens because these would render the drugs useless.

If you suffer from watery eyes and nasal congestion during your migraine attacks then it is considered to be a sinus headache. In case one suffers from migraines for more than once per week then a visit to a doctor to have the symptoms checked is strongly recommended. One should also try and identify the triggers that cause such migraines, like food products, hectic and unorganized schedules and try as much as possible to avoid these s in order to keep migraines at bay. Corrective measures like organizing one’s schedule to make it less strenuous or avoiding the consumption of food triggers should be practiced to control occurrences of migraine.

 

Reviewed By:

Dr. Kaushal M. Bhavsar (MBBS, MD)

Assistant Professor in Pulmonary Medicine, GMERS Medical College, Ahmedabad