It is not a headache if it is recurring or persists for days. Migraines tend to be more severe. There are warning signs that if overlooked can lead to serious health complications. Most people suffer from Migraines and do not know it. Causes of migraines vary from environmental, emotional to biological elements.
Unlike ordinary headaches, migraines are often on one side of the head. Typically, it begins with sensory disturbances then pain. While everyone is prone to migraines, people between age 15 and 55 are more affected.
Ignorance about this sensory condition leads to downfall of many people, which could be managed. It is important to acquaint with the facts.
Facts on Migraines
Not everyone gets the warning sign before a migraine. Also, the signs are not similar; symptoms differ widely.
Most migraines are linked to environmental triggers including extreme light, dust and other allergies. Stress is also trigger of migraines.
Over The Counter drugs are effective in reducing migraine effect. They may not be preventive but will surely decrease the pain and sometimes curb it for several days or weeks.
Regular and severe attacks can be managed with preventive drugs.
It is possible to notice the signs and act on them before the situation escalates; it is the best way to manage full-blown attacks.
Migraine symptoms
Migraines vary in intensity, cause, and timing. Symptoms vary on this basis. Some signs will be evident minutes before a headache, others during the headache, while others will be after the headache. It is important to consult a doctor to establish your specific cause and condition. It also takes individual initiative to detect the triggers and how the pain starts.
While symptoms vary from case to case, here are the standard symptoms:
- Pulsing or throbbing pain
- Increased sensitivity to environmental factors such as light and sound, which can easily be managed by changing environment to a quiet place free of the triggers.
- Severe pain that inhibits you to go on with daily activities; pain can hinder bending, running among other physical activities.
- Chronic pain on one side of the head, which may extend to both sides at advanced stages.
- Sickly and weak feeling; some people vomit during or before migraines.
- Some people experience diarrhea, sweating, stomachache, and high fever.
Migraine causes
A specific cause to migraines is not yet known. However, the conditions can be linked to deficiencies in the brain. Nerves are crucial for communication of body organs hence necessary for smooth running of all body systems because they all depend on communication. Blood vessels in the brain are also crucial to the communication function.
Most triggers are based on genetic makeup of an individual.
While migraine triggers widely vary, here are some common causes:
Hormonal change
This is a common cause of migraines in women. During menstruation, women are prone to migraines. The drastic changes in hormones interfere with brain communication. Menstruation not only causes physical strain but also emotional. Any strain in the brain interferes with flexibility of blood vessels and nerve function hence migraines.
Emotional triggers
Emotions are often sudden. Whether you are excited or depressed, it influences hormonal and nerve function. The brain has standard functions, which are only efficient at optimal levels of hormones and temperatures. Emotions have an effect of blood vessel walls, they either expand or reduce, which directly affects nerve communication. Common emotions that lead to migraines include; shock, depression, excitement, stress, and anxiety.
Medication
Most drugs have a side-effect. In most cases, when you take in large amounts more than required. It is always important to follow doctor prescriptions to the ore to avoid unnecessary health complications. Also, some drugs have powerful chemicals that are likely to interfere with hormones and nerves in the body. Influencing either of these elements in the brain can cause migraines. Common drugs known for migraines are contraceptives and sleeping pills. Most are considered Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Physical causes
How you position your body or activities you engage in regularly can lead to migraines. Poor sitting posture, insufficient sleep, exhaustion, and extreme tension on neck and shoulders can easily lead to migraines. Body strains affect body systems and brain functions; when the brain is tired and strained in normalizing body systems, you will feel pain. Low blood sugar can also trigger migraines for the same reason. The brain is straining to balance hormones and body systems.
Environmental factors
Most people experience migraines because of allergies from the environment. Extremes of any stimuli can lead to severe pain on your head. It is easy to deal with environmental triggers because you can identify the specific stimuli and avoid such environment. Also, you can take medication to prevent the allergic reactions. Common triggers in the environment include strong smell. Flickering screens, sudden temperature change, bright light, second-hand smoke, loud noise, and stuffy rooms.
Diet
Irregular feeding habits cause migraines because of imbalance in hormonal function. The human’s digestive system entails processes that are affected by temperature and timing. Digestive enzymes expect food at certain times and if it misses, the hormones have to resort to survival like depletion of intestinal walls for energy. All these depend on decisions and communication from the brain; irregular meal times causes strain in balancing enzymes and hormones, which is a common cause of migraines.
Alcohol abuse can cause migraines. Certain foods like chocolate, citrus fruits, cheese, and foods containing tyramine lead to migraines. One of the dangers of inadequate water in the body is dehydration.
Migraine treatment
There are various types of medical techniques to manage migraines. Effectiveness of a drug or therapy is dependent on severity and cause of the headache. Taking painkillers is the most basic way of dealing with migraines. However, it might not help in severe cases. Painkillers are only effective if taken early; when migraine advances, you will need stronger medication, which be a cause of migraine itself.
Treatment is not necessarily medication. It can be changing environment or stopping to overthink and reduce stress, which causes migraines. Therapy can also be simple as going to sleep to let the brain rest. Some migraines are about stressors in the brain; if you relax and focus on the easy part of life, the headache will subside.
Over The Counter (OTC) drugs renowned for treating migraines are; ibuprofen, naproxen, and acetaminophen. Aspirin with certain levels of caffeine can also help in reducing the headache. Acetaminophen is also an effective component in aspirin to help in managing aspirin.
While most of these are available with pharmacists and local stores, it is important to consult a medical doctor for directions on a suitable drug depending on your type of migraine and body system. Not everybody responds to same kind of drugs; some chemicals might be reactive or allergic to body organs. The only way to keep safe from further infection is consulting before taking any painkiller or any other migraine medication.
Typically, migraines come with unpleasant symptoms that will only subside after the headache is gone. In such cases, it is important to check on medication components and how it helps with existing symptoms.
Nausea and vomiting, for instance, can be controlled by Metoclopramide. Some migraine conditions do not respond to OTC medications; in such cases Serotonin is recommended to help in balancing hormones and regain nerve functions in the brain.
Antidepressants are also effective in selective cases to reduce migraine symptoms. However, you should check your country policies on such drugs before ordering any.
Prevention of migraine
The first consideration in stopping migraines should be avoiding the triggers. The technique is more effective if you have encountered several migraines hence familiar with triggers. It is easier to manage migraines before the pain advances. If a preventive drug does not curb the headache, it will at least reduce the pain or duration of the migraine. Preventive therapy also aims at reducing frequency of the migraine.
Common preventive drugs include;
- Magnesium citrate
- Riboflavin
- Coenzyme Q10
- Antidepressants
- Vitamin B-12 supplements
- Herbal extracts
Only use one preventive medication at a time. Medication overuse or mixing chemical components can cause more damage. Most supplements are available online but you have to first check with a doctor.