Migraines are long term headaches that can cause a great amount of pain for hours or even days. The symptoms of migraine can be severe that all you can think about is find a place to lie down. Migraines can be preceded by early warning signs suchs as flashes of light, blind spots or a tingling sensation on the arms or legs. Migraine is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting and extreme light/sound sensitivity. Currently, there is no known cure for migraine. Medications only help reduce the symptoms and severity of migraine. A good medication combined with self-help natural remedies plus a change in lifestyle can make great change in relieving the pain from migraine. Migraines would usually appear in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Migraine attacks produce some or all of the following symptoms. - Moderate to severe headache, which may be localized on one side of the head or it could also affect both sides of the heads. Left untreated, a migraine attack would last from 4 up to 72 hours. The frequency of headache occurrence depends on the person. Some people would experience migraine several times a month while others have headache that occurs less frequently. Some people experience migraines with auras, auras are changes to the patient vision which includes seeing flashes of light and the feeling of pins on the arms or legs. Migraine is accompanied by sensations of premonition that may last several hours before the headaches strikes. The sensations (prodrome) include one or more of the following
Migraine Triggers There are factors that trigger the occurrence of headache. The following factors are common triggers for migraine. Hormonal changes in women – variations in the estrogen level of women seems to trigger headaches in women with migraines. Women with history of migraine often experience headaches during or before their menstrual period. A major drop in estrogen level provigil prices is the main trigger for migraine. Hormonal medications like oral contraceptives can also make migraines worse. Foods – there are migraines that appear to be triggered by foods. Examples of trigger foods include alcohol, cheese, chocolate, aspartame, caffeine and monosodium glutamate. Stress – stress whether emotional or physical can trigger migraines. Sensory stimuli – bright lights, loud sounds and unusual smells can also trigger migrane. Changes in wake-sleep pattern – most of the time, getting too little or too much sleep can trigger migraines in some individuals. Changes in the environment – change in barometric pressure, temperature or humidity can also trigger migraines. Medications – some medications could aggravate migraines. Non-medication Migraine Treatment and remedies for Migraine Sleep – this could be the best medicine for migraine. Get the right amount sleep. Avoidance – a patient could motivate himself to avoid the triggers of migraine like smoking, foods that are high in tyramine, foods with sulphites and nitrates. Healthy lifestyle and good nutrition – taking vitamins and minerals plus lots of fluids helps in keeping away migraine. Muscle relaxation exercises – this simple exercise as well as meditation and yoga can help relieve stress which is a known trigger for migraine. Acupuncture – in this method of migraine treatment, a specialist inserts thin needles in pre-defined areas of the skin that affects migraine. Some research has found out that acupuncture does help in relieving headache. Biofeedback – this is a technique that uses special equipment which enables the patient to monitor and control some physical responses that are stress related. Massage – massage may help cut down the frequency of migraine plus it could actually improve sleep quality. Herbs, vitamins and minerals
- High doses of Vitamin B2 could prevent migraine according to some research. Coenzyme Q10 food supplements might be helpful in some patients. Magnesium Sulfate could reduce the frequency of headaches in some individuals. People who suffer from occasional migraine headaches would usually medicate themselves using Over the counter or non-prescription medications. Over the counter migraine medication for migraine is usually an Analgesic or pain reliever. OTC pain relievers are safe and effective for the short-term relief of headaches. Pain-relieving medications works best if they are taken as soon as the person experience the signs and symptoms of migraine. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - Advil, Motrin and Aspirin is good for mild migraines. Prolonged use of nsaids can lead to ulcers. Triptans – this is good for severe migraine attack. Medications include sumatriptan (Imitrex), zolmitriptan (Zomig), almotriptan (Axert), frovatriptan (Frova),rizatriptan (Maxalt), naratriptan (Amerge), and eletriptan (Relpax). Do not take this medication if you are at risk of stroke. Anti-nausea medications - metoclopramide or prochlorperazine is good for relieving the nausea that accompanies migraine. Opiates – this is sometimes used to treat migraine especially if a patient cannot take Triptans. These are habit forming medications and they are use less frequently. Preventive medications can actually reduce the severity, frequency, and length of migraines. Preventive medications can also increase the effectiveness of symptom-relieving medications that are used for treating migraine. Usually, preventive medications do not completely eliminate headaches. Cardiovascular drugs or Beta blockers — these medications such as Calan and Isoptin are used to treat high blood pressure but they can also reduce the severity and frequency of migraines. Some of the side effects from beta blockers include dizziness, drowsiness or lightheadedness. Antidepressants – Tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline, nortriptyline (Pamelor) and protriptyline (Vivacti) works in preventing the headaches from migraine. They work by affecting the serotonin level in the brain. Anti-seizure drugs – There are anti-seizure drugs like divalproex (Depakote), topiramate (Topamax), and gabapentin that works in reducing the severity of migraine. Botulinum toxin type A – sometimes used to treat chronic migraine but studies show mixed results.
No comments:
Post a Comment