Migraine is a type of headache with high intensity and often comes with other symptoms like vomiting, nausea, and sensitivity. The migraine pain can last for some hours to days. People often consider migraines as stress headaches. Symptoms of both cases are similar however both are different conditions. The symptoms and causes of migraine can differ from person to person. A person can get a migraine at any stage of his life. Living with migraine is difficult as it affects your work and daily routine a lot.
Stages of a migraine attack
Migraine has 4 different stages; not everyone deals with all stages. Most people face at least 2 stages of migraine.
Prodrome
Around 60% of migraine patients face the prodrome stage. It occurs hours or days before the pain starts. Symptoms of prodrome stage are:
- Fatigue
- Food craving
- Sensitivity to light, smell, and sound
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Mood swings
Aura
Aura appears before the migraine pain starts. These symptoms are based on the nervous system and may cause problems in your vision. People face an aura stage about 5-10 minutes to 1 hour before the attack. Symptoms of aura stage are:
- See black dots
- Tingling in fingers and feet
- Tunnel vision
- No clear vision
- Ringing in ears
- Changes in sense organs
- Arms and legs become heavy
- Unable to speak properly
Attack
The attack starts after the aura stage with a dull ache. After some time it grows into throbbing pain. The migraine pain increases when a person is doing any physical activity. Migraine pain can move from one side to the other side of the head. It can occur on the front side or can feel in your whole head. Most people get nausea along with headaches. About 50% of people vomit or feel dizzy. Usually, migraine pain lasts for around 4 hours. But many people may face headaches for 2-3 days. People with this condition mostly get headaches about 3-4 times a month. But some people get migraine attacks like 2-3 times in a year.
Postdrome
This is the final stage of migraine after the attack. The pain reduces but the person may face some other symptoms such as:
- Feeling wiped out
- Muscle pain
- Food craving
- In this stage, people may also feel blank out.
Causes for migraine
There aren’t any exact causes of migraine headaches. According to researchers, migraine can occur due to some changes in the brain chemicals and genes. The migraine triggers can also pass down with genes. Overactive nerve cells trigger trigeminal nerves that can cause pain in the head or face. Due to this, your brain releases chemicals like serotonin that swells blood vessels of the brain and cause pain and inflammation. You should get a migraines treatment Pennsylvania to prevent the migraine attack and live life peacefully.
Risk factors for migraine
Gender: Every gender can get migraine but women are more prone to this condition.
Genes: If any of the parents have migraine then there are 50% chances that the kid will face the same condition. In case both of the parents have migraine then the risk increases to about 75%.
Age: A person can get a migraine at any time phase of his life. Teens can also get migraines. But most people get migraines between the age of 18 to 40. In women, migraines often get better after the age of 50.
Illness: Several medical conditions increase the migraine chances such as bipolar disorder, anxiety, epilepsy, depression, etc.
Common triggers for migraine
Migraine can occur at any time without any prior notice. However, several things or conditions increase the chances of getting a migraine attack.
Hormonal changes
Women often get migraine attacks during periods or ovulation. They may also face this condition when they are pregnant due to sudden changes in hormones.
Stress
During stress, the brain produces chemicals that swell the blood vessels and trigger migraine.
Food
Food items or drinks like alcohol, coffee, food coloring, or additives can trigger migraine pain.
Weather change
Changes in temperature or barometric pressure may trigger migraine pain in some people.
Mediations
Medicines like vasodilators can trigger migraine in a person.
Sleep disorder
If a person is not getting enough sleep or rest; he may get migraine attacks often.
Migraine treatment and home remedies
There is no cure for a migraine. If a person is facing this condition, he may get a migraine attack throughout his life. But several treatments and remedies are available to prevent the recurrence.
Pain relief
Most people use OTC drugs to reduce migraine pain. OTC drugs contain caffeine, aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen. However, taking aspirin under the age of 19 can increase the risk of Reye’s syndrome. If a person often takes pain relief medication, he may face other health issues. You must talk to your doctor and take the prescribed medications.
Medications to reduce other symptoms
Doctors often prescribe nausea medications with pain relief. Some people also use lasmiditan to reduce light and sound sensitivity.
Preventive medications
When other treatments for migraine don’t work, doctors prescribe preventive medications. It includes BP medicines, seizure medicines, antidepressants, etc to prevent migraine attacks.
Natural medications
Other than allopathy, some natural medications such as Ayurveda and Homeopathy are also good treatment options for migraines. These medications don’t give immediate relief like OTCs but are fully safe. Homeopathic remedies work on the causes behind the condition. When a person uses natural medications for treating migraine, recurrence rates reduce a lot.
Home remedies
Avoid certain food items
Your diet is necessary to prevent migraine attacks. You should avoid food items that can trigger migraines such as chocolate, alcohol, cheese, nitrate-containing items, beans, dried fruits, cultured dairy products, etc.
Use peppermint or lavender oil
Inhaling lavender essential oil can reduce migraine pain. A person can inhale it directly or mix it with other oils. Peppermint oil can also help in preventing migraine attacks. However, due to the strong smell, some people may feel more pressure. If your pain seems worse then don’t use oil therapy.
Meditation and Yoga
Regular meditation for around 20-30 minutes per day can be very helpful in treating migraines. It reduces the stress nerves and a person feels better. You can also try Yoga poses to reduce migraine pain.