Migraine is a manifestation of primary headache. It is based on neurovascular syndrome. As a result of overexcitation of the central nervous system, there is inflammation of cranial vessels.
Women are more susceptible to this disease than men. The first symptoms appear at a young age, the attacks stop after 50 years of age. Migraine is not life-threatening, but to the patient it causes a lot of trouble. Severe headache, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and photophobia, knocks a person out of the rut, depriving him of his ability to work.
Causes of migraine
The disease has a neurological nature. The predisposition to it is often genetically determined.
Factors that can provoke another attack:
- foodstuffs (different for each person);
- strong external stimuli (light, sound, smell);
- stress;
- head injuries;
- temporomandibular joint pathologies;
- medications (combined oral contraceptives).
In women, hormonal changes play an important role in the onset of migraines. The strongest trigger is estrogen, so the first episodes of headache begin with the first menstruation. Subsequently, attacks appear in the first days of the cycle, and recede during pregnancy and with the onset of menopause.
Medication treatment of migraine
Your doctor makes a treatment plan depending on how often your headaches occur. Infrequent headaches (once or twice a month) are usually treated with fast-acting and strong medications that reduce headache, nausea, and hypersensitivity to bright lights and/or sounds. Women who suffer from migraine have to change the type of treatment frequently. Preventive treatment is recommended for them.
In case of frequent and long-lasting headaches, as well as pain that prevents you from doing your usual activities, you will have to take medication every day to prevent migraine.
Cognitive behavioral therapy
This therapy helps to determine what exactly triggers the onset of headaches. People who get migraines face the same stressors as the rest of us, but in migraine patients, stress can trigger migraine attacks. Thus, through specific stress management training, it is possible to identify the thoughts, feelings, and types of behaviors that influence the occurrence of headaches and manage them so that headaches do not occur.
Diet therapy
Some people who suffer from migraine are helped by a course of treatment aimed solely at eliminating foods and drinks that provoke headaches. For this reason, it is necessary to keep a migraine diary to identify individual triggers. In 30% of cases, patients are helped by following a diet.
A diet that prevents a drop in blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can cause blood vessels in the head to dilate, may help some people with migraine. This condition usually occurs because of long periods of time spent without eating: overnight, for example, or if a person skips a meal. A headache in the morning after waking up may be a reaction to low blood sugar due to insufficient food the body has received overnight.
Help with a migraine attack
At the first sign of an impending migraine attack, all factors that may increase the pain should be addressed as soon as possible:
- turn off lights and TV, close curtains;
- eliminate sources of extraneous sounds as much as possible;
- get fresh, cool air;
- go to bed.
Basic recommendations
As you know, migraine can not be cured completely. But it is possible to reduce the number of attacks, their duration and the strength of pain sensations. Often, to prevent headaches, it is enough to adjust your lifestyle, knowing what causes or intensifies attacks specifically for you.
There are basic recommendations that will work for everyone, as they affect the most common triggers of attacks:
- Eat regularly, on time and in a balanced way, and don’t let yourself starve. Hunger can provoke migraine;
- Avoid migraine triggers, especially excessive emotional and physical stress and lack of sleep. Try not to take long breaks between meals. Exclude from your diet products that you personally provoke headaches.
- Master relaxation techniques – they help to get rid of nervous and muscle tension, increase resistance to stress.
- Drink water throughout the day as needed, avoid dehydration;
- If you often have tight neck and neck muscles, a massage of the collar zone and cervical spine will be helpful.
- Get regular and sufficient sleep. Migraine provocateur can be both lack of sleep and excessive sleep, so it is important to keep a regimen both on weekdays and weekends;
- Be physically active! Choose something you enjoy – sticking to this principle, it is much easier to maintain interest in physical activity. This can be, for example, running, walking, swimming, gymnastics, morning and evening exercises (3-4 times a week for 40-50 minutes). It is important that physical activity is not excessive and does not provoke migraine attacks.
Conclusion
Migraine is a complex neurological disease that can significantly impair quality of life, but with the right approach to treatment and prevention, it is possible to significantly reduce the frequency and intensity of attacks. It is important to realize that each patient is unique, and treatment should be individualized. Combining drug therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, nutritional therapy and lifestyle changes will help control migraine and minimize its impact on daily activities. Timely diagnosis, proper treatment and regular prevention can significantly improve the patient’s condition and allow them to live a full life.
