What is migraine

 Migraine Forms ,Causes and its Treatment

Migraine headaches are a specific type of headache. Firstly, the pain in migraine itself is very strong, unbearable, usually covering half the head. Secondly, the pain is accompanied by other symptoms - nausea and vomiting, fear of bright light and loud sounds, lacrimation. Thirdly, the development of a headache can be preceded by strange symptoms of numbness or weakness of the extremities, blurred speech, and visual impairment, which are commonly called aura. The aura lasts, as a rule, no more than 1 hour and passes as the headache rises.

migraine headaches

Forms and complications of migraine

There are several of this headache, as well as two main complications with which untreated migraine is fraught:

1. Migraine without aura
2. Migraine with aura (classical migraine with aura, aura without migraine, basilar aura, hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine)
3. Chronic migraine
4. Migraine complications (migraine status, migraine cerebral infarction, migraine-associated seizures)

The exact type of migraine will be determined by the doctor, but it is very important to understand that a headache can be accompanied by a variety of symptoms, and the absence of treatment can lead to serious complications, up to the development of a stroke.

Causes of Migraine

Why does migraine develop, why does it hurt so much and only one part of the head?

At one time it was believed that the aura is caused by a local narrowing of the vessels of the head, and the pain itself is caused by the subsequent expansion of the vessels. Also, one of the theories suggests a change in the bioelectric activity of certain parts of the brain. 

Another theory is that pain is mediated by irritation of the branches of the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for the sensitivity and pain of the face, part of the head and membranes of the brain. Some studies have shown that the balance of neurotransmitters in the nervous system is also important, and if it is disturbed, migraine also occurs.

Obviously, each of the mechanisms described above contributes, which causes such severe pain and so many accompanying symptoms.

Migraine treatment

Given the complex nature of the disease, the question naturally arises, how can it be treated?

If migraine attacks occur rarely and do not greatly affect a person's performance, it is customary to prescribe drugs only at the time of pain. As a first step, the doctor recommends the usual NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) such as ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol. If these drugs are not effective enough, you should take triptans - medicines designed specifically to combat a migraine attack.

In the event that seizures occur frequently, reduce efficiency, respond poorly to the treatment, it is advisable to deal with the prevention of migraine attacks. It is carried out not by painkillers, but by drugs that affect vascular tone, neurotransmitter balance, neuronal excitability - these are beta-blockers (drugs traditionally prescribed for hypertensive patients), antidepressants (mainly amitriptyline), anticonvulsants (drugs used to treat epilepsy). Such therapy is prescribed for a long period of time and requires daily medication.

Migraine treatment is a laborious process that requires serious moral and financial resources

In recent years, many modern techniques have appeared that allow you to control migraine, effectively prevent the development of seizures and minimize the use of medications. Among these methods are botulinum therapy , vagus stimulation (X pair of cranial nerves), transcranial magnetic brain stimulation.

It is believed that up to 12-16% of the world's population suffers from migraines. It is also known that women get sick almost three times more often than men, and if someone in the family has migraines, then relatives are at a higher risk of getting sick.

Article By Vigoheal