Migraine can cause severe pulsating sensation or throbbing pain, usually on onside of head and are associated with nausea, vomiting and extreme sensitivity to sound and slightest light. Migraine last for hours or even for few days with high intensity of pain affecting daily routine.
There are some warning symptoms prior to onset of migraine attack known as Aura, which occurs before or during headache.
Migraine is of two types, with aura (classic migraine) migraine without aura (common migraine).
Symptoms:
Migraine is common in all age group. It consists of four stages: pro-drome, aura, attack, and post-drome.
Pro-drome: Few days before a migraine attack, person may notice some changes that warn a migraine attack
- Food craving
- Constipation
- Mood changes
- Increase thirst and urination
- Neck stiffness
- Frequent yawning
Aura:In females it might occur just before or during her menstrual they are reversible symptoms of the nervous systems. Mainly, it presents with visual symptoms, but can be associated with other disturbances as well. The pain slowly starts and then build up and last for several minutes, maybe approximately 15 minutes to 1 hour.
- Vision loss
- Pins and needles sensations (tingling and numbness feeling)
- Visual phenomena like seeing flashes of light, various shapes or blind spots.
- Numbness and weakness in one side of body or face.
- Involuntary movements of body
- Hearing -music or sound
- Difficulty in speaking
Attack:The duration last approximately between 4-72hours if remained untreated, intensity and occurrence of migraine attack depends on theindividual. During migraine there may be-
- Pain mainly on one side of head but it could be both sided also
- Sensation of pain are like throbbing or pulsating type (very common)
- Sensitivity increase during attack for light, sound and occasionally to touch and smell also.
Post drome:In this phase person is so exhausted because for pain, he/she looks completely drained out.
Causes
It is not scientifically proved but triggering factors like genetic and environment play a big role. Pathophysiological changes in the brain stem and its correlation with trigeminal nerve (5th cranial nerve) might be involved in severe pain. Imbalance in brain chemical along with serotonin (pain regulator in nervous system) and other neurotransmitters can result in a migraine.
Migraine triggers can be
- Stress
- Hormonal changes in women
- Drinks too much wine or coffee (caffeine)
- Sensitive to sensory stimuli
- Sleep changes (jet lag)
- Physical factors
- Weather changes
- Medication (oral contraceptives, vasodilators-nitroglycerin)
- Food additives
Treatment
It is mainly symptomatic line of treatment and main aim is to reduce pain and prevent its full blown attack and occurrence. Simple lifestyle changes can reduce frequency
- Getting sound sleep
- Drinking plenty of water
- Regular physical exercise
- Reducing stress
- Avoid aggravating food
SurgeryDoctor may inject botulinum toxin or Botox to extracranial sensory branches of trigeminal and cervical spinal nerve.
MedicationMainly symptomatic line of treatment (like pain killers) is given to reduce pain like naproxen, ibuprofen. To control symptom like nausea Metoclopramide medicine is given.
Homoeopathic MedicineHomoeopathic has very good clinical record in treating migraine successfully and safely.
- Belladonna (for throbbing headache). Pain with Throbbing sensation and has sensitivity to light and noise. Face feels hot, sometimes with cold hands and feet.
- Bryonia (for splitting headache, mainly left sided). Nature of headache is splitting with steady pain which settles mainly in left eye. Slightest motion aggravates headache when eye movements but better by firm pressure, person wants to lie downstill and no one should talk or disturbed. Nausea is present in this remedy with dry mouth and usually patient is thirsty.
- Glonoinum (for congestive migraine which aggravated by sun exposure). It is a remedy for migraine due to sun exposure which is of congestive nature.
- Iris Versicolor (for periodic migraine). Headache associated with nausea and vomiting and worse by vomiting, there is an aura of blurring vision and pain that extends to face and teeth. Patient is aggravated from resting and better by motion.
- Gelsemium (for congestive headache cause by stress and anxiety). Pain with sensation of tight band around the head which is relieved by urination.
