Migraines are more than a headache… both factually and figuratively when it comes to your health and well-being! The symptoms of migraines can be debilitating and often vary significantly from person to person, which can make diagnosis and the identification of suitable treatments difficult. In the USA in 2018, the prevalence of migraines in adult men and women was 16.5% and 20%, respectively. This finding implies that migraines are relatively common, however, due to similarities with standard headaches, they can go undiagnosed with inadequate treatment. If you have had persistent headaches in the past, there is a possibility that you may be experiencing a migraine. Familiarising yourself with the different types of migraines, symptoms and causes is a crucial step to working out how you can get migraine relief and greatly improve your health and well-being.
Migraine Symptoms
There are multiple symptoms associated with migraines, some of the most common symptoms you may experience consist of:
- Neck pain.
- Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhoea.
- Sweating and/or feeling hot or cold.
- Aura (flashing lights, dizziness, tunnel vision and coloured spots).
- Moderate to severe throbbing headache on one side or front of the head.
One of the most common symptoms of a migraine is a debilitating headache occurring on one side or the front of the head, which is markedly more intense than a standard headache. Furthermore, migraines tend to last longer than headaches, often persisting longer than 4 hrs and even up to 3 days. These two symptoms are good indicators of migraine onset, especially if you don’t experience aura or other accompanying symptoms.
Types of Migraines
There are 3 main types of migraine that you may experience:
Migraine with aura – Where the moderate to severe symptom of a pulsating headache on one side of the head is preceded with neurological disturbances (aura) acknowledged as warning signs, such as flashing lights, dizziness, tunnel vision and coloured spots.
Migraine without aura – Where there are no neurological disturbances preceding the onset of a migraine. This type of headache occurs without warning and is most common; it accounts for more than 60% of all forms of migraines.
Silent Migraine – This form of migraine has no distinct headache symptom, however, aura in the form of neurological disturbances are experienced.
Migraine Triggers
The explicit physiological cause of migraines is inexact due to difficulty in research establishing consensus due to the high degree of symptom variability among those who experience them. Whilst research currently prevails to identify explicit causes, commonly reported triggers have been identified.
Common triggers of migraines you should be aware of:
- Dietary – Certain foods can trigger migraine attacks and should be considered as possible causes for migraine onset. Whilst there is no definitive diet solely responsible for triggering migraines, high-fat diets have been linked with migraine onset frequency.
- Stress and Anxiety – High stress and anxiety has been associated with an increased onset of migraines.
- Hormonal – Some women may experience migraines prior to their period as migraine onset is associated with hormonal changes.
- Lack of Sleep – A lack of good quality sleep is also linked with an increased incidence of migraines, so make sure you’re getting your 8 hours!
- Environmental – Changes to the weather, pressure and climate may induce migraines. Additionally, sensory overload as a result of excessive loud noises, strong smells or flashing, bright light exposure can induce migraines.
Whilst these symptoms are not exhaustive or by any means definitive, it is crucial to keep a track of the possible details surrounding each migraine onset to generate useful feedback necessary to find a solution.
Migraine Treatments
If you think you may have a migraine or are yet to find a successful relief for your migraine, there are a variety of treatments available.
- Non-Prescription Medication – Over the counter medication (OTC) such as paracetamol or ibuprofen taken immediately at the point of onset may help to reduce the intensity of the headache.
- Prescription Medication – For chronic relief where OTC medication is ineffective, prescribed stronger medication may be necessary such as Triptans. These should be obtained from your either your GP or a reliable online pharmacy, such as Pharmica Online Pharmacy.
- Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) – TMS involves the delivery of small magnetic pulses through the skin in an attempt to reduce the severity of migraine symptoms, it is relatively new in its application and is not to be acknowledged as a cure reporting limited success.
It’s clear that dealing with migraines can be a challenge and a major inconvenience. If you think you may be suffering from migraines, it is important to evaluate the instances of your migraine and be proactive in finding a treatment and management strategy that works for you. It is strongly recommended that you seek advice from your GP or a professional if you are interested in reducing your level of stress and anxiety. Professional consultation and advice, coupled with effective treatments to reduce migraine symptoms, forms a strongly recommended strategy to minimise your migraines and maximise your health and well-being!
