{"id":1241,"date":"2020-09-25T03:13:23","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T03:13:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oakbankhealth.ca\/?page_id=1241"},"modified":"2023-05-16T00:41:37","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T05:41:37","slug":"migraines","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ycdscc.com\/medical-condition\/migraines\/","title":{"rendered":"Migraines"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t
Overview<\/p>\n\t
A migraine causes a severe throbbing pain or pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. Migraines are usually accompanied by vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea. Migraine attacks may last from hours to days, and the pain can be so intense that it interferes with your day to day activities.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, you will have a warning symptom before experiencing a migraine known as an aura. An aura can include visual disturbances like blind spots or flashes of light, or other disturbances such as tingling in the arm, leg, one side of the face, or difficult speaking.<\/p>\n
There are migraine medications that can help to prevent some migraines or make them less painful. The right medications, combined with lifestyle changes and self-help remedies could help.<\/p>\n\t
Symptoms<\/p>\n\t
Migraines often begin in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. They can progress through 4 stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome. Not everyone who experiences migraines has all 4 stages.<\/p>\n
A day or two before a migraine you may notice subtle changes that warn of an upcoming migraine, these include:<\/p>\n
For some people, auras may occur before or during migraines. Auras are reversible symptoms of your nervous system. They are usually visual but can include other kind of disturbances. Generally each symptom will begin gradually, build up over several minutes, and last for 20-60 minutes.<\/p>\n
Examples of migraine aura include:<\/p>\n
A migraine will usually last for around 4-72 hours if untreated. The frequency of migraine occurrences varies from person to person. Migraines might occur seldomly or strike several times a month.<\/p>\n
During a migraine you will likely experience:<\/p>\n
After a migraine attack you may feel confused, washed out, and drained for up to a day. Some people have reported feeling elated. Sudden head movements can bring the pain back briefly.<\/p>\n\t
Causes<\/p>\n\t
Though migraine causes are not understood fully, environmental factors and genetics appear to play a role.<\/p>\n
Changes in the brainstem and the way it interacts with the trigeminal nerve could be involved. So might inbalances in brain chemicals including serotonin which helps to regulate pain the the nervous system.<\/p>\n
Researchers are currently studying the role serotonin plays in migraines. Other neurotransmitters also play a role in the pain of the migraine.<\/p>\n
There are many migraine triggers including:<\/p>\n
Diagnosis<\/p>\n\t
If you have migraines or a family history of migraines, a neurologist will likely diagnose migraines based on your symptoms, a neurological and physical examination, and medical history.<\/p>\n
If your condition becomes severe suddenly, or is unusual or complex, tests to rule out other causes for the pain may include:<\/p>\n
Treatment<\/p>\n\t
Migraine treatment is aimed at preventing future attacks and stopping symptoms.<\/p>\n
Many migraine medications are available to treat migraines. Medications used for combatting migraines fall into two broad categories:<\/p>\n
The treatment your doctor goes with will depend on the severity and frequency of your migraines, whether you experience vomiting and nausea with your headaches, how severe and disabling they are, and other medical conditions you have.<\/p>\n
Migraine medications used for pain relief work best when they’re taken at the first sign of an oncoming migraine – as soon as symptoms and signs of a migraine begin. Medications that can be used to treat it include:<\/p>\n
Some medications can help to prevent frequent migraines. Your doctor may recommend preventive medications if you have long-lasting, frequent, severe migraines that don’t respond well to treatment.<\/p>\n
Preventive medication tries to reduce how severe the attacks are, how often migraines occur, and how long they last. Options include:<\/p>\n
Amerge<\/a><\/p>\n Cafergot<\/a><\/p>\n Relpax<\/a><\/p>\n Sibelium<\/a><\/p>\n Zomig Nasal Spray<\/a><\/p>\nMigraines Blog Posts\n\t Overview A migraine causes a severe throbbing pain or pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. Migraines are usually accompanied by vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, … <\/p>\n\n
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