Migraine headache is characterized by a severe headache usually affecting one side of the head. There are other symptoms along with headache like nausea/vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound. Some patients experience neurological phenomena like changes in vision, temporary loss of sensation and altered sensation, a phenomenon known as an aura (flashes of light, zigzag patterns, bright spots, tingling in the arms and the legs). Migraine headache can last for 2 to 3 days. 

Symptoms: The symptoms depend on the stage of a migraine attack. The stages of a migraine attack can be: 

Prodrome, Aura, Headache or attack, and Postdrome. 
Prodorme: One to two days prior to the migraine attack, patient may experience; 
Mood swings. 
Cravings for food. 
Increased yawning. 
Stiff neck. 
Constipation and frequent thirst and urination. 
In case of an aura (during or before a migraine), there may be visual, motor, speech, and sensory illusions and disturbances such as, 

Loss of vision. 
A strange sensation of needles pricking an arm or a leg. 
One side of the body becomes weak and numb. 
There are visual illusions such as the appearance of flashes of light, zigzag patterns, bright spots. 
There is a problem in hearing and speaking. 
In some cases, there may be a hemiplegic migraine (the limb becomes weak). 
During a Migraine Attack (lasts for 4 to 72 hours), there may be 

A throbbing pain on either one or both sides of the head 
Blurred vision, light-headedness. 
Nausea and vomiting 
Sensitivity to light and sound 
Sensitivity to touch and smell (though rare) 
In Postdrome (after a migraine), there can be 

Mood swings. 
A person may be sensitive to light and sound. 
Dizziness and weakness 
Confusion 
Extreme fatigue 
An amalgamation of environmental and genetic factors may be responsible for a migraine. Trigger varies for each patient: 

Stress and extreme physical exertion 
Obesity 
Alcohol and caffeinated drinks and beverages 
Salty and processed foods 
Altered sleeping habits 
Hormonal alterations in women (Constant fluctuation in the level of oestrogen) 
Oral contraceptives and certain vasodilators (nitroglycerin) 
Preservatives like MSG (monosodium glutamate) and Aspartame (sweetener) 
Sunshine, certain odours, travel, etc can trigger migraine. 
Treatment and Prevention: 

Medicines under supervision to abort an attack of migraine and special drugs to stop attacks. 
Lifestyle changes are helpful to decrease attacks: 
Avoid your trigger for migraine. 
Follow regular sleep -wake cycle. 
Regular exercise, meditation. 
Avoidance of alcohol, caffeine containing beverages. 
Other treatment options that can be availed from pain specialist: 
Transcutaneous supraorbital nerve stimulation 
Intramuscular stimulation. 
Botulinum toxin injection. 
Occipital nerve block.

Migraine Pain - Facts About It!

In modern days, migraine has become a common disease that affects the young and the old equally. Migraine as such cannot be cured, but improving lifestyle and Ayurvedic medication can help you keep this disease under control and improve your quality of life.

What is Migraine?
Migraine, commonly known as Sooryavarta in Ayurveda, is a medical condition in which the excessive stimulation of the blood vessels in the brain causes a throbbing pain on one side of the head and is associated with nausea, sensitivity and vomiting. This happens because the vomiting centre of the brain gets activated during an episode. These symptoms are the most common signs; however, it varies from person to person. 

What Causes Migraines?
These headaches worsen upon sunrise and it is at its peak at noon, when the sun is at its highest intensity and slowly subsides on sunset. This is one of the major factors in setting in an episode; it is not true in every case. 

The other triggers that cause migraine attacks according to Ayurveda are:

Spicy and oily food
Stress, anger, grief, jealousy
Suppressed emotions or natural urges
Indigestion
Consumption of too much of dry, salty and pungent food
Consuming polluted food
General triggers may include:

Smoking and drinking
Stress
Fasting
Physical stress and exercise
Fluctuation in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle or the use of birth control pills
Stopping intake of tea or coffee suddenly
Stress to sensory organs in the form of bright noises, bright lights, strong perfumes or odours etc.
Certain foods or beverages may also trigger an episode of migraine. These include baked foods, chocolates, processed foods, spicy foods, onions, dairy products and peanuts. These kinds of foods are known to suddenly increase Kapha dosha or Pitta Dosha and as a result, trigger an attack.

Symptoms of Migraine-
It is usually characterised by a stinging, throbbing pain on one side of the head and is followed by nausea and vomiting. Some people may get visual aberrations called an aura- such as blind spots, blurred visions, distorted lines etc.

Ayurvedic medications that can help migraine are:

Indian licorice   Glycyrrhiza glabra
Sariva   Hemidesmus indicus
Hareetaki   Chebulic myrobalan-Terminalia chebula
Amalaki   amala   Emblica officinalis
Mallika   Jasminum officinale
Hareetaki   Chebulic myrobalan-Terminalia chebula
Bala   Sida cordifolia
Kumari   Aloe vera
Sariva   Hemidesmus indicus
Simple home remedies useful in migraine:

Tender leaves of jasmine or tender leaves of pomegranate are taken along with a pinch of salt and crushed well to obtain fresh juice. Early in the morning, preferably in empty stomach, 2-3 drops of this fresh juice is instilled to both the nostrils. Procedure is repeated once again evening hours (6-7 pm). This reduces the severity of headache in migraine.
One fist full of Doorva grass (cynodan dactylon) is taken and its fresh juice is obtained. To this, 2 pinch of licorice powder is added and mixed well. This is consumed during the noon hours. Procedure is repeated for 20-30 days. This helps to reduce the severity of illness significantly.
Take coriander seed powder   1 teaspoon. add it to one cup of water, leave it as it is at night, next day morning, drink it on empty stomach.
Soak 5 raisins and 5 almonds in water at night, next day morning, eat them.

Migraine - Causes, Symptoms And its Ayurvedic Treatments 

Headaches and migraines can vary drastically depending on their duration, specific symptoms and the person they are affecting. The more you know about your specific type of headache or migraine, the better prepared you will be to treat them and possibly even prevent them. The two types of migraine are- 

Migraine without aura: The majority of migraine sufferers have Migraine without Aura. 
Migraine with aura: Migraine with Aura refers to a range of neurological disturbances that occur before the headache begins, usually lasting about 20-60 minutes.
Symptoms of migraine vary and also depend on the type of migraine. A migraine has four stages: prodrome, aura, headache and postdrome. But it is not necessary that all the migraine sufferers experience all the four stages.

Prodrome: The signs of this begin to appear a day or two days before the headache starts. The signs include depression, constipation, food cravings, irritability, uncontrollable yawning, neck stiffness and hyperactivity.
Migraine Aura: Auras are a range of symptoms of the central nervous system. These might occur much before or during the migraine, but most people get a migraine without an aura. Auras usually begin gradually and increase in intensity. They last for an hour or even longer and are 

Visual: Seeing bright spots, various shapes, experiencing vision loss, and flashes of light
Sensory: Present in the form of touch sensations like feeling of pins and needles in the arms and legs
Motor: Usually related with the movement problems like the limb weakness
Verbal: It is related with the speech problems
Headache: In case of a migraine attack one might experience:

Pain on both sides or one side of the head
Pain is throbbing in nature
Vomiting and nausea
Sensitivity to smells, sound and light
Vision is blurred
Fainting and lightheadedness
Postdrome: This is the final phase of the migraine. During this phase one might feel fatigued, though some people feel euphoric.

Red flags that the patient may be having underlying serious disorder not migraine

Onset of headaches >50 years 
Thunderclap headache - subarachnoid haemorrhage 
Neurological symptoms or signs 
Meningism 
Immunosuppression or malignancy 
Red eye and haloes around lights - acute angle closure glaucoma 
Worsening symptoms 
Symptoms of temporal arteritis
These patients require CT scan / MRI or CSF examination. Most Migraine patients do not need these tests. 

Diagnosis of Migraine: Usually migraines go undiagnosed and thus are untreated. In case you experience the symptoms regularly then talk to the doctor, who evaluates the symptoms and can start a treatment. You can also be referred to a neurologist who is trained to treat the migraines and other conditions. During the appointment the neurologist usually asks about the family history of headaches and migraines along with your symptoms and medical history.

The doctor might advise for some tests like:

Blood Tests: These reveal problems with the blood vessel like an infection in the spinal cord and brain.
CT scan: Used to diagnose the infections, tumors, brain damage, and bleeding that cause the migraines.
MRI: This helps to diagnose the tumors bleeding infections, neurological conditions, and strokes.
Lumbar Puncture: For analyzing infections and neurological damages. In lumbar puncture a thin needle is inserted between the two vertebrae to remove a sample of the cerebrospinal fluid for analysis.
Treatments

Migraine treatments can help stop symptoms and prevent future attacks.

Many medications have been designed to treat migraines. Some drugs often used to treat other conditions also may help relieve or prevent migraines. Medications used to combat migraines fall into two broad categories:

Pain-relieving medications. Also known as acute or abortive treatment, these types of drugs are taken during migraine attacks and are designed to stop symptoms.
Preventive medications. These types of drugs are taken regularly, often on a daily basis, to reduce the severity or frequency of migraines.
Your treatment strategy depends on the frequency and severity of your headaches, the degree of disability your headaches cause, and your other medical conditions.

Some medications aren't recommended if you're pregnant or breast-feeding. Some medications aren't given to children. Your doctor can help find the right medication for you.

Migraine - Identifying the Early Signs!

A migraine is considered to be one of the worst headaches of all. It causes excruciating pain along with a range of other symptoms. Notably, a migraine pain is very different in nature compared to general headache. A migraine pain is mostly felt on any one side of the brain. Since a migraine is difficult to diagnose, here is a list of 5 signs that will help you to understand, if your headache qualifies as a migraine:

Vision splotches: It is very common among migraine patients to experience blind spots and a sudden flash of light. While this might appear to be a little unusual, it is pretty normal for migraine patients. The visual cortex of the brain is responsible for incidences like these. They often pace up and slow down to cause such unnatural feelings. For cases like this, the nerve gets activated by the optical lobe and crashes immediately resulting in such sensations. These visible auras are felt by both the eyes.
A spinning sensation: A migraine patient often gets a swirling sensation. This requires them to immediately lie down. This is accompanied with nausea and throwing up. Certain migraine-induced changes caused in the brain causes hearing imbalance which is very similar to vertigo. These auras often serve as the onset of a migraine and can last for over one hour before the actual migraine cycle starts. If a person is suffering from these symptoms, it is a clear indication that he is suffering from a migraine.
Light sensitivity: Migraine patients often becomes oversensitive to sound and light. This is perhaps the reason why most migraine sufferers like to spend more time in dark and solicitude. Studies have shown that sudden exposure to light activates the optic nerve fiber which in turn activates the pain receptors in the brain. A study conducted by the Nature Neuroscience journal conducted in the year 2010 showed that even blind person (with a migraine) suffers from a sudden glow of light.
Touch sensitivity: Sensory auras often cause sharp pain from tiniest of touches. This is a condition known as the allodynia. This is a condition by which the spine and the brain get super excited by the inflamed blood vessels. This condition should be reported to a doctor since the most common medicine of a migraine does not work well if a patient is suffering from allodynia.
Funny Face: Aura of the tongue, face and lips are known as cheiro-oral. There is a type of aura that makes even speaking and eating difficult. At time sufferers feel that they are suffering from serious diseases such as brain tumor. If this condition prevails, it makes sense to contact your doctor at the earliest and start medication.

5 Signs You Are Suffering From Migraine

One of the most debilitating conditions that anyone can experience is migraine. They can severely limit you by affecting your personal and professional life as you are in constant pain. Migraine can manifest in a type of headache with intense pain, an acute sensitivity to light, vomiting and nausea. Often described as a severe throbbing pain in the head, it may stop you from completing regular daily tasks and may delay or postpone your work.

How can migraines be treated?
The exact cause for these debilitating migraine pain hasn't been pointed out yet, but certain triggers such as stress, hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle, sun exposure, bright or flashing lights, among many others have been identified. The first line of defense for you would be to understand and identify what your triggers are. Once that is done, you can try and avoid them. If these still trigger a migraine or are about to trigger one, you can immediately take medications or steps to control it or at least lessen the pain to go through your day. Some of the options you can employ to this effect are mentioned below.

Medications to prevent a migraine attack: The medications mentioned here are specialized treatments and can only be taken after a consultation with a doctor. If you are deemed as a candidate for preventative medication for migraines, then either one or a combination of drugs from the following may be prescribed to you.
Valproate and Topiramate are anti-seizure medications which can be used to prevent migraines.
Propranolol, a type of beta blocker and used for cardio vascular problems, has proven to be very effective in preventing migraines.
Onabotulinumtoxin A or a type of Botox, has shown a lot of promise in preventing migraines and is being slowly rolled out as a proper drug as a treatment option.
Certain antidepressants have also shown to be quite effective in reducing the symptoms of migraines as well.
Medications to relieve pain: Some of the go to medications that help relieve your pain from migraine are mentioned below. Although some of them are OTC (over the counter) drugs, it is best advised that you consult with your doctor for medications which suit you better. The side effects of these medications can be bad and thus, it is not advised to continue them in the long run and to find other means to control pain from migraines. Some of the medications to relieve pain temporarily are:
Triptan is a drug used to treat severe migraines
Caffeine along with Ergotamine can also help dull the pain and deal with it.
Ibuprofen and aspirin and Acetaminophen are common pain killers that you can use
Codeine, which contains opioids are also used to treat this problem.
Metoclopramide and chlorpromazine are two examples of anti-nausea medications as vomiting along with nausea may frequently accompany your migraine.
Always remember that these medications can have strong side effects if not taken properly, therefore do not just pop a pill, consult your physician first and know which one should you take and how frequently. 

Severe Headache - Can it Be Migraine?

A migraine is something, which can really make a person s day go from bad to worse. However, while popping an aspirin may be the age old solution for solving such a literally mind numbing issue, it really does not mean that this is the best solution. Theoretically, the best solution to a migraine should come naturally to the person, who is unfortunately the victim of a migraine.

It is more than a headache
When a person has a migraine, he or she is likely to know that this is the case due to a pulsating sensation behind the eye. In addition to this, there are quite a few other symptoms which include pain on one side of the head, nausea and a sensitiveness to light in its various forms.

Natural treatments for migraine
There are a range of possible natural solutions a person can make use of to get rid of migraine hits. 

One of these solutions is quite simple, even if it sounds a little odd! Take a few cabbage leaves, crush them and using a soft cloth, apply the paste on the forehead of the person who is having a migraine attack.
While a person who is down with migraine may feel that life has given him or her lemons, he or she should really not despair. This is because these lemons can be made use of, as well, in order to make the ill effects of the migraine go away. To do this, take five lemons, peel them, grind them well and then add a little bit of water to make a paste. Apply this paste to the patient s forehead.
Apart from using remedies to cure migraine, there are a few other things which are needed to be done in order to get up and running as soon as possible. One of these things is to get enough rest. Taking into account the fact that a migraine has the potential to severely hinder the prospect of a person functioning normally, for a person to push himself or herself against the intense migraine discomfort so as to fulfil his or her responsibilities will not only result in substandard work, but will also make the situation worse.
Hot and cold compress can also go some way in improving a person s migraine problem. 
All beverages apart from water and tea should be avoided. Water hydrates and is essential while tea is diuretic.
If you follow these natural remedies, you will successfully be able to treat your migraine issue.

Migraine - 5 Home Remedies at Your Rescue

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