Migraine Tips

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 a migraine are- 

1. Migraine without aura: The majority of migraine sufferers have a Migraine without Aura. 
2. Migraine with aura: Migraine with Aura refers to a range of neurological disturbances that occur before a 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 a 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 a 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 the feeling of pins and needles in the arms and legs
• Motor: Usually related to the movement problems like the limb weakness
• Verbal: It is related to the speech problems

Headache: In the 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 a migraine. During this phase, one might feel fatigued, though some people feel euphoric.

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

1. Onset of headaches >50 years 
2. A thunderclap headache - subarachnoid haemorrhage 
3. Neurological symptoms or signs 
4. Meningism 
5. Immunosuppression or malignancy 
6. Red-eye and haloes around lights - acute angle closure glaucoma 
7. Worsening symptoms 
8. Symptoms of temporal arteritis

These patients require a 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 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:

1. Blood Tests: These reveal problems with the blood vessel like an infection in the spinal cord and brain.
2. CT scan: Used to diagnose the infections, tumors, brain damage, and bleeding that cause the migraines.
3. MRI: This helps to diagnose the tumors bleeding infections, neurological conditions, and strokes.
4. 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 breastfeeding. Some medications aren't given to children. Your doctor can help find the right medication for you.

A migraine is a condition where there are pulsing pain and discomfort on one side of the head. Apart from the pain, the migraine will also cause a severe headache and nausea. Lastly, patients may experience physical discomfort in the presence of bright light. While there is no permanent cure for migraines, they can be controlled and minimized with the help of certain medications.

Here are some of the causes and symptoms most commonly associated with migraines.

Causes of Migraines
The exact cause of a migraine is not well understood by the scientific community. However, some of the research indicates that an amalgamation of environmental and genetic factors may play a part in determining who gets affected by the disorder. Abnormality in brain chemical levels, such as serotonin, may be responsible for the pain. Further research is needed to establish the link between serotonin and migraines. Triggers for migraine attacks include-

1. Sudden hormonal changes in women during puberty, pregnancy and menstrual cycles.
2. Certain foods and dairy products
3. Alcoholic drinks, such as wine, and products with a lot of caffeine, like coffee
4. Excessive stress
5. Certain medications that modify the hormone levels

Symptoms of Migraine
Migraines attacks can be divided into four distinct stages, depending on the severity of the symptoms. The four stages include prodrome, aura, headache and post-drome.

1. Prodrome- It is the period just a day or two before an ensuing migraine attack. This stage is characterized by neck stiffness, mood swings, food cravings and constipation.
2. Aura- Auras occur just before or during the migraine attack. During this stage, some people may experience abnormal visual phenomena or even vision loss. Patients may also have difficulty forming words.
3. Attack- When a migraine is left untreated for 72 hours or more, it may progress to this stage. It is characterized by severe head pain, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness and hypersensitivity to light.
4. Post-drome- This is the final stage and usually occurs after the attack subsides. Patients are left drained and may experience moodiness, dizziness, weakness and confusion.

Role of Homeopathy Against a Migraine
Unlike conventional forms of medicine, homeopathy does not believe in simply popping a pill for the condition. Instead, this branch of science looks to get to the root of the problem and treat the underlying cause that may be resulting in a migraine. However, the homeopathic remedies used differ from one person to the next, even though there are some particular medications that work best in migraine cases.

If you are looking for a perfect natural remedy for migraine headaches, you should opt for a homeopathic treatment. Migraine is a form of headache, which is featured by headache on one side of your head. In some cases, the migraine pain is felt all over the head instead of just one side. The nature of this pain is throbbing, and is commonly caused from intense stress. Homeopathy is used widely for the treatment of migraine headaches, and is considered to be quite effective.

Here is a list of the best homeopathic medicines which are used for the treatment of migraine headaches:

1. Belladonna: This homeopathic medicine is ideal for the treatment of migraine, in which throbbing headache is the primary feature. The patient experiences a sense of fullness in his head. The headache worsens with exposure to sunlight. This remedy is also used for treating migraine headaches that occur because of catching cold or from exposure to cold, damp air.
2. Nux Vomica: Nux Vomica is used for the treatment of migraine headaches, which occur because of gastric issues. Migraines developing from indigestion, piles, and constipation are cured using this homeopathic medicine. It is an effective remedy and provides quick relief in cases when the headache worsens after eating rich food or drinking alcohol.
3. Spigelia: This homeopathic remedy is primarily used for treating migraine headaches, which are present on the left side of the head. It is known as left-sided migraine. The headaches are experienced over the head’s left temporal area, the forehead, and eyes. The sensation of a tight band tied around the head is felt or experienced.
4. Sanguinaria Canadensis: This is an effective homeopathic medicine, which is used for the treatment of migraine headaches felt on the right side of the head. The pain and throbbing are experienced on the right side, starting from the back of the head and settling over the right eye. This medicine is also used for treating migraine headaches that occur in the morning and worsen during the day. It is good for migraine in women after menopause.
5. Glonoinum: This effective homeopathic medicine is used for curing migraine headaches, which occur from excessive congestion in the head. The patient feels that his head has become bigger and will burst. He feels heat around his head, along with protruding eyeballs. This medicine is commonly used for treating migraine headaches, which occur from exposure to the sun for a long time.

If you are experiencing migraine headaches, you should fix an appointment with a homeopathic practitioner. He will observe and diagnose your headache, and prescribe you the best homeopathic remedies for your condition.
 

A migraine often causes throbbing pain at one side of the head accompanied by sensitivity to sound and light, nausea and vomiting. The pain can last from a few hours to few days. Some warning signs of the pain take over include tingling of the leg or face, flashes of light and blind spots. Medication can help in avoiding the pain or manage it considerably.

Diagnosis:
Detection of a migraine is fairly easy for a medical professional. If a patient has a family history of a migraine, a doctor can prescribe the following to lock in on the diagnosis:

• Blood tests: Through blood tests, a doctor tries to understand any possible problems in the blood vessels, spinal cord or presence of other toxins in the system
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Better known as MRI, this is a process of capturing the detailed image of the blood vessels and the brain. It readily detects any possible problems related to a migraine.
• Computerized tomography: More commonly known as CT scan, this is a process of capturing an image through a line of x-rays to detect any possible problems related to a migraine.
• Lumbar puncture: This test is prescribed in extreme cases when a doctor suspects that there is a possible chance of bleeding in the brain.

What are the treatment options available?
There are two kinds of medications available- preventive medication and pain-relieving medication. The treatment strategy is decided based on the frequency of headaches and other health factors.
Some pain reliever medication includes triptan, ergots, opioid, glucocorticoids, anti-nausea medications etc. These medicines constrict the blood vessels and block the pathways of the pain in the brain cells. While some medicines are required to be consumed immediately after the symptoms starts, some should be taken regularly to avoid the pain in the first place. These pain relievers have side effects and should be consumed after prior discussion with a doctor.

Preventive medication, on the other hand, is only suggested by a doctor when a patient suffers from a migraine twice or more in a month, the pain lasts for more than 12 hours and the pain relievers do not work. Some of the common group of medicines that are suggested for these set of patients include cardiovascular drugs, anti-seizure drugs, anti-depressants, botox etc.

Alternative medicine approach:
Alternative medicines are often witnessed to fetch positive results for migraine patients:

• Acupuncture: this form of treatment involves inserting thin needles into the skin at various points to give relief from pain
• Cognitive behavioral therapy: This is a form of treatment which focuses on perceiving pain with behavioral changes.
• Biofeedback: This is a relaxation technique that teaches to control physical responses such as pain, stress, muscle contraction etc.

Migraines are characteristically throbbing, intrusive and sometimes, prolonged headache accompanied by sensitivity to sound and light and the feeling of nausea. They are fairly common and usually treatable with home remedies and allopathic drugs. The word migraine has been derived from another word ‘hemicranias’ which means one sided headache. Headaches resulting from migraines tend to occur in episodes rather than being regular. Additionally, the intensity of a migraine will also vary with some attacks being very severe while other attacks will be a lot more moderate. The pain is often accompanied by nausea or vomiting.
Homeopathy may play an efficient role in the treatment of migraines. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed based on the type, duration and intensity of the migraine attacks and are most often helpful in their treatment.

Homeopathy aims to cure the headache from its very root without attracting side effects. Some of the common homeopathic medicines include:

1. Belladonna: This is one of the most common homeopathic drugs prescribed for migraines. This medicine aims to cure the throbbing character of the migraine in the temporal region, which is further induced by light and sound.
2. Spigelia: This is useful to treat headaches arising from the left hemisphere of the brain that is fairly common among individuals experiencing migraines. Additionally, there would be an occurrence of severe pain in the eyeballs which might be worsened by excess movement of the eyes.
3. Glonoinum: This medicine works fairly well with congestive headaches which are accompanied by a constant feeling of blood rushing to the head. You might also feel shocks in your head.
4. Sanguinaria Canadensis: This is prescribed in case of headaches that form from the back of the skull and settle prominently in the right hemisphere of the skull. The eyes also tend to throb; another symptom that is remedied by the use of this medicine.
5. Natrum Muriaticum: this is usually prescribed to women who complain of their migraines worsening during their menses. The headaches can be accompanied by temporary loss of vision.

Know More About Migraine!

One of the most common and troubling sensations that we may experience is a migraine. However, common it may, it is a serious disorder and needs immediate attention. Medically, a migraine is defined as a severe and a constant throbbing pain which culminates to a pulsing sensation on one side of the head. Migraine is mainly accompanied by nausea, occasional or constant vomiting and an extreme sense of displeasure to light and sound. A migraine attack can last for hours or even days. The pain can be so severe that many times it leads to temporary disabling of the patient.

There is no specific age for migraine to set in; however, it is most common among the age group of 30 to 40, but patients can also experience migraine pains in their teens or early 20s. If you keep track of your physical changes and some uncommon bodily actions then you may be able to understand the early signs of a migraine attack.

Some of the most common signs to watch out for are:

1. Sensitive to Light and Sound
All of a sudden, if your mobile screen seems too bright or the TV sounds too loud, even in normal settings, then you are showing early symptoms of a migraine attack and perhaps the most common one.

2. Watery/Teary Eyes
You are having a normal day, suddenly your eyes start to water up, and soon it’s uncontrollable. You wipe your eyes and the water keeps on forming, making it impossible for you to go on with it. This is certainly an early symptom of a migraine attack.

3. Aching Ear
It may start with just an itch in or around the periphery of your ear. This will change to a throbbing ache; and when it does, it is generally a harbinger of a migraine that is about to set in.

4. Lose Concentration, Train of Thoughts and Words
If you completely lose track of what you were thinking or can’t remember a word to put on your sentence or you’re unable to concentrate on the work at your hand, it may be a sign of a migraine attack.

Migraine is the most severe forms of headaches. Migraine attacks usually include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light along with the severe headaches, which are sometimes unbearable. If faced with this condition, there is only one way out to suffer through it, though pain medications do help manage the pain.

Being such a common condition, there is constant research being done about how to help people deal with migraines. In addition to popping pain killers, there is more than what a person can do to reduce the pain.

1. Identify the triggers: Those who have had migraine for a while would know what triggers the attack. Whether it is chocolates or eggs, get to know what can induce an attack, and if possible, stay away from it.
2. Stick to a schedule: Whether it is in terms of food or sleep, try and develop a routine and follow it.
3. Physical workout: Develop an exercise regime to cover at least 30 minutes of physical exercise. Most people see a dramatic difference with a regular exercise routine.
4. Bid goodbye to smoking: If you are a smoker, work at quitting this habit. It is one of the known triggers and also aggravates regular headaches.
5. Stress management: Whether you are going through physical or emotional stress, migraine attacks can become more frequent and severe. Manage physical stress by not sitting at the same location for prolonged periods and by doing small exercises to relax the shoulders, knees, and jaws. For emotional stress, identify what helps you relax and follow it. While deep breathing works for some, for others, it could be music. Whatever your relaxation technique may be, ensure that you follow it. Work on improving relationships that stress you out. A regular exercise routine and sleep pattern also helps in reducing physical stress.

Despite these methods, migraine attacks do happen. Follow the next few steps when you know you are getting an attack.

1. Stop your regular activities and find a calm environment for yourself. Let this place have less of light and sound as they can aggravate migraines.
2. Sleep if you are able to.
3. Go for a warm bath if possible.
4. Try hot or cold compresses, which can numb the senses and reduce the pain.
5. Have a caffeinated beverage as this will provides relief. Do not have it in excess as you will have hangover effects from the caffeine.
6. Use only those medications that were prescribed by your doctor. Do not experiment.
7. Lifestyle changes including exercise, diet, and stress management play a vital role in dealing with migraines.

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:

1. Spicy and oily food
2. Stress, anger, grief, jealousy
3. Suppressed emotions or natural urges
4. Indigestion
5. Consumption of too much dry, salty and pungent food
6. Consuming polluted food

General triggers may include:

1. Smoking and drinking
2. Stress
3. Fasting
4. Physical stress and exercise
5. Fluctuation in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle or the use of birth control pills
6. Stopping intake of tea or coffee suddenly
7. 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:

1. Indian licorice – Glycyrrhiza glabra
2. Sariva – Hemidesmus indicus
3. Hareetaki – Chebulic myrobalan-Terminalia chebula
4. Amalaki – amala – Emblica officinalis
5. Mallika – Jasminum officinale
6. Hareetaki – Chebulic myrobalan-Terminalia chebula
7. Bala – Sida cordifolia
8. Kumari – Aloe vera
9. Sariva – Hemidesmus indicus

Simple home remedies useful in migraine:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Soak 5 raisins and 5 almonds in water at night, next day morning, eat them.

Health Benefits Of Apple For Migraine!