What is migraine headache?
Migraine is a type of headache like tension type headache or cluster headache. Migraine pain is a severe form of headache and feels like something is throbbing in head.
What are symptoms of migraine headache?
Migraine is a severe, recurrent and throbbing headache. It is associated with photophobia (extreme sensitivity to light), phonophobia (fear of sounds), and nausea lasting for 4 to 72 hours. The headache worsens with body movements and the patient feels calm in a quite, dark room. The patient may complain that he/she cannot brush his/her hair, wear earrings, or feels pain when he shaves. Migraine may lead to allodynia – central pain sensitization. Watch the video below.
Migraine headache consists of four phases: prodrome, aura, attack and prostdrome. Prodrome refers to malaise, irritability and behavioral changes some hours to days before the onset of headache. About 20% patients with migraine experience aura. Aura refers to a number of symptoms the patient with migraine pain experiences just before the onset of headache. Migraine aura can be visual (shimmering silvery zigzag lines across the visual field or scotoma), sensory (tingling or numbness), motor or verbal.
There are several triggers of migraine headache. These triggers include estrogen containing oral contraceptive pills, stress, cheese, chocolate, red wine or alcohol, intercourse, missing a meal, lack of sleep or oversleeping.
Treatment of migraine headache includes avoidance of triggering factors and use of simple analgesia such as Aspirin, Paracetamol or NSAIDs (non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs). Antiemetics can be used for nausea and vomiting. Triptans (e.g. sumatriptan) should be considered for severe attacks. Other drugs which can be used for migraine treatment are calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, antidepressants and anti-epileptic drugs.
When a patient experiences 3-4 attacks of migraine pain in a month, then prophylactic treatment for migraine is considered. Prophylactic treatment of migraine includes avoiding triggering factors of migraine and using drugs like calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, antidepressants and anti-epileptic drugs calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, antidepressants and anti-epileptic drugs.
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