Migraine 101

A migraine is a neurological syndrome and condition of painful headaches, nausea and altered bodily functions. A typical migraine headache is a throbbing headache with pain usually felt on one side of your head; near your temple region, behind your eye or in the back of the head and neck. Migraine pain will typically begin as a dull ache and will progressively worsen over the course of several minutes to several hours, even to the point of severe, debilitating pain. It is a condition that more commonly affects women than men, because of hormonal and chemical fluctuations associated with menstrual cycles and menopause. 

A migraine is your brain's reaction to abnormal brain activity of over-stimulated nerve pathways and chemicals in your brain, with intense pain caused by the dilation of blood vessels which creates pressure on your trigeminal nerve. Often times your serotonin levels will become extremely low before the onset of a migraine. A migraine may last from 4 to 72 hours, so make sure you find a dark, quiet, comfortable room to rest. Typical pre- and post migraine symptoms you may experience may include: a heightened sensitivity to light, sound and smell, nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, increased urination, swelling or bloating, fatigue, irritability and chills. Some migraine sufferers experience warning symptoms called auras, a few minutes to a few hours before the headache ensues. These auras are visual disturbances such as: blurred vision, tunnel vision, seeing zigzag lines or flashing lights, temporary blind spots, sensitivity to light, eye pain or other visual hallucinations; which may appear in one or both eyes. Following a migraine attack, some sufferers experience a "hung over" feeling that may last a couple of hours to a couple of days. It is important you hydrate and nourish your body during this time, even if you experience nausea or loss of appetite.

Common types of migraines include: migraine without aura, migraine with aura, basilar type migraine (caused from brainstem dysfunction), familial hemiplegic migraine (migraine with sporadic numbness), abdominal migraine (mainly occurs in children), acephalgic migraine (aura symptoms without the headache) and menstrual migraine (occurs during menstrual cycles). Another form of severe headache is a cluster headache (sharp stabbing pains near your temple region or behind your eye that follows to the back of the head and neck, lasting 15 minutes to 3 hours for weeks and months on end).

Common migraine triggers include: hormonal fluctuations (menstrual cycles, use of birth control pills, menopause), alcohol, missed meals, changes in sleep patterns (waking too early or abruptly awoken), stress (both mental and physical), altitude changes (high elevations while driving or flying), weather patterns (barometric pressure), loud noises, bright lights, strong odors, allergic reactions, smoking, maintenance medications (missed, taken different times) and certain foods. These certain types of foods known to trigger migraines include: foods containing amino acid tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chiken livers, figs, some beans), chocolates, nuts and peanut butter, fruit (citrus, banana, avocado), onions, dairy products, baked goods, meats containing nitrates (hot dogs, bacon, salami, cured meat), foods containing MSG (monosodium glutamate) and marinated, processed, pickled, fermented foods.

There are many steps you can take to ease your migraine pain, such as: take a hot shower, use a heating pad or ice pack on your pain zone (to numb and ease your pain) drink a strong cup of coffee (the caffeine will help increase your blood flow in your brain), say yes to sex (an orgasm will stimulate the pleasure censors in your brain and increase your oxygen and blood flow), get a massage (it will help decrease back, neck and body tension and put your body at ease), meditate or do yoga (to relax your body and mind and stimulate your breathing), try acupuncture (it is quite effective in decreasing your pain response), get a botox injection (they numb the central migraine nerve center and completely ease your pain and discomfort, they also last 3-4 months and are worth the investment!) and finally sleep properly (on a comfortable bed, with a comfortable pillow, 8 hours a day).

Acute and chronic migraine sufferers must seek abortive and prophylactic prevention of their migraine headaches. There are many steps you can take to better manage migraines: see your physician for early treatment (for proper diagnosis and drug therapies) take migraine medication early (at onset of auras or headache pain), take daily maintenance medication (to lessen the frequency of migraine attacks), visit a chiropractor (your back and neck may be out of alignment causing tension and stress to travel up your spine and neck to your head), research clinics in your area (you may be eligible for a research clinical trial study), get regular botox injections (they numb the central migraine nerve center and completely ease your pain and discomfort, they also last 3-4 months and are worth the investment). Successful abortive and prophylactic drug therapies include: NSAIDs (aspirin, Ibuprofen, Advil, Excedrin, Excedrin Migraine - for mild to moderate pain), Midrin, Sumatriptan (available as pill, injectable, inhalent; Imitrex, Relpax, Maxalt, Treximet - aids in leveling serotonin levels - for moderate to severe pain), Topomax (daily prophylactic treatment - for chronic sufferers), steroids and prescription pain medicine.

Migraine pain can range from mild to moderate, to moderate to severe. Your physician will gauge your pain level and prescribe a medication with the least amount of side effects within your pain range. Acute and chronic migraines are quite debilitating and require prescription drug therapy and prevention. Most acute sufferers have experienced this chronic pain for years and plan their lives and social calendars around their migraines. Knowing your triggers and symptoms and incorporating preventative measures is your best defense in keeping your migraines at bay. Unfortunately migraines are incurable, however they are finally treatable with a wide range of medications available today that are quite effective. As a chronic migraine sufferer myself for many years, I've learned my triggers and symptoms and have tried many of the different medications used in abortive and prophylactic treatment. I now know what works best for me and can live my life and work and play in the midst of my monthly migraine attacks, so can you!

For years physicians were unsure of the signs, symptoms, triggers and hormonal correlations, especially in relation to women and menses. I was told by many physicians that my migraines had nothing to do with my hormone imbalance and menstrual cycle until finally I began tracking them myself, and found a conclusive correlation. We were then better able to begin treating them more appropriately according to my cycle and hormonal changes. Today evidence, studies and clinical trials have gone a long way to properly diagnosing and treating this condition and helping the millions of sufferers.