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Migraine is a disease that is likely to occur genetically. It is characterized by the occurrence of paroxysmal headaches and other accompanying symptoms. Migraine is one of the most common neurological ailments and is most common in women.
Migraine with aura – what is it?
Migraine attacks are usually characterized by a sequence of repeating symptoms:
- trailers,
- aura,
- headache.
These symptoms last a total of several to several dozen hours (from 4 to 72 hours). A migraine with an aura can attack itself or be caused by specific factors such as stress and menstruation.
Migraine is considered to be one of the most common neurological conditions. It is estimated that more than ten percent of the population experiences migraine attacks, but not all migraine with aura is a medical problem. It occurs more often in women. The first migraine attacks may appear in childhood, usually starting between the ages of 25 and 50. Migraine appearing after the age of 50 is a rare situation and is always the subject of particularly in-depth diagnostics.
Migraine – causes
The causes of migraines are not fully known. Half of people with migraine have a family history of it in other family members. This is one of the indirect evidence for its genetic occurrence. The appearance of attacks after provocation with external stimuli, such as stress or certain foods (chocolate, cheese), means that the genetic makeup of migraine is related to hypersensitivity to certain external stimuli.
Migraine – symptoms
A migraine attack is thought to occur because the vessels in the brain contract and then expand. Aura migraine begins with vasoconstriction that causes brief ischemia of the brain tissue and the appearance of aura symptoms. The most likely factor causing this narrowing is a substance called serotonin released from platelets under the influence of various provoking factors. It breaks down quickly, and the lack of its vasoconstriction causes the vessels to expand rapidly and cause a headache.
A migraine attack can occur as migraine with an aura and migraine without an aura.
Migraine aura – These are temporary neurological symptoms that last several or tens of minutes and usually immediately precede a headache. The most characteristic is the visual aura, which causes visual disturbances (scotomas in front of the eyes, flashes of light in the field of vision, blurred vision, and sometimes even loss of vision). Cases of migraine with a visual aura are also known as classical migraines.
The aura can also appear in the form of other neurological symptoms. Very often it is one-sided paresis, hypoaesthesia or abnormal sensations in the form of, for example, tingling. It sometimes happens that the neurological symptoms of aura last longer than a dozen or so minutes, for the duration of the headache, and even for the next few days. Such cases, fortunately very rare, are called migraine skoyarzona.
A migraine attack can also be heralded by the so-called heraldic symptoms, which occur several or even several hours earlier.
The most common symptoms of migraine include:
• mood swings,
• attention and concentration disorders,
• sometimes disturbances of autonomic functions such as body temperature, sweating, and urination and stools.
Migraine – diagnosis
In order to be able to correctly diagnose a migraine headache, it should have at least the two characteristics mentioned above. Contrary to popular belief, one-sided pain is not its most common feature. Most often, the attack begins with pain located unilaterally in the fronto-temporal area, but as its intensity increases, it extends to the entire head.
Another feature that is important in the diagnosis of migraine is its presence accompanying symptoms. They include mainly:
- nausea and vomiting
- hypersensitivity to light, sounds and other stimuli.
The nausea that occurs in migraine with aura usually occurs soon after the pain begins. They can be relatively little, patients usually feel very averse to food, or very much intensified, causing torture to the patient just as important as pain. Due to hypersensitivity to stimuli, patients prefer to stay in an isolated, dark and quiet room.
Patients often feel tired and sleepy after a migraine attack. They often complain of a minor, dull, non-migraine headache.
Many migraine sufferers are able to identify the factors that trigger the onset of migraine with an aura. They can be:
- migraine attack after the end of the working week, on Saturday and Sunday (it is said to be the result of relaxation after stress);
- prolonged sleep – a long phase of sleep called flickering sleep, mainly near the end of sleep, can be a trigger for a headache;
- change in the weather (the most frequently cited cause of migraine headaches).
Migraine with aura – treatment
Migraine management should follow three directions.
1. Patients should avoid factors that provoke and aggravate migraines. For this reason, identifying susceptible triggers such as stress, sleep and medication is very important. Eliminating, or even just limiting, these factors may prove to be sufficiently effective. It is equally important to manage the seizure properly, to discontinue normal activity, and to avoid excess light or noise. Various groups of drugs are used in prophylactic treatment (propranolol, flunarizine, valproic acid, topiramate, amitriptyline). The effectiveness of prophylactic treatment of migraine can be assessed at the earliest after several months of regular medication use.
2. Management of an already started migraine attack. Most patients can relieve pain with a painkiller. When it comes to an advanced migraine attack, in the case of disturbed gastrointestinal function, manifested by nausea or vomiting – orally administered drugs cannot be absorbed, and thus show their effect. These preparations should be taken at the very beginning of an attack, before nausea appears, and in a sufficiently large dose. You should take an anti-sickness medicine with your pain reliever.
- As an auxiliary in the treatment of migraine symptoms, use the Maruna Chrysanthemum herb.
3. If simple analgesics are ineffective, it is recommended to take ergot derivatives which have a vasoconstrictor effect. The most potent drug in this group is ergotamine tartrate. In recent years, drugs called triptans have also been used to treat acute migraine attacks. They are undoubtedly the most effective drugs to stop a migraine attack, but a clear barrier to their widespread use is the high price and limitation of their use in serious cardiovascular diseases. Painkillers (paracetamol, acetylsalicylic acid, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), ergotamine derivatives or triptans are used as an emergency.
In the case of migraines, it is worth supporting yourself with the healing power of herbs, e.g. mint. You can find mint in the form of freeze-dried organic tea at Medonet Market.
If you have a problem with migraine headaches, use the CranioCradle Self-Therapy Device. It not only relieves muscle tension, but also contributes to the improvement of well-being. We also recommend the use of Yokompres, a natural cotton and cherry seed compress for women, the use of which when warmed reduces nervous excitability and receptor sensitivity.
- Also check out the tea recommended for migraines
Migraine – prevention
Migraine prevention is recommended when the number of migraine attacks exceeds two per month. The beta-adrenergic blockers are considered to be the most effective prophylactic preparations. If they do not work, calcium channel blockers can be used, and in particularly frequent attacks, which are also accompanied by constant headache between attacks, antidepressants can be used. Prophylactic treatment with the above-mentioned agents must be strictly under the supervision of a physician, because they all have numerous contraindications and can be dangerous if used improperly.
If you struggle with severe headaches, try DuoLife ProMigren. Its natural composition supports the proper functioning of the central nervous system and helps prevent migraines.