A headache that’s sometimes unbreakable, migraine often comes with symptoms like
- Throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head
- Loss of coordination and difficulty in balancing
- Slurred speech and mixing words
- Stiffness in the neck
- Nausea and vomiting
- Decreased consciousness and confusion
- One side of the body starts to feel numb
- Weakness and dizziness
- Sensitivity to light, sound and smell
- Aura/ visual phenomena like seeing zigzag lines, double vision, or blind spots
- Vision loss
- Food cravings
- Constipation, irritability and depression
- Uncontrolled yawning
Genetics and environmental factors are believed to be the primary causes of migraine. The other trigger factors that are found to induce migraine are:
- Food- certain kinds of food
- Food additives like aspartame
- Skipping meals
- Caffeine and alcohol, especially wine
- Stress at work/home
- Hormonal changes
- Physical factors
- Intense physical pain
- Change in climate or surroundings
- Certain medicines like oral contraceptives
- Sensory stimuli like Sun light and very bright lights
- No sleep or too much sleep
- Unusual smells
There are several medications that help get over a migraine attack, which fall under two categories- Preventive & Pain-relieving
One can take preventive medication to drastically bring down the frequency and intensity of the migraine attack. However, consciously avoiding trigger factors will also help. Here’s what one can do:
- Sleep well
- Avoid food that causes migraine
- Have food on time
- Drink plenty of water
- Exercise regularly
- Try to keep away stress and tension
Pain relieving medications, which are also known as acute or abortive treatment, help stop existing symptoms and reduce the intensity of migraine. One should have these medications only after consulting a doctor, and follow the prescribed medication pattern carefully.