Lets Talk About Migraines

Did you know it has been estimated approximately 39 million Americans suffer from migraines? Migraines have been researched as the sixth most debilitating disease in the world. Migraines are defined as debilitating headache disorders that are accompanied with severe throbbing pain or a pulsating sensation. Migraines are more intense than your standard headache and can be extremely debilitating, interrupt daily life activities, and overall, negatively affect quality of life.

There are two main types of migraines, migraine with aura and migraine without aura.2 A migraine with aura is also known as a complicated migraine. An aura is described as a constellation of sensory, motor, or speech symptoms experienced by the individual before the start of the acute headache attack. Aura symptoms include seeing blind spots, flashing lights, speech changes, and ringing in the ears. A migraine without an aura is also called a common migraine.

The common headache symptoms experienced during a migraine are a pain that starts dull and progresses to throbbing or pulsating head pain, unilateral head pain, pain around the temples, or in the jaw and neck. Other symptoms that have been reported are sensitivity to light and noise, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and blurred vision.

Diagnosing migraines requires a full history and assessment of symptoms, a physical and neurological exam by a neurologist. If the migraines have an unusual presentation, then imaging such as a MRI may be required.3 Current treatment modalities are focused on acute and preventative care.2 During the migraine attacks, pain relief medications and prescriptions can be recommended, along with avoiding triggers such as stressors. Preventative treatment mainly focuses on decreasing the severity and frequency of the migraines and can include medications along with behavioral modifications to help prevent future attacks.

References

Migraine headaches: Causes, treatment, symptoms. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/5005-migraine-headaches

What is Migraine? American Migraine Foundation. (2022, July 28). Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/what-is-migraine/

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2021, July 2). Migraine. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved December 20, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20360207