Many
people are talking to social media sites such as twitter to share the agony of
their migraine pain, sharing the agony with other sufferers on social media
indicates a trend towards the cathartic sharing of physical pain as well as
emotional pain . Migraine poses a huge public health problem, harming mood,
productivity and overall quality of life. An estimated 12% of the western world
population suffer migraine attacks and of those 75% see reduced functionally
and 30% require bed rest.
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized
by repeated attacks of several headaches. A migraine headache causes throbbing
and pulsating pain, usually on only one side of the head. A migraine is not
simply a bad headache. A migraine is an intense headache accompanied by other
symptoms such as nausea (feeling sick), visual problems and an increased
sensitivity to light or sound.
The
intense throbbing , pulsating pain, and excruciating pain that accompanies a
migraine can be so debilitating more than 90% of sufferers are unable to work
or function normally during an attack. Around two-third of adults who
experience migraine is women. About one
in five women and one in ten men in the united state have experienced a
migraine or severe headache in the first three months and migraine ranks as one
of the top 20 most disabling medical conditions worldwide. A migraine can last
up to 72 hours and the 14 million people that suffer from chronic migraines
live in fear of their next attack, knowing that it can happen at any time,
without warning. Although, migraines are not life threatening and do not
shortens people’s life expectancies. They can significantly damage the quality
of people’s lives (Migraine Research
Foundation, 2013).
Types of migraine:
There
are 2 types of migraine:
1) Hemiplegic migraine:
People
with hemiplegic migraine experience paralysis or weakness on one side of the
body, disturbance in speech and vision, symptoms can last for several days.
a)
Familial
hemiplegic migraine (FHM ):
Is an inherited genetic migraine
disorder that causes hemiplegic migraine. If parents, siblings or child has
FHM, the chances you will have FHM are higher.
b)
Sporadic
hemiplegic migraine (SHM ):
Occur in people without the genetic
disorder and without a family history of hemiplegic migraine.
2) Ophthalmic migraine:
Also
sometime called ocular or retinal migraine are rare migraine variants
characterized by repeated instances of visual disturbances such as blind spots
or blindness on one side of the field of vision.
Migraine Aura:
Around
one in five people who experience migraine experience an aura before their
attack. An aura is a warning sign that a migraine is about to happen. People
commonly experience an aura between 20 minutes and one hour before the headache
stage of their migraine. The main symptoms of aura are visual problems such as
blurred vision (difficulty focusing), blind spots, and flashes of light or a
zigzag pattern moving from the central field of vision towards the edge. Other
aura symptoms include tingling sensation ( pins & needles ) in the face,
lips and tongue or in the arms and legs, speech problems such as slurred
speech, dizziness, a stiff neck, and a very rarely loss of consciousness.
Symptoms of Migraine:
The
main symptoms of migraine are an intense throbbing or headache often affecting
the front or one side of the head, nausea (feeling sick), and vomiting and
increased sensitivity to light and sound. The throbbing headache is often made
worse by the person moving. Other symptoms of migraine might include poor
concentration, feeling hot or cold, perspiration (sweating) and increased need
to pass urine. People might also experience stomach and diarrhea. It is common
for people t feel tired for up to two or three days after migraine.
Migraine causes:
The
exact cause of migraine is still unknown; it seems to be an electrical
disturbance in the brains of people who experience an aura before their attack,
there appear to be change in the blood vessels in the brain. People with high
blood pressure are at a high risk of experiencing migraine. Women are more than
twice as likely as men to experience migraine. This is due to hormonal factors.
Women might find that they experience a migraine just before or just after the
start of their periods.
Some
women find that oral contraception (the pills) can trigger migraine. It might
be women experience migraine as they approach the menopause or that hormone
replacement therapy (HRT) triggers migraine.
Migraine triggers:
There
are various factors which might trigger a migraine. Each is different and you
should try to identify which factor might apply to you and try to avoid them.
Many people find that they are able to that one of the triggers o is own but a
combination of more than one trigger can push them over their threshold and
cause an attack.
1)
Emotional
triggers:
Include stress, anxiety, excitement and
shock.
2)
Physical
triggers:
Include tiredness, irregular sleep,
tension in the neck & shoulder, eye stress (for example after using a
computer screen) and dental problem (for example teeth grinding).
3)
Dietary
trigger:
Include lack of food (dieting),
irregular meals, dehydration, alcohol, caffeine, certain food such as chocolate,
cheese, citrus fruits, certain food additives such as monosodium glutamate (
MSG ), aspartame ( a sweetener ), nitrates.
4)
Environmental
triggers:
Include bright light, loud noise, and
smoky environment.
5)
Other
triggers:
Other triggers include smoking and some
sleeping tablets.
Treatment of migraine:
1) Most
people find that lying down in a quite dark room reduces the pain of migraine.
2) Sleeping
(If you are able) can also help to treat migraine.
3) Some
people find that symptoms die down after they have vomited.
4) Some
people find that pain relief medications like paracetamol, aspirin, and
anti-inflammatory drug like ibuprofen are effective, especially if they take
them at the very first sign of an attack.
5) People
might also benefit from anti-sickness medications.
6) People
might be prescribed general strong pain relief medication such as Triptan which
is a specific migraine medication. If situation does not improve after treatment
than you might referred to a specialist migraine clinic.
Who is at risk for a
Migraine headache?
The
risk factors for migraine headache include:
1)
Age:
Most people will experience their first
migraine headache before or during adolescence
2)
Family
history:
Migraine headache can be hereditary.
More than 75% of people who suffer from migraine headache have a parent or
sibling who has migraine.
3)
Gender:
Women are three times more likely to
have migraine headaches than men. Women who have migraine headaches have more
frequent migraine compared to men who experience migraine.
.
Tips to
prevent Migraine:
1) Stay
on a regular sleep schedule
2) Eat
regularly
3) Drink
plenty of water to keep hydrated & trying to avoid stress
4) Avoid
food triggers such as caffeine, chocolate, cheese, alcohol, red wine.
5) Exercise
regularly
6) Avoid
stressful situations
NAZNEEN ZULFIQAR, PHARM-D, KU
LOWESTOFT, SUFFOLK, UNITED KINGDOM
