Migraine

Migraine (hemicrania) is a one-sided headache of pulsating nature, accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and often has a hereditary character.

Headache usually lasts at least 12-18 hours. Migraine affects 12-15% of the population. It is the second most common type of primary headache after tension-type headache. A characteristic feature of migraine is its possible appearance at pretty young age of 20 years.

The peak of the disease accounts for the period from 24 to 34 years. With age, the transformation of migraine, the number of attacks somewhat reduces. Then you may receive interictal headache.

The most frequent causes of this transformation include the factor of abuse of analgesics or antimigren means. Migraine affects women 2-3 times more often than men.

Migraine attack may be provoked by the following factors:

• Emotional or physical stress
• The mental state of the patient
• High meteosensitivity
• Consuming of alcohol, smoking
• Menstruation, ovulation, oral contraceptives or pregnancy

During the attack, the patient requires bed regime, removal of bright light and sound. Treatment of migraine attacks begins wirh aspirin (500-1000 mg orally) or Metamizole. Sumatriptan – 100 mg orally (can be repeated after 4 h, but not more often, than 3 times per day), acetaminophen combined with caffeine. In addition, use antiemetic drugs: Cerukal (5-20 mg orally) or Motilium (5-20 mg orally) or Pipolphenum (25-50 mg PO), which improve the absorption and increase the effectiveness of analgesics. In case of failure of analgesics, one may use Ketoprofen, Ksefokam and other non-specific anti-inflammatory drugs.

Migraine attacks are removed with difficulty, they are easier to prevent than to cure. Those who suffer from migraines need to lead a measured way of life, eat at the same time and to eliminate of stress.

Treatment of migraines

If the attack has already begun, the patient can fight it even without treatment. This will give people a positive attitude, which is already a treat – to agree, that soon everything will be over, gives strength to fight the attack.

Treatment of the attack should begin as soon as possible: in the case of the classical migraine – with the appearance of the aura; the other types of migraines – with the onset of the headache. The aim of drug prevention is to reduce migraine frequency and intensity of migraine attacks, and increase susceptibility to the drug, therefore interrupting the attack and improving the quality of life.

Drug prophylaxis of migraine can last up to six months and include a number of medications, physician individually selected for a given patient. These are not drugs that relieve a migraine attack.

The indications for such a preventive treatment are two or more migraine attacks per month and the complete ineffectiveness of conventional anesthetics. Moreover, prophylactic treatment is rarely severe migraine attacks, which are accompanied by neurological disorders.

If the maximum possible dose of medication is used to remove the attack, then long-term preventive treatment is used then.

Remember! For mild attacks of migraine correct way of life may help, but if migraine attacks repeat regularly, or are severe, then in order to prevent them, you need to consult a doctor.

Migraine is a neurological disorder, the most frequent and characteristic symptom of which are episodic (or regular) strong and painful headaches in one (rarely both) side of the head. Migraine is a chronic disorder with episodic exacerbations. Migraine is a fairly common disease. 17.6% of women and 6% of men suffer from it. Incidence of migraine falls on the most productive years of life – from 25 to 55 years. 90% of people with migraine suffer their first attack before the age of 40.

There are two main types of migraine: migraine without aura and migraine with aura.

During the aura stereotypic sensations occurs just prior to pain onset: flashing before eyes, flashing lights, distorted perception of the world, numbness, unusual sensations in the stomach, etc.

Migraine may be provoked the following factors: stress, nervous and physical stress, nutritional factors (cheese, chocolate, nuts, fish), alcohol (mostly beer, red wine, champagne), hormonal factors (menstruation, oral contraceptives), sleep ( deficiency or excess), weather factors (change of weather, climate change).

Clinically, migraine without aura is characterized by regular bouts of headache, lasting from 4 to 72 hours. The pain has usually unilateral localization (localized in one half of the head), it is of moderate or high intensity and has a pulsating character. The pain increases with physical and mental activity and is often accompanied by nausea / vomiting, increased sensitivity to light (photophobia), and/or sounds (phonophobia).

Treatment consists of a migraine drug and non-pharmacological prevention (avoidance of factors that provoke migraine and prophylactic treatment), as well as relief of acute migraine attacks. Prophylactic treatment usually does not prevent migraine attacks for 100%, but helps to mitigate symptoms and reduce the severity of seizures.