How to Counteract Migraine?

Migraine is a highly bothersome issue which may hinder daily functioning. A chronic and recurring headache is often accompanied by other symptoms. Read below to find out how to treat this disorder and how to prevent it.

The most distinctive symptom of migraine is acute headache which does not arise from any other disorder. Its intensity may vary, it is often so sharp that everyday activities become difficult, you cannot focus and your intellectual capabilities are affected. According to official estimates, 15% of the world’s population suffers from migraine. What are its causes and how to treat it? Please read below.

What causes migraine?

As a rule migraine emerges as early as in the youth – vast majority of persons experience this sickness before they turn 40 years of age, yet also the elderly go down with it. It is most frequently women who deal with this problem. The medicine still cannot answer the question of where the migraine comes from. Based on the current knowledge, its growth may arise from both genetic predisposition and environmental factors. Interestingly migraine often afflicts more than one family member.

The specialists tend to attribute the source of pain to sex hormones. This assumption may result from the fact that more women than men deal with this problem. A certain role may also be played by phenomena which disturb hormone balance, for example period, pregnancy or menopause. What is more, migraine-based headaches may also be influenced by chronic fatigue, stressful life and unbalanced diet rich in highly processed products and salt-rich produce. Another factor is alcohol or caffeine drinks abuse. The chronic headache may also arise from rapid atmospheric pressure changes and extensive physical effort (for more about unfavorable consequences of organism overload.

Migraine symptoms

Migraine may vary, depending on the type of the disorder. Nevertheless all types encompass 4 phases:

• prodrome,
• aura phase,
• pain,
• postdrome.

The prodrome phase emerges a few hours or days before the migraine comes and is known for such symptoms as touchiness, bad mood and oversensitivity to various stimuli. In aura phase symptoms intensify, which soon leads to migraine attack accompanied not only by acute headache but also nausea, vomiting, vegetative disorders and oversensitivity to light. The postdrome phase occurs when pain subsides: instead of pain, you feel discomfort accompanied by weakness or tiredness.

How to treat migraine?

To treat migraine, you can use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as well as triptans. They soothe headache or eliminate it (if it is not strong enough). Prevention is another crucial strategy: tricyclic antidepressants, propranolol and valproic acid are used.