Migraine Headache - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment - How to Prevent Migraine Naturally

Migraine is a type of neurological disorder with extremely inefficient neurological symptoms. 
Migraine headaches are usually persistent throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head. But in about a third of attacks, both sides can be affected. 
Symptoms of migraine headache may be accompanied by vomiting, nausea, sensitivity to light or sound. 
A migraine headache can last from 4 hours to 3 days, and sometimes it can be longer.

Migraine is a type of headache.

Migraine Headache - Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment - How to Prevent Migraine Naturally

What is Migraine?

Migraine is a type of headache and comes in the form of recurrent seizures, usually moderate to severe in severity, and is gradually increasing, and makes up about 12% of other types of headaches, and often affects individuals aged between 10- 30 years, often on one side of the head but can come on both sides of the head, lasting from hours to days, usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting. 

Migraine is different from other types of headaches. It is considered a neurological problem. Women are more likely to develop migraines than men. 

Having a family member with migraines increases the likelihood of other family members. 

Migraine headache symptoms include nausea, vomiting, speech difficulty, a sense of numbness and sensitivity to light and sound. 

Migraine sufferers may describe headaches with several descriptions, such as beating, piercing or crushing the head. Some also describe it as exhausting physical forces.

The spread of the disease

Migraines are very prevalent among the population of Western countries and at least 18% of women and 6% of men have suffered migraines at least once. 60% - 70% of migraine sufferers are women. 

Before the age of puberty, the prevalence of migraines is about 4% and then increases, at a later stage, especially among girls up to the age of 40 years. After the age of 40 years, with age, a decrease in the incidence of migraine begins. 

The highest prevalence among women is between the ages of 25 and 55. Migraines do not jeopardize the lives of patients, but cause significant damage to the quality and normal course of life, causing loss of working days and material losses.

Symptoms of Migraine

The symptoms of migraine headache may include:

➮Transient localized brain damage manifested in vision disorder (most common), sensation disorder, decreased body strength, on the right or left side, balance disorder or speech disorder.

➮Aura usually appears before the onset of headaches, but sometimes it also appears during or after the headache and takes less than an hour. 

Because of the similarity, it is sometimes thought to be a stroke, but it does not result from a blockage in a blood vessel, not even a stop in the flow of blood to a particular part of the brain. The next stage is a headache.

➮The pain usually begins on one side of the head, but sometimes it moves to the other side, too, and then gradually intensifies within hours, pulsing and affecting the functioning of the person.

➮The headache is usually accompanied by nausea and sometimes vomiting increased sensitivity to stimuli, such as light, noise, and smell, and the patient prefers to lie in the dark and calm until the end of the attack and its demise.

➮An attack can be accompanied by a feeling of fatigue, thirst, hyperuricemia, pallor, sweating, hunger or lack of appetite, nasal congestion, feeling cold or heat.

➮A drop-in the ability to concentrate, a feeling of depression, anxiety, and nervousness can occur. While some patients may feel depression and discomfort, others may feel refreshed and rejoiced after a seizure.

Types of migraines

Migraine attacks can be classified into two types: (1) Migraine with aura (also called classical migraines). (2) Migraine without aura (formerly known as common migraines). 

It is the most common type, even 66% of migraine attacks are with Aura. “Aura” usually involves visual symptoms like seeing shapes, lines, or flashes. 

The International Headache Society has defined migraine headaches according to the following indicators:

⇨The patient has the typical episodes characteristic in his life.

⇨Migraines last from 4 hours to 72 hours.

⇨Pain characteristics include at least two features of the following:

(A) Pain is concentrated in only one side (unilateral); (b) pain appears as a pulse; (c) pain is moderate to severe; (d) pain is exacerbated by physical exertion.

⇨During an attack, the patient experiences at least one of the following symptoms: (a) nausea, vomiting or both; and (b) sensitivity to light or noise.

⇨Seizures are not attributed to another problem.

The Stages of Migraine

The Stages of the onset of migraine symptoms.

Naturally, like any disease or health condition, migraine representation varies from one patient to another, in terms of the duration of the disease, the period of the appearance of symptoms, the time of disappearance, the severity, and the impact on the patient's life, as well as its acceleration. 

Migraine has four stages that are characterized and experienced by the patient but not in the same context and at the same time.

These stages may include:

Prodrome  Migraine

Prodrome migraine can mark the onset of a migraine attack. The symptoms of the prodrome phase are particularly specific that may include Constipation, frequent yawning, neck stiffness, increased thirst, and urination, craving for certain foods and mood changes, from depression to euphoria.

Migraine Aura

A migraine aura is a frequent and recurring headache that affects after or at the same time as the sensory, motor or verbal disturbances. This animation indicates what happens if you have a migraine with aura. 

The symptoms of migraine aura may include:

➛Visual phenomena, such as seeing various shapes, flashes of light or bright spots.

➛Needles and pins sensations in an arm or leg.

➛Uncontrollable jerking or other movements.

➛Weakness on one side of the body.

➛Weakness on one side of the body.

➛Tingling in the hand or face.

➛Hearing noises or music.

➛Other changes in vision

➛Difficulty speaking.

Migraine Attack

In the first stage of an attack, about a third of people develop symptoms that last from hours to days. 

Migraine attack occurs in patients with migraines at a frequency of about once a month, but some patients have several attacks per week, and there are attacks lasting more than 3 days without interruption (status migrainosus). 

During a migraine attack, the person might have:

➛The Pain that throbs or pulses.

➛The pain generally on one side of the head, but often on both sides.

➛The sensitivity to sound, light and sometimes touch and smell.

➛Nausea and

Postdrome - The Migraine Hangover

The postdrome (formally known as “migraine hangover,”)  is the fourth and final phase of a migraine attack. After a migraine attack, the patient may feel confused, drained and washed out or elated. 

This might take days or even weeks to go through all four phases. in this stage, the patient remains exhausted, nervous or uncomfortable, with little ability to concentrate, with noticeable scalp sensitivity. 

The symptoms of migraine hangover include mood changes, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, nausea, dizziness, body aches, sensitivity to light, hunger or neck stiffness.

When Should You See a Neurologist for Migraines?

Symptoms of migraines that you should pay attention to and not ignore if you suspect someone around you has a migraine headache. But for a patient you know he has a migraine, is this just a diagnosis? 

There are even cases where he should see a doctor, and sometimes need to go directly to the emergency room. 

The symptoms of such migraine may include:

➾Feeling very sudden pain in the head, such as a sharp blow or thunder speed, you should see a doctor this is a risk indicator.

➾Severe headaches with high body temperature, stiff neck, joint pain, disturbance in concentration and blurred vision, exposure to bouts of convulsions, the feeling of miniature or let down in sensation, or difficulty speaking.

➾Pain in the head after being hit or injured in the head, especially if the pain and headaches get worse and worse.

➾Chronic headache - for a longer period, more than three months - and increases further after coughing, exertion, going to the toilet, or after a sudden movement.

➾If the patient is over 50 years old and complains of pain even if it is minor or for the first time, and without any known causes.

Having learned a little bit about how to identify or even put suspicions of migraine, you must believe that the attending physician will not spare any effort to provide the necessary solutions to treat migraine patients.

Causes of Migraine Headaches

The exact cause of migraines remains unknown and is not entirely clear, but it is now known that there are processes that affect it and are related to its appearance. 

A trigeminovascular system works in the brain that is designed to protect the brain from harmful factors. 

When an external factor (lack of sleep, certain food) alerts the nerve trigeminal of the skull, it secretes pain mediators (Substance P and CGRP) into the blood vessels in the brain envelope, causing the secretion of other inflammatory mediators from mast cells. 

These mast cells, in turn, attract inflammatory cells (polymorphonuclear neutrophil) to that region. 

These mast cells also secrete chemicals that cause changes in the diameter of blood vessels and increase the permeability of the walls of the blood vessels, thus creating a state of neurogenic inflammation. 

In this case, the penetration of pain mediators and the expansion of blood vessels will be a cause of pain, too. 

Aura occurs as a result of spreading cortical depression, the process of altering the polarization of neurons in the cerebral cortex, slowly spreading at a frequency of 3 to 5 mm per second on the surface of the brain, accompanied by changes in blood flow to these areas.

Risk Factors for Migraine Headaches

There are many triggers and risk factors that contribute to migraine attacks. These triggers include:

Emotional changes: Some strong emotions and emotional changes such as stress, depression, anxiety, and trauma may lead to migraine attacks.

Hormonal changes: Hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle may cause migraine attacks.

Food-related triggers: Some foods can contribute to migraine attacks such as alcohol, caffeine, chocolate, cheese, citrus, and foods containing tyramine. Skipping meals and not eating them regularly, as well as suffering from dehydration due to lack of drinking fluids contribute to the occurrence of migraine attacks.

Physical causes: such as feeling tired, not sleeping long enough, or suffering from straining muscles in the shoulder or neck or hypoglycemia may cause migraine attacks.

Environmental triggers: Environmental triggers such as strong odors, secondhand smoke, loud noises, and temperature changes contribute to migraine attacks.

Some medications: Some medications may contribute to migraine attacks, such as birth control pills containing estrogen and progesterone, Nitrate, Indomed or Reserpine, and alternative hormone therapy.

Family history: About 70% of migraine sufferers have a first-degree relative, and first-degree relatives of a migraine sufferer are 1.5 to 2 times more likely to have migraines than other people. 

If the migraine is with aura, the rate rises to four times. To date, the mutation has been detected in a number of genes causing certain and rare forms of migraine, such as familial hemiplegic migraine. 

Studies show that migraines are, in most cases, not caused by a defect in a single gene, but are associated with several factors, both genetic and environmental.

Diagnosis of Migraine

Physical neurological examination, and other tests, such as blood tests, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or electroencephalogram (EEG). Often, no tests are needed and the disease can be diagnosed based on the patient's description - (history of the disease - Anamnesis) and on the basis of a normal, healthy neurological examination.

What is the Best Treatment for Migraine Headaches?

What is the best treatment for migraine headaches?

Treatment of Migraines

The first step to treating migraines is to avoid triggers for migraines. The treatment of migraines depends on the severity of the attack; Low-intensity attacks can be treated with Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen. 

If a migraine attack is moderate to severe, it is treated with other medications and therapeutic types.

Migraine treatment consists of several therapeutic types, including:

➩Behavioral therapy to prevent attacks:

➩Regular sleep

➩Regular diets

➩Medium physical activity

➩Avoid certain foods that contain caffeine, triamine, monosodium glutamate or nitrates.

➩Anti-migraine treatment: This treatment is usually prescribed for people with more than 4 migraine attacks per month that exceed 12 hours and more. 

The main objectives of inhibitor therapy are:

⤇Reducing the frequency, severity, and duration of attacks.

⤇Reducing the progression of the disease from a severe attack to a chronic illness.

⤇Increasing the response to treatment during acute attacks.

⤇Improving patient performance and reducing disability,

Medications to prevent migraine attacks:

The categories of medications that have been found to be effective in scientific research as an anti-migraine attack include:

➤Beta-Blockers Drugs such as metoprolol, propranolol, timolol.

➤Anticonvulsants such as valproate and topiramate.

➤Tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline and venlafaxine.

Treatment to relieve symptoms of migraine during an attack:

There are many drugs that have been scientifically proven to treat acute migraine attacks, and we can divide them as follows:

➧Common pain medications such as painkillers

➧Paracetamol

➧Non-steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and diclofenac.

➧Opioid drugs, despite the divergence of views among doctors about the advantage of using it to treat migraines.

Medications to Treat Migraines Headaches

Triptans: a drug specifically developed to treat migraines, they are neurotransmitters called Serotonin 5-HT1B / 1D. 

Drugs in this category include eletriptan, Naratriptan, Rizatriptan, Sumatriptan (the most commonly used medication today known to begin to relieve pain during a short time), and Zolmitriptan). 

These drugs have a good effect and high effectiveness at the time of seizure.

Ergots: These drugs also bind to the serotonin 5-HT1B / 1D receptor. The types of drugs in this category are ergotamine (Ergotamine) and dihydroergotamine (DihydroErgotamine).

Anti-Emetic Drugs: The role of these drugs is supportive and adjunct to the treatment of headache pain relief and to prevent vomiting associated with headaches in migraine attacks. Drugs in this category include metoclopramide, chlorpromazine, prochlorperazine, droperidol, and diphenhydramine.

Dexamethasone: Dexamethasone has been shown to reduce the frequency of a migraine attack if it is administered during an acute attack.

New research is underway on new drugs that work on other serotonin neurotransmitter receptors that promise a potential efficacy for migraine patients.

Note: All medicines discussed here are for general information only. We do not recommend any type of medication for the treatment of migraine headaches. Please consult your doctor before taking these medicines. Visit our Disclaimer Page.

How to Prevent Migraine Headache Naturally

Here, we have mentioned some best and effective ways to prevent migraine headache naturally: 

Get the Right Diagnosis: One of the best ways to prevent migraines is to ask yourself this question. Do you have a headache or a migraine? 

Migraines do not usually indicate more serious health anxiety. Very rarely, migraines may indicate a more serious cause such as a brain tumor. 

Causes of concern include attacks that may occur suddenly, with no history of personal injury, or neurological disorders such as dizziness, confusion, or numbness.

Avoid High Noise and Bright Lights: This is one of the best ways to prevent migraines. Because certain situations such as driving at night, cinemas, clubs or crowded places, sunlight may cause migraines. 

Breaks should be taken from watching TV or computer screen to comfort your eyes, adjust brightness levels on digital screens.

Know Early Warning Signs and Take Action: If you have a gesture phase, you'll recognize early warning signs of migraines, whether areola or fatigue, that can alert you that you are about to have a migraine. 

Other early warning signs include dizziness or nausea. 

The method of preventing migraines is limited to finding a cool, quiet room for rest. Drink plenty of water, use natural remedies to reduce pain.

Identify Migraine Triggers: Identifying triggers is one of the first strategies you should use to prevent migraines in the future. 

Although migraines are scary and very annoying for life, many patients find comfort in knowing the causes as they give some dominant manifestations of debilitating attacks.

Change Your Eating Habits: If you've identified certain foods that lead to migraines, changing the eating habits is one of the best ways to prevent migraines. 

You can increase the number of foods you eat with magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids. Reduce food containing stimuli, such as chocolate, alcohol or preserved food. 

Quit Smoking: Studies have shown that smoking more than 5 cigarettes a day is more likely to lead to migraines. 

If you are unable to quit smoking directly, you should limit your intake to less than 5 cigarettes per day. While reducing your quantum may be a double-edged benefit of quitting.

Reduce Your Weight: Excess weight can lead to more inflammation in the body. 

The study report suggests that women with a high percentage of abdominal fat which account for about 37 percent are more likely to get migraines than those who have a beautiful and slim body.

Use Essential Oils for Migraines: It is a useful home remedy for headaches and migraine pain in inhalation and application of topical lavender oil. 

It is recommended to add two to four drops per 2-3 glasses of boiling water when inhaling lavender oil vapors as a headache remedy. 

Other commonly recommended oils include peppermint oil and basil oil.

Do Exercise Regularly: One of the simple reasons for reducing migraines in exercise is to reduce stress, reduce inflammation, and enhance mood.

 Adhere to dense and low to moderate exercises in a high-intensity activity that can sometimes lead to migraines.