Dealing With Migraines Head-on ? Sweet Kor

As anyone with migraines knows, not all headaches are created equal. Specialists put the number of different headaches at more than 165, with the migraine variety affecting about 11 people in 100.

?A migraine is an intense throbbing or pulsing headache on one side of the head that lasts from four to 72 hours,? said Uwe Reuter, a neurologist at Berlin?s Charite university hospital. It can be accompanied by oversensitivity to sounds, light or smells, as well as nausea and vomiting.

Migraines can come with or without an aura, which is the term given to sensory warning symptoms preceding an attack, explained Hans-Christoph Diener, president of the International Headache Society. These symptoms include visual, palpable and speech disturbances.

There are also menstrual as well as menstrually associated migraines. The former occur predominantly during a woman?s menstrual period. The latter can occur at any time of the month but are more severe during a woman?s period.

Migraine attacks frequently have triggers. According to Diener, these triggers can be changes in hormone levels, certain foods or food preservatives, stress, irregular sleep or weather conditions.

?Alcohol and nutritional deficiencies, for example while dieting, are also triggers,? Reuter said. Their common denominator is a disruption in living patterns.

Hormonal fluctuations are the trigger for menstrual migraines in women who take birth control pills, said Thomas Strowitzki, head of the Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine at Heidelberg University Women?s Hospital and a member of the German Society of Endocrinology.

These women typically take the pills for three weeks and then discontinue them for a week, prompting oestrogen levels to drop rapidly. The ?oestrogen withdrawal? triggers migraines.

Not to discontinue taking the pills can help in such cases, but the women should consult with their gynaecologist first.

For a few migraine sufferers, simply resting or sleeping in a quiet, darkened room brings relief. Placing a cool cloth or ice pack on the affected area of the head can also help, Diener said.

When the pain is mild to moderate, the German Migraine and Headache Society recommends relatively high doses of over-the-counter painkillers such as acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) ? also known as aspirin ? paracetamol or ibuprofen. These medications can damage the stomach lining when taken for a long period of time, however.

The most frequently prescribed medications for severe migraines are triptans, according to the German Neurological Society, which says they are the best-studied drug class used in acute migraine therapy.

But overuse can result in what are called rebound headaches. In other words, the anti-migraine triptans actually begin to cause migraines. Triptans block the release of neurotransmitters in the brain.

?This hinders the transmission of pain from nerve cell to nerve cell, and dilated blood vessels are narrowed again,? Reuter said. When drugs are used for treatment, it is important that treatment begin promptly.

To prevent or alleviate migraines, avoiding their triggers can help, Diener pointed out. And keeping a headache diary can help migraine sufferers learn what the triggers are ?because then you know how many attacks you?ve had in a month and how many pills you?ve taken,? Reuter said.? By Franziska Fenger, m&c

Source: http://sweet-kor.info/2011/08/dealing-with-migraines-head-on/

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