f.p.n.c. - neurology

Do you suffer from Migraine?

What triggers your Migraine?

Do you suffer from head pain that:

Causes you to miss work or school?

Disrupts your daily life?

Prevents you from enjoying quality time with your family?

You are not alone!

If you have experienced the throbbing head pain, nausea, and vomiting of migraine, you are not alone. Over 20 million Americans know first-hand how migraine attacks can disrupt their normal routines. People of all ages and all walks of life find themselves overcome with the disease. But you don't have to cope on your own - there are treatments available. Some facts you sould know:

Migraine usually appears between the ages of 10 to 20 and is relatively uncommon after the age of 50.

If you're a female aged 30 to 49, you have the greatest chance of suffering from migraine; 2.6 million males also experience the disease.

The affliction tends to run in families. If your parents, brothers or sisters have migraine, there is a greatest chance that you will too.

How do you know if you have migraine?

Headaches typically last a few hours or less and are relieved by ordinary pain medication. Migraine is different. The pain usually begins as a dull ache on one side of the head, often at the temple. The dull ache then becomes a pounding throb, lasting hours - or even days. Common over-the-counter medications such as aspirin and acetaminophen don't seem to help much. The pain may be accompanied by:

Nausea and/or vomiting

Sensitivity to noise

Sensitivity to light

Sometimes the pain will get worse with movement. If you suspect that you have migraine, talk with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.

Is migraine always the same?

No. Symptoms vary from person to person and from one episode to another. There are also two different types of migraine. Ine starts with an "aura," which acts as a warning sign for migraine sufferers. The other, more common type of migraine occurs without an aura.

With an aura

About 20% of migraine sufferers experience an "aura," or sensation of awareness that a migraine is coming. The aura occurs from 20 minutes to an hour before the head pain, though it can also start after the head pain has begun. It usually lasts from 10 to 30 minutes. Some common symptoms of the aura are:

Blurred Vision

Changes in vision (such as flashing dots or zigzag lines)

Flashes of light and color

Partial and/or temporary sight loss

Numbness of the face or upper arms (like the "pins and needles" sensation of a foot that has fallen asleep)

Weakness

Difficulty handling normal activities

Strong odor

Without an aura

The majority of migraine sufferers - 80% - do not experience an aura. However, some may experience other symptoms as musch as a day before the head pain starts. These may include mood changes, food cravings, increased energy, or frequent yawning. Some sufferers feel nauseated. Once the migraine starts, a throbbing or hammering pain is common.

Regardless of which type of migraine affects you, it's a good idea to avoid driving or operating machinery if you can't concentrate or see well.

When should you see your doctor?

See your doctor immediately if your head pain:

Comes on suddenly

Never goes away

Becomes worse over a few days

Occurs with double vision, increasing weakness, or loss of sensation

Starts after age 55 (and you have no history of head pain)

Begins after a head injury or an accident

Is accompanied by a stiff neck or fever

At this point, no one really knows the exact cause of migraine, although heredity plays a big part. Genetic patterns suggest that some people are more susceptible to migraine than others.

A number of "triggers" exist that can provoke a migraine, either by themselves or in combination. One of the best ways to help you control your migraine is to identify the triggers. These triggers can come from a variety of sources:

Certain foods can trigger migraine. Common triggers include:

Alcohol

Chocolate

Food additives (such as monosodium glutamate (MSG) and nitrites found in hot dogs and luncheon meats)

Excessive caffeine from coffee, tea, or cola drinks

Some dairy products (such as aged cheese)

Yeast breads

Nuts and peanut butter

Artificial sweeteners

Get into the habit of reading food labels carefully. In restaurants, be sure to ask how foods are prepared.

Life-sytle

In a fast-paced world, it is common to encounter irregular sleep patterns, stress, and other migraine triggers. To help control migraine, try to:

Keep a regular sleep schedule

Avoid naps or oversleeping

Eat on a regular schedule

Control family and job stresses

Quit smoking

Avoid alcohol

Environment

What you do and where you spend your time can also trigger migraine. Common environmental triggers include:

Bright lights and glare

Motion

Noise

Certain odors (such as exhaust fumes, perfumes, and tobacco smoke)

Changes in temperature and weather

Physical exertion, such as sports or sexual activity

Falls or head injuries

Eyestrain

Medicines

Though they may be vital in treating an illness or disease, some medicines can trigger migraine. Examples include:

Nitroglycerin to treat heart disease

Some drugs to reduce high blood pressure

Certain medicines to dilate blood vessels

Oral contraceptives

If you suspect that a medicine may be triggering your migraine, talk to your doctor. He or she may be able to change your medicine to one that does not cause migraine. Never change your dose or stop taking your medicine without speaking to your doctor.

Emotions

While emotions themselves do not cause migraine, they can make you more prone to an attack. In fact, for most people, attacks begin shortly after periods of intense stress, anger or resentment.

Hormones

For women who suffer from migraine, estrogen can play a mjor role in provoking an onset. Many attacks occur prior to ot during menstration, the first trimester of pregnancy, or menopause, when estrogen levels are fluctuating. Birth control pills with high estrogen levels can also provoke the condition. If estrogen affects you, talk to your doctor.

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What can be done to treat your migraine?

How can you help?

In addition to finding out what triggers your migraine, you can work with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist to prevent the attacks and control them when they occur.

In some cases, it might mean making life-style changes to avoid trigering the migraine. Doctors can also prescribe medicines to help prevent the onset of migraine or reduce the severity of the attack.

Once a migraine strikes, there are a number of treatment options. Your doctor may treat you with medicines that relieve the pain, shorten the attack, or control the nausea. Lying down in a dark, quiet room also seems to help; however, this is not pratical for most people.

The best thing you can do is to identify the triggers that start your migraine, you will then be able to share that important information with your doctor.

You might learn that making simple changes in your life-style will help. For some people, trying to eat and sleep at regular times every day makes a big difference. For others, using techniques to relax and control stress helps.

Many patients need medicines to control their migraine. Your doctor will work with you to find a treatment program that is the most effective for you. Always take your medicines correctly - at the time prescribed and in the order suggested.

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