Migraines: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

Headaches & Migraines

Migraines are intense, neurologic headaches with various symptoms. They last for days and are often misunderstood and misdiagnosed. Find out more about this common condition.

Recommended Actions

Consider lifestyle changes like regular sleep, exercise, and meals. Stay hydrated, limit caffeine, and keep a headache diary to identify triggers.

Recommended Avoidances

Avoid common triggers such as stress, certain foods and alcohol, irregular sleep, and changes in weather or barometric pressure.

Prevention Tips

Prevention strategies include regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy diet, staying hydrated, avoiding triggers, and considering preventive medications as prescribed by a healthcare provider.

Condition 101

A migraine is a neurological condition typically marked by intense, debilitating headaches. Symptoms may include nausea, difficulty speaking, numbness or tingling, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines often progress through several stages and can last for days. The cause is not understood, and migraines are often misdiagnosed due to their complex nature.

Severe, often unilateral headache
Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell
Nausea and vomiting
Disturbed vision (aura)
Difficulty speaking
Faintness
The exact cause of migraines is unknown, but they're believed to be the result of abnormal brain activity affecting nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels in the brain.
Risk factors include family history, age, sex (women are more prone), hormonal changes, and certain comorbidities like depression and anxiety.
An unusually severe headache
Headache accompanied by fever, stiff neck, mental confusion, seizures, double vision, or trouble speaking
Headache after a head injury
Chronic or frequent headaches

Diagnosis typically includes a detailed medical history, physical and neurological examination, and sometimes imaging tests such as MRI or CT scans.
Chronic migraines can lead to complications such as medication-overuse headaches, chronic migraine, and status migrainosus (a severe form of migraine lasting for more than 72 hours).
Contrary to common belief, migraines are not just a severe headache. They are a complex neurological condition that requires medical intervention.
Conditions with similar symptoms include tension headaches, cluster headaches, and sinus headaches.

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Treatment Options

Need more information about Migraines, contact us for more help on treatment or advise.

Over-the-counter treatments include pain relievers like paracetamol, aspirin, and ibuprofen, as well as triptans, ergots, anti-nausea medications, and opioids (for severe cases).

Doctors may prescribe preventative medications like beta-blockers, antidepressants, and anticonvulsants. Botox injections or nerve blocks might be used in some cases.

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