MIGRAINE EDUCATION What Is a Migraine? A migraine is a recurring moderate to severe headache. The pain usually occurs on one side of the head. It is typically a throbbing pain. Migraine is a biological disorder of the brain. While it is more common in women, it can affect anyone. It usually begins in childhood, adolescence, or young adulthood. What Causes Migraine? The exact cause of migraine is unknown. It appears to be an inherited biochemical disorder in the brain. People with migraine may have a more sensitive nervous system response than others. During an attack, changes in brain activity may cause blood vessels and nerves around the brain to become irritated and inflamed. What Are the Symptoms? Symptoms vary greatly among people with migraine but can include: •Moderate to severe headache that lasts 4 to 72 hours, if untreated •Throbbing pain, often on one side of the head •Increased pain after exercise or movement •Sensitivity to bright light, sound, and/or odors •Nausea and/or vomiting with the headache One in five people with migraine have a warning before the headache. This is called an aura. An aura may consist of flashing lights, temporary loss of sight, or numbness on one side of the body. In some cases, people experience the aura without an accompanying headache. How Is Migraine Diagnosed? No medical test can confirm that you have migraine. You will need to provide details about your headaches and your other symptoms to your neurologist or primary care physician. Your physician will also perform a neurologic examination to check the functioning of your nervous system. Often, no further testing is needed. If your symptoms do not fit a typical pattern for migraine, your physician might order brain imaging or other tests. What Are the Treatment Options? Although there is no cure, migraine is treatable with proper medical care and self-management that: •Identifies and controls triggers that start a migraine •Uses medications to treat migraine attacks acutely •Uses medications and other treatments to help prevent attacks •Encourages healthy behavior and lifestyle changes Keeping a headache diary is a valuable tool for treating migraine. In it, you can note your pain level, symptoms, possible triggers, and treatments. Many migraine diary examples are available online. See the organizations listed in Resources for examples. A diary can help you work with your neurologist to track how well drugs are working. Acute Migraine Treatments Acute migraine treatments are used to stop an attack when it occurs and treat its symptoms. Two types of acute treatments are available: drugs that specifically stop the migraine, called abortive treatments, and nonspecific pain relievers. Migraine-specific abortive treatments include: •Prescription migraine drugs such as triptans (for example, sumatriptan) and ergot alkaloids (for example, dihydroergotamine [DHE]) Pain-relieving drugs include: •Nonprescription (over-the-counter) nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, and analgesics, such as aspirin, acetaminophen, or a drug that combines acetaminophen with aspirin and caffeine •Prescription nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics It is very important to take these medications as close to the start of the headache as possible. Acute treatments do not work as well several hours into a headache. Most of these acute treatments are designed to be used infrequently. If you find that you are using acute therapies more than one to two times per week, you should talk to your neurologist about alternative approaches. Anti-nausea drugs are also frequently used to treat the nausea that accompanies migraine, and they may have some effect on the headache itself. Preventive Treatments Daily preventive medications are available for people with frequent, severe, debilitating migraines. They can also help if your treatment is not working or is causing side effects. They include: •Tricyclic antidepressants •Beta-blockers •Calcium channel blockers, such as verapamil •Some anticonvulsants • Contact your neurologist if your treatment is not working or if you are overusing acute medications to stop migraine attacks. Overuse of acute drugs can lead to more frequent headaches. Cognitive and Behavioral Treatments Research has shown that some cognitive and behavioral treatments can help prevent migraine. Such treatments include: •Relaxation training: Download Anapana Meditation App from Playstore Cognitive-behavioral therapy (also called stress-management training) Ask your neurologist for more information regarding cognitive and behavioral treatments. Living with Migraine The following practices and tips can help reduce the impact migraine has on your life. Know and Avoid Migraine Triggers Triggers vary from person to person. Some triggers are avoidable, but many are not. They can include: Diet No Fasting , No skipping meals-- YOU MUST EAT WHEN YOU GET HUNGER. When you get hunger eat something solid, just dont drink liquid such as tea, coffee or juice. Your duty is eating well after getting hunger. food is very important pillar of your health so give it utmost priority. After eating you should get 'WOW' feeling and you should not get hunger for next 2-3 hrs. Dont drink any water or liquid uneccesarily, this will kill your hunger and not get enough nutrients. Please drink water only after getting thirst and upto your thirst. Sometimes if you eat too less food or too less carbohydrates (means Rice/Roti), your body will crave for suger and sweets. So better eat well, eat enough carbohydrates. For Brains Health, W-3 Fatty acids are very essencial, so dont totally reduce your consumption of oils and ghee. Rather coconut oil and ghee has good amount of W-3. Also it is important to use Good quality Cold pressed oils instead of refined oils. Alcohol, foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG), too much caffeine or withdrawal from caffeine, and preserved meats with nitrates and nitrites may trigger migraines in some cases. Rest well You should feel fresh in morning. Go to bed early and complete your sleep. Lack of sleep will aggrevate the issue. Be moderate in exercise, if you over exert then you will get exhausted. That will aggrevate the issue. you should feel fresh after exercise not tired. Learn the art of Listening to the Body. You should be mindfull about your hunger satiety, sleep, tiredness and cravings etc. Be master of your Health. Stress: Learn some meditation to calm down your stressful mind. As you know stress is a major factor in aggrevating your Headaches. We suggest you to try Anapana Meditation (You can download the "Anapana Meditation" App from the Playstore) Hormones: Changes during the menstrual cycle Environmental factors: Weather changes, bright or glaring lights, strong odors, and high altitude Develop a Partnership with Your Neurologist You and your neurologist should work as a team to treat your migraine. Follow the treatment plan you develop together. See your neurologist for regular follow-up visits. Provide your neurologist with specific details about your headaches and how they affect your life. You will have the best results by taking these steps: •Work with your neurologist to develop a treatment plan •If your headaches are bad enough, talk to your neurologist about prevention •Be actively involved in your treatment, including keeping a headache diary