How to cope with migraine pain

A migraine can affect people across all ages. Migraines do not spare either young children or the elderly. According to research, women are three times more likely to be affected by migraines than men. Despite this common occurrence of migraines, many people do not seek proper diagnosis for the pain associated with the condition. This is not without reason, migraines can be unpredictable and difficult to diagnose and patients may face several different triggers that may induce a migraine and the pain might be dismissed as just a bad headache. However, this is not the case. If an individual suffers from recurring headaches that are painful enough to disrupt normal life, they could be suffering from migraines and must seek help to find relief.

Headaches are one of the most common neurological problem for which people seek medical advice around the world. The symptom constitutes a significant number of patients who may visit any medical outpatient department. Headaches are broadly categorised into two main groups – primary and secondary. More than 90% of all headaches are primary – these headaches may reveal demonstrable cause if investigated. Among the primary type, tension headaches are the most common, closely followed by migraines. The month of September is observed as Migraine Awareness Month in order to educate and create awareness about the condition and developments in the field. Migraines are disabling headaches which affect more than one billion people all over the world.

There are two types of migraine headaches:

Migraine without aura (these cases amount to 80% of all diagnosed migraines) and Migraine with aura

Most people with migraine experience pain on one side of the head, which may start at a mild intensity and slowly build to severe intensity. The pain could last for a few hours or up to one or two days. Patients may experience associated nausea or vomiting. Sensitivity to light and sound may also be a feature during the headache period.

Migraines are under-diagnosed and under-treated neurological problems. They are caused by an increased sensitivity of brain towards various factors and may be influenced by generic, environmental and daily lifestyle factors. This condition alone can incur a huge economic burden on society due to multiple factors. Some of which include the cost of medications, medical investigations, hospitalisations which amount to a significant loss. Additionally, the loss incurred due to decreased productivity secondary to disability is huge.

If someone gets frequent migraine headaches, he or she may be put on daily medications for some time. Frequent usage of pain-relief medication can result in what is called medication-induced headaches and chronic migraines, that are extremely disabling and difficult to manage. Identifying the triggers for migraines helps in preventing headaches. Among many triggers, stress is one of the most important triggers. Apart from stress, irregular sleep, eating habits, weather changes, strong smells, many food items, particularly canned food, are important triggers for migraines.

A combination of medication, avoiding triggers, and a well-organised lifestyle are the main goals in the proper management of migraine prevention.

While primary headaches that are associated with migraines can be managed, secondary headaches, that may have similar symptoms to migraines require immediate medical attention as they could point to a stroke or bleeding in the brain. In case any individual exhibits severe pain in the forehead, accompanied with symptoms such as loss of consciousness, nausea and vomiting, they must immediately visit the doctor to rule out other life-threatening conditions and properly diagnose the symptoms.

(The writer is head of neurology at a Bengaluru-based hospital)