Migraine
Migraine is the most common forms of headache. It occurs paroxysmal, often out of the blue and often during periods of rest after days of strong nervous tension ("weekend migraine"). The causes are extremely varied.
Often go a migraine attack immediately short-term visual changes and discomfort in the limbs advance (aura). The soon thereafter pain are often accompanied by nausea and weakness, and focus mostly on one side of the head, but can change sides during the attack.
Before puberty, around five percent of girls and boys are affected equally. Later, predominantly affecting women, to 12-14 percent, and thus suffer twice as often as men. Most often migraine occurs between the 35th and 45 Year of life.
Causes of Migraine
The causes of migraine are extremely varied and have a strong individual character. Often meet several causative factors.
In some cases a genetic predisposition plays a role in migraine, as it may occur in families. Apart from age, include dietary habits, tobacco consumption among women, the monthly hormone cycle, weather changes, disturbances of usual sleep-wake rhythm, and in particular stress the frequent triggers. In principle, anything that brings the body out of its usual rhythms that trigger a migraine attack.
Due to various trigger factors led to the hypothalamus as part of the midbrain that constrict the blood vessels in the brain in some areas. This leads to short-term neurological disorders that may manifest itself as aura.
In the affected brain regions, it comes to the release of inflammatory mediators. Under its effect, the blood vessels widen again, tissue fluid escapes and makes the vessel walls swell. The result is headache. Same time, the pain control of the body is disturbed, so affected often react to any additional stimulus very sensitive.
How expresses the migraine?
Prior to a migraine occurs in many cases a so-called aura, usually in the form of unilateral visual disturbance as "migratory flash of light," which narrows the field of vision and impaired visual acuity temporarily. Even a sudden tingling in hands or feet may occur.
The onset of headache may soon be moderate, but also be extremely violent. Pulsating or throbbing, they usually occur on one side only and can last between four hours and three days or longer. Often, the pain intensified by physical exertion. Intense light and noise stimuli are often hard to bear. Depending on the extent of the pain feel concerned is temporarily totally checkmated.
The diagnosis of migraine
The diagnosis of migraine is apparent in most cases from the individual medical history of those affected. For this reason, it is important for several weeks called a headache diary kept. In this example, recorded, and how often headaches occur when, whether they or discomfort in the arms and legs go ahead visual disturbances, seizures how long each takes and how the situation-the circumstances are.
Such a diary often provides important clues to possible triggers of attacks, such as certain food and beverages, stress, medications, or weather changes in women, menstruation. Also neurological tests and blood tests may be part of a thorough diagnosis, as well as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), enabling for example a brain tumor as a possible cause of impaired vision and headaches can be excluded.
The treatment of migraine
The treatment of migraine is focused on avoiding possible triggers, pain to deal effectively and to shorten time-attacks.
Whether and what drugs are used to, depends on the type and severity of headaches. In mild cases, it often helps, for some hours in a quiet, darkened room and retire for the painful area gently to cool under circumstances. And relaxation techniques like progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobson, or autogenic training can alleviate the symptoms. Also biofeedback and cognitive behavioral therapy is recommended, especially in combination with drug prevention.
An analgesic drugs medications can be applied, for example paracetamol or aspirin and ibuprofen, which are also anti-inflammatory, but can also irritate the stomach lining. If this is the case, the doctor may prescribe a drug for vomiting, which is taken before the painkiller. An alternative is the administration in suppository form.
In severe cases, migraines often so-called triptans are used. These are drugs that lead to a narrowing of blood vessels and may only be taken under strict medical supervision. Since medications for headaches sometimes even cause headaches, pain management should not be taken without medical supervision.
History of migraine
Migraine is generally not curable. But it can sometimes disappear by themselves in, for example in children during puberty. It is also possible that it temporarily weakens, such as during a pregnancy.
If the trigger is largely avoided, can use a personalized drug treatment in many cases, well live with a migraine.
How can you prevent?
Migraine attacks can hardly prevent a targeted manner. To reduce the frequency of seizures, it is important to find out triggers such as certain food and beverages and avoid them. Stress plays a causal role can lead a targeted stress management and learning of different relaxation techniques to success. Even regular endurance helps in many cases.
In severe cases, medication for migraine prophylaxis should be prescribed. Not least concerned should not hesitate to seek psychotherapeutic help if necessary.