Migraine Treatment

Migraine is an intense and recurring type of headache. This is typically characterized by sharp and pulsating pain on one side of the head. Almost 24 million people of United States get affected by this traumatic pain. This disorder often strikes at the adolescence and is rare after the age of 60.

Types of Migraine

Depending upon the nature of pain and its cause and indications migraines have been categorized by International Headache Society:

Classic Migraine or Migraine with Aura

This type of migraine is usually associated with a short period of preindications or “aura” which is followed by paroxysmal throbbing headache at one side of the head. Aura is characterized by seeing flashing lights, weakness, loss of vision for sometimes, difficulty in speech, etc. These reversible focal neurological symptoms develop over a period of 5 to 20 minutes and lasts for less than 60 minutes. The aura might be followed by usual migraine attack or non-migraine headache.

Common Migraine or Migraine without Aura

This is the most frequent form of migraine. This is also a recurrent type of headache and could last for 4 to 72 hours. This type of migraine is usually characterized by a pulsating pain at unilateral location with moderate to severe intensity. Daily physical work augments the intensity of head pain. Common migraine often manifests nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia as associated symptoms.

Basilar Type Migraine

Basilar type migraine or BTM is not frequent and quite complicated too. This migraine is also known as basilar artery migraine (BAM) or basilar migraine (BM). The indications of BTM are originated from brainstem dysfunction. This migraine could result in stroke, coma, or even death.

Familial Hemiplegic Migraine

Familial Hemiplegic Migraine or FHM usually caused due to ion channel mutations. Attack of this migraine last for 4 to 72 hours and is accompanied by reversible limb weakness. Patients often face visual, speech, and sensory difficulties.

Abdominal Migraine

Children are the usual victim of this migraine. The origin of this recurrent type of disorder could not be detected yet. The characteristic of this migraine is moderate to severe central abdominal pain which could last for 1 to 72 hours and it is associated with nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and pallor.

Acephalgic Migraine

It is basically a neurological syndrome. This variant of migraine is associated with any headache. Patients only experience some of the symptoms of other migraines like aura, nausea, photophobia, scintillating scotoma, hemiparesis, etc. This migraine is also known as amigrainous migraine, ocular migraine, or optical migraine.

Migraine Symptoms

Although indications of migraine vary among the sufferers in terms of manifestations, time and duration of attack; however, a migraine attack could be categorized into four phases

Prodrome: It occurs hours or days before attack. Prodromal symptoms consist of changed mood, irritability, depression, fatigue, excessive drowsiness, craving for certain food items, stiff neck, constipation or diarrhea, frequent urination, and other vegetative symptoms.

Aura: It is the focal neurological phenomena that precede or might be associated with migraine attack.

Pain: This phase comprises typical unilateral, throbbing, moderate to severe headache which could be aggravated with physical activities and last for 4 to 72 hours.

Postdrome: In this post-migraine phase patient feels irritable, restlessness, lack of concentration, and altered mood.

Migraine Causes

Migraine attack could happen due to a number of reasons:

Physiological cause: It is believed that migraine attack takes place when pain-sensing nerve cells secrete some chemicals known as neuropeptides.
Genetic cause: Migraine is believed to be inherited disorder. If parents are sufferers of migraine then the offspring has 50% to 70% probability of having this complication.
Triggers: Certain food items, medicines, environmental cues, personal events, etc. could trigger migraines. Some well-known triggers are
Cheese, alcohol, caffeine, sweets, fermented and processed food, citrus fruits and nuts
Stress, menopause, disturbed sleep, oversleeping, fasting, odor, smoke, perfumes, flashing or glaring lights
Contraceptive pills, hormonal medicines, analgesic overuse, etc
Blood platelet disorder, hypoglycemia, etc

Migraine Prevention

Avoid direct exposure to the sun as it might aggravate the pitta disorder which could result in headache
Workouts or a brisk walk for 10 minutes in the fresh air at night by the water could ease the pain by improving blood circulation
Avoid intake of sugary items, refined foods, meat, dairy products, caffeine, alcohol, soda, and salt
Drink ample water, take more fibrous food, green vegetables, whole grains, and plant proteins

Migraine Relief
	Ginger (Zingiber officinale): This well-known herb is quite useful for migraine. Its unique constituents help in thwarting platelet aggregation preventing frequency and intensity of migraine. Recent study has shown that intake of ginger powder on a regular basis could show rapid improvement in reducing the aura of migraine.

	Brahmi is a perennial creeping herb which is most commonly known as water hyssop. The botanical name of this herb is Bacopa monnieri. This wonder botanical is world famous for its effectiveness in boosting up human memory and promoting the alertness of our mind.

Tea made from ashwagandha and brahmi (1/3 to ½ tsp each in one cup water) could be extremely helpful for migraine relief. One needs to drink this tea 2 to 3 times a day in order to achieve the best result.

Herbal capsules of Ginger, Ashwandha, and Brahmi are highly recommended natural supplements as they are extremely useful in soothing your nervous system while preventing painful migraine forever.