What is a migraine and how to deal with it. Migraine - symptoms, causes, types and treatment of migraine What is migraine head symptoms

Many people call migraine an ordinary headache, just a very severe one. This is a delusion, because migraine is an independent neurological disease, under which special attacks are hidden, accompanied by specific symptoms. We understand what is the difference between migraine and other types of pain, how to diagnose it and how to treat it.

What is a migraine?

From the ancient Greek language, the word "migraine" is translated as "half of the head." Such a translation is associated with the nature of the manifestations of the disease: most often migraine pain occurs in one half of the head and much less often in both. An attack occurs on its own or for some individual reason and can last from several hours to several days. The occurrence of pain, as well as the appearance of the disease itself, is not associated with either head injuries or other diseases. Excruciating headaches may be the result of the development of a pathology (for example, a brain tumor), but they are not related to the diagnosis of migraine.

Most often, the disease affects women and it is transmitted through the female line. The frequency of attacks can vary: from several times a year to daily. If a migraine occurs more than 14 times a month, they speak of the chronic nature of the disease, but usually the frequency of attacks in patients is in the range of 2-8 times a month. When the attacks come one after another at short intervals, during which there is an improvement in well-being, or one attack stretches for several days, they talk about migraine status.

Causes of an attack

Migraine pain can occur unexpectedly, and reach the peak in two hours, or in a very short time. The reasons for its appearance are individual for each person: the body can react to certain foods or smells, to a sudden fright or strong emotions (both positive and negative), to hunger or physical stress. As a rule, patients themselves notice the factors that work as a trigger for seizures. Sometimes unobvious or prolonged conditions become catalysts - lack of sleep or excess sleep, emotional stress or exhaustion, overwork, weather and climatic conditions, taking medications, changes in hormonal levels.

The nature and localization of migraine pain

As with the causes leading to an attack, everything here is very individual - this makes it difficult both to diagnose a specific case and to study the disease in principle. Most often, pain occurs in one part of the head - on the right or left lobe, in the back of the head, in the frontal or temporal region, but it can affect several parts at once, and in rare cases it fetters the whole head.

The nature of sensations is also different. Most often, patients note throbbing pain, but there are other sensations, such as bursting. Often, due to the high intensity of the attacks, a person cannot at all give a detailed description of his symptoms and is not even able to name the specific part of the head where the pain is localized. It is usually difficult to stop an attack with ordinary painkillers - stronger drugs or special anti-migraine medications are used for this. At the peak of an attack, pills may not help, as peristalsis is disturbed, the drugs do not reach the small intestine and are not absorbed.

Symptoms by which the disease is diagnosed

Despite the vastness of the manifestations, the disease still has specific signs. If the clinical picture does not meet the diagnostic criteria, then "migraine" is not set. In this case, a severe headache in a person is most likely caused by some other diseases or pathological processes in the body.

Mandatory symptoms for the diagnosis of "migraine":

if the attack is not stopped, it lasts from 4 to 72 hours;
the headache is concentrated in one part of the head (or at least its intensity is more in some specific area), is pulsating, moderate to severe, aggravated by ordinary physical or mental activity (walking, getting up from a place, counting in the mind);
the attack is accompanied by nausea/vomiting, photophobia, or hypersensitivity to sounds.

Additionally, symptoms such as excessive susceptibility to odors, weakness and lethargy, irritability, dizziness, pain spreading to one or both eyes may appear. Rarely, such a type of migraine as hemiplegic occurs - with it, muscle weakness and paresis of the extremities develop.

migraine with aura

Aura is a complex of neurological disorders that appear at the time of the onset of an attack or some time before it. This type of disease is much less common - about 20% of the total number of migraine sufferers. The most common are visual disturbances. There may be fog in the eyes or hallucinations in the form of static or moving points and lines, geometric shapes, blind spots in the image. Also, a person may incorrectly assess the distance, shape, position or color of objects, there is a feeling that you have to look through a veil or cracked glass.

Along with visual distortions, the aura can manifest itself as follows: auditory hallucinations, impaired taste perception and smell, strange tactile sensations (goosebumps, tingling and numbness), impaired speech, confusion. The aura should not last more than an hour, and all its manifestations should disappear with the onset or end of the headache - this is mandatory for diagnosing migraine aura.

Mechanisms of the onset of the disease

The first mention of migraine-like symptoms dates back to the 3rd millennium BC. e., but until now this disease remains a mystery to the medical community around the world. There are many theories about how and why an attack occurs, but scientists have not yet agreed on the causes of the onset of the disease.

It has been scientifically proven that migraine is a vascular headache, not tension pain, and it is associated with impaired vasomotor regulation, which is responsible for vascular tone. But what leads to these violations is the question. According to one version, before an attack, a person has a powerful release of serotonin. Vessels dilate, blood flow increases. Then the level of serotonin drops, to which the body reacts in the opposite way - the vessels narrow, and their walls begin to experience strong pressure from the volumetric amount of blood, which leads to pain.

Another hypothesis links the disease with the pathology of the trigeminal nerve. This theory is supported by the practice of performing operations that led to an improvement in the condition of patients. In order to reduce the impact on the nerve, Botox is injected under the skin of the face or the smallest muscles are removed. After such surgical interventions, migraines in patients become rarer and less intense or disappear altogether. There are other theories, but none of them can explain? by what mechanisms the disease develops - because of this, there is no single system for the treatment of migraine patients.

Treatment to date

The main treatment for this disease comes down to two things: finding and eliminating the factors that provoke an attack, and identifying drugs that can stop the pain. Patients should monitor their condition and notice what leads to the development of migraine, and the task of the doctor is to direct the patient in the right direction (in case he does not know what triggers he has) and give recommendations on how to alleviate or eliminate symptoms. Additional examinations, diet or drug therapy may be prescribed - all this in order to get a more detailed picture of a particular case of the disease.

At the peak of pain, a person's productivity drops until he completely disappears from life, so it is very important to find a way to stop the symptoms, and drugs are far from the only way out. Sleep helps someone, someone puts ice on the head or creates pressure on certain parts of the head - the ways to eliminate pain are varied and individual. The most effective way is to fight the attack in several ways at once - for example, take a pill, apply an ice pack and lie down in a quiet, dark and well-ventilated room.

Why You Shouldn't Postpone a Visit to the Doctor

Anyone who is familiar with migraine pain and has been diagnosed is unlikely to want to postpone the treatment of the disease on the back burner. You should not put up with this disease as a sentence, even though the causes of migraines have not yet been found. There are many innovative treatments that can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of seizures, and some are lucky enough to get rid of them altogether for good.

If you are tormented by severe headaches, but you still have not visited a doctor, then you should not delay a visit to a neurologist. Frequent and highly intense seizures can significantly reduce the quality of life and even lead to incapacity, which is considered disability. At the height of the attack, the risk of stroke increases significantly, and migraine is also on the list of frequent contraindications to taking many medications, such as hormonal contraceptives.

Migraine is a chronic neurological disease characterized by recurrent severe headache. A distinctive feature is that most often the pain extends to only one half of the head. This is a very common problem. It is found in 10% of people. Attacks can occur rarely - several times a year, but in most patients they occur 1-2 times a week.

The beautiful half of humanity often suffers from bouts of severe headaches. But many men also face this problem. Another name for migraine is the disease of aristocrats. It is believed that headaches are more likely to occur in people who are engaged in mental work.

What it is?

Migraine is a neurological disease, the most common and characteristic symptom of which is episodic or regular severe and painful attacks of headache in one (rarely in both) half of the head.

At the same time, there are no serious head injuries, stroke, brain tumors, and the intensity and pulsating nature of pain is associated with vascular headache, and not with tension headache. Migraine headache is not associated with an increase or a sharp decrease in blood pressure, an attack of glaucoma, or an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP).

The very first symptoms that resemble migraines were described by ancient healers from the time of the Sumerian civilization even before the birth of Christ in 3000 BC. A little later (about 400 AD) Hippocrates singled out migraine as a disease and described its signs. However, migraine owes its name to the ancient Roman doctor - Claudius Galen. In addition, he was the first to single out a feature of migraine - the localization of pain in one half of the head.

It is noteworthy that migraine often becomes a companion of geniuses. This disease, like no other, "loves" active and emotional people who prefer mental work. For example, such outstanding personalities as Pontius Pilate, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Edgar Poe, Karl Marx, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Julius Caesar, Sigmund Freud, Darwin, Newton suffered from it. Not bypassed migraine side and modern celebrities. Suffering from headaches, such famous personalities as Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Ben Affleck and others live and create.

Another interesting fact (although it has not been scientifically proven): people who strive for excellence are more likely to suffer from migraines. Such individuals are ambitious and ambitious, their brains are constantly working. It is not enough for them to do everything perfectly, they must be the best. Therefore, they are very responsible and conscientious about everything, they work "for themselves and for that guy." Basically, they are workaholics.

Mechanism of headache development in migraine

As you know, migraine is a special type of headache, the mechanism of development of which is unique and unlike any other. Therefore, most headache medications are ineffective for migraine.

A migraine attack occurs in several successive phases:

Spasm of the arterial vessels of the brain and the development of short-term hypoxia of the medulla. It is with this phase that the development of migraine aura is associated.
Then comes dilatation, or expansion, of all types of brain vessels (arteries, veins, venules, arterioles, and capillaries). At this stage, a typical throbbing headache develops.
Swelling of the walls of blood vessels and perivascular space develops, which causes their rigidity to signals for reverse narrowing. This phenomenon determines the duration of the migraine headache.
The last stage is characterized by the reverse development of migraine and is also called post-migraine syndrome. For some time after the cessation of pain, the patient may complain of general weakness, fatigue, a feeling of “staleness” in the head.

Despite the available data on the nature of migraine headache, new information appears every day, as this problem is actively studied by scientists around the world. For example, according to recent medical publications, the hypothalamus of the brain plays an important role in the pathogenesis of migraine, and this provides new opportunities for the invention of effective drugs for the treatment and prevention of migraine.

Causes of migraine

One of the mysteries is the causes of migraines. Based on long-term observations, it was possible to establish some regularities in the occurrence of seizures.

Migraine affects both men and women, but it occurs twice as often in women as in men. There is a dependence of the incidence of the disease on lifestyle, so it has been found that the most susceptible to migraines are socially active and ambitious people, professions that require high mental activity, as well as housewives. Extremely rare cases of migraine among people working professions, whose activities are associated with constant physical activity.

People suffering from migraine include many factors as the causes of migraine, but in fact, it was not possible to establish their direct influence on the development of an attack, therefore, such factors can only be considered predisposing, or a “starting moment” that works when the true cause of the disease appears. Migraine causes include:

Some types of products: hard aged cheeses, red wine, chocolate, mackerel fish, smoked products, coffee;
Stress or experienced psycho-emotional arousal .;
Certain types of medicines, such as oral contraceptives;
A sharp change in the weather (meteorological form of migraine);
Strong physical activity;
Premenstrual syndrome.

Usually, experienced patients know what exactly provokes a migraine attack in them, and try to eliminate the influence of this factor, so they manage to reduce the frequency of attacks, but not completely get rid of them.

Classification

Depending on the symptoms of migraine, the disease is divided into the following types:

hemiplegic (the ability to perform an action with a hand or foot is lost);
migraine status (lasting more than one day).
retinal (affects half of the head and the eye area, a sharp decrease in vision is possible);
basilar (occurs in young women, is fraught with a cerebral infarction in the absence of adequate treatment);
ophthalmic (affects the visual organs, overhanging of the eyelid, loss of visual function);
abdominal (often found in children, young men, accompanied by convulsions, abdominal pain);

In medical practice, there are also concepts of migraine with and without aura.

Without an aura, the patient has frequent headache attacks that can last from four hours to three days in a row. Pain is fixed in a specific part of the head (at a point). The pain is aggravated by physical activity, as well as by intense mental activity.

C aura is accompanied by a large number of complex, sometimes mixed symptoms that occur long before the attack or immediately with its onset.

migraine symptoms

The most basic symptoms of migraine in women and men are throbbing, paroxysmal pain in half of the head, lasting from 4 to 72 hours. When bending over, the pain intensifies - this is an excessive expansion of blood vessels.

A migraine attack may be preceded by an aura - various neurological symptoms: vestibular, motor, sensory, auditory, visual. The visual aura occurs more often than others, when a person sees a lot of bright flashes in the left or right field of vision, fragments of the field of vision fall out or objects are distorted.

So, the main symptoms of migraine are as follows:

Harbingers of a migraine are weakness, a feeling of unmotivated fatigue, inability to concentrate, and impaired attention. After attacks, a postdrome is sometimes observed - drowsiness, weakness, pallor of the skin.
Nausea is an important symptom that helps distinguish migraine pain from other types of pain. This symptom always accompanies attacks and is sometimes so pronounced that it comes to vomiting. At the same time, the patient's condition is subjectively relieved, for a few minutes it becomes easier for him. If vomiting does not bring relief, and the pain does not subside within a few days, then this may be a sign of migraine status and requires inpatient treatment.
The nature of migraine pain is different from other headaches - starting from the temple, throbbing and pressing pain gradually covers half of the head, spreading to the forehead and eyes.
In 10% of cases of migraine in women, it occurs during menstruation and lasts a day or two from its onset. One third of all women who have this disease suffer from menstrual migraine.
With migraine, there is always one or more accompanying symptoms - photophobia, nausea, vomiting, sound phobia, disturbances in smell, vision, or attention.
Oral contraceptives and other drugs that affect the hormonal balance, including hormone replacement therapy, can significantly increase the risk of an attack, in 80% of cases it increases its intensity.
The arteries in the temple area are tense and throbbing, pain and tension are aggravated by movement, so patients endure the principle in bed, in a quiet and dark room, in order to minimize the number of external stimuli.
Irritability, anxiety, fatigue, drowsiness, pallor or redness of the skin, anxiety and depression are symptoms associated with migraine that may or may not appear in each individual case.
Unilateral pain can alternate from attack to attack, covering either the left or the right side of the head or the occipital region.

According to a medical study, migraines are more common among women, with an average of 7 attacks per month versus 6 for men, with a duration of 7.5 hours for women and 6.5 hours for men. The causes of an attack in women are changes in atmospheric pressure, air temperature and other climate changes, and in men - intense physical activity. The symptoms associated with migraine also differ: women are more likely to experience nausea and olfactory disturbances, while men are more likely to experience photophobia and depression.

How to relieve pain at home?

With minor manifestations of migraine, you can relieve pain from an attack without medication, for which you need:

self-allowed "sleeping off";
cold and hot shower;
mimic gymnastics;
washing head;
head and neck massage;
acupuncture;
yoga classes;
homeopathy.

The simplest home remedy for migraine relief is over-the-counter analgesic tablets containing Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Aspirin, Paracetamol (the latter being the least effective), acting faster and stronger in "effervescent" forms.

To reduce the manifestations of nausea or vomiting, you can use antiemetics, including in the form of rectal suppositories. Antiemetics, facilitating the absorption of analgesics from the gastrointestinal tract, enhance their effect.

How to treat a migraine?

At home, the treatment of migraine involves 2 main areas - the relief of an attack that has already developed, and the prevention of the onset of attacks in the future.

Relief of an attack. Only a neurologist can prescribe any means for pain relief during a migraine attack, it depends on the intensity and duration. If the attack is of moderate or mild severity and lasts no more than 2 days, then the doctor prescribes simple analgesics, possibly combined.

Combined preparations containing codeine, paracetamol, phenobarbetal and metamizole sodium.
NSAIDs (ibuprofen), paracetamol (contraindicated in pathologies of the kidneys and liver), acetylsalicylic acid (can not be taken with a tendency to bleeding and with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract).
If the intensity of the pain is high, the duration of the attacks is more than 2 days, then triptans are prescribed for migraine (a list of all modern triptans, prices, how to take them correctly). They are available in suppositories, solutions, sprays, infections.
Non-selective agonists - Ergotamine, etc.
Auxiliary psychotropic drugs - domperidone, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine.

Triptans are drugs developed 20 years ago and are derivatives of serotonin. They act in several directions at once:

Triptans affect the vessels selectively, reducing the painful pulsation only in the brain, without affecting the rest of the vascular system of the body.
They affect only special producing substances (receptors) that provoke the appearance of pain, their number is reduced - the pain also goes away.
They have a pronounced analgesic effect, reducing the sensitivity of the trigeminal nerve.

With the classic version of migraine with aura, Papazol, taken in the first minutes, can help. A hot bath helps someone, the effect of cold helps someone, and the pressure chamber relieves the third.

Experimental treatments for migraine

Experimental methods include treatment with the help of hypnosis, electronic devices, and a special adhesive plaster. However, there is no evidence of their effectiveness and more research is needed.

In connection with the disturbance of cellular metabolism and activation of lipid peroxidation in the pathogenesis of migraine, along with the generally accepted drug treatment, it is pathogenetically justified to prescribe antioxidants and metabolic drugs that improve energy processes in cells and protect them from damage by free radicals (a combination of vitamins A, E, C, coenzyme Q10, antioxycaps, emoxipin).

For example, a study was recently published in which 1550 children and adolescents suffering from frequent migraine attacks took part. It showed that a number of patients had low plasma levels of coenzyme Q10, and that the recommendation to use dietary supplements containing coenzyme Q10 may lead to an improvement in some clinical signs. The authors concluded that an analysis with more scientifically sound methodology is required to confirm such observations.

In another study on 42 patients, the authors compared the effectiveness of taking coenzyme Q10 (300 mg / day) and placebo: coenzyme Q10 was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks, the duration of headache attacks and the duration of nausea attacks after 3 months of treatment. The authors assess coenzyme Q10 as an effective and well-tolerated means of preventing migraine manifestations.

A group of plastic surgeons at the University Hospitals of Cleveland have been working on the hypothesis for about a decade that in some cases the cause of recurrent headaches and migraines is irritation of the trigeminal nerve caused by spasm of the muscles around it. Research results have been published confirming the reduction or disappearance of headaches with Botox injection and surgical removal of the corresponding muscles.

Alternative treatments for migraine

Other ways to treat this disease:

Biofeedback. This is a special kind of relaxation with the help of special equipment. During the procedure, a person learns to control physiological responses to various influences, such as stress.
Acupuncture. Studies have shown that this procedure helps to cope with headaches of various origins, including migraine headaches. But acupuncture is only effective and safe if it is performed by a certified specialist using special sterile needles.
Cognitive behavioral therapy. Helps some people with migraines.
Massage. An effective means of prevention, helps to make migraine attacks more rare.
Herbs, vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements. Medications such as butterbur herb, feverfew, high doses of riboflavin (vitamin B2), coenzyme Q10, and magnesium help prevent and make migraine attacks more rare. But before using them, you should always consult with your doctor.

Prevention of migraine attacks

Follow a diet and diet, do not rush during a meal and do not snack on the go.
Engage in sleep hygiene, the duration of which should be 7-8 hours, where the daily “quiet hour” should be completely canceled. You need to go to bed in a calm, unirritated state at the same time (but not too early), it would also be good to get up at the same time.
Minimize stressful situations, always have at hand harmless means of dealing with them (valerian tablets, etc.), and also do not forget that in other cases it is advisable to resort to the help of a psychotherapist who will help you learn to control your behavior.
Do not get carried away with alcohol, nicotine and coffee, but if you can afford your favorite coffee drink no more than two cups a day (in the morning), then alcohol with tobacco products should be completely abandoned.
In no case do not ignore the use of medicinal prophylactic anti-migraine drugs prescribed by a doctor. They should also always be at hand.
It is not bad to periodically carry out spa treatment or treatment in a local dispensary, where you can get non-drug preventive measures (physiotherapy, massage of the collar zone, acupuncture).

We must agree that it is difficult to deal with migraine, but it is possible. Usually disciplined patients know everything about their illness and in most cases cope, although, of course, you will not envy them, you need to be on the alert all the time. “The road will be mastered by the walking one!” - said the ancients.

Forecast

With competent and complex therapy, the prognosis for such a disease is encouraging. The presence of the disease can be evidence of the development of serious ailments, including a cancerous tumor, abscess, inflammation of the brain, encephalitis, vascular aneurysms, hydrocephalus, etc.

The risk group of people who may experience migraines includes residents of large cities who lead a dynamic lifestyle and neglect rest, girls and women over the age of 20 (especially during menstruation), as well as people with a genetic predisposition to migraines.

For proper diagnosis and optimal treatment, it is necessary to seek help from a neurologist. Only an experienced doctor will be able to distinguish the signs of migraine from other syndromes with similar symptoms, and will also recommend a phased, effective therapy.

With migraine, the resulting headache has a throbbing character, while with tension pain it is stable.
The migraine only affects one side of the head.

Migraine pain worsens when you turn or move your head.
During a migraine, the sufferer becomes sensitive to sharp sounds and bright lights. Sometimes there is nausea and vomiting.

Varieties of migraine

In medicine, it is customary to distinguish between the following types of diseases:

Episodic, chronic or tension migraine. Headache is an episodic attack. They can happen once a year or happen several times in 1 week. The chronic form of the disease begins in adolescence and is a periodic bouts of headache. Over time, their frequency increases. Chronic, pain can be considered in the case when it bothers the patient for at least 10-15 days during the month. Most often, unpleasant sensations are caused by the frequent use of various painkillers, obesity and passion for drinks high in caffeine. Patients with a chronic disease are characterized by a depressive state.
Menstrual migraine. This condition directly depends on the woman's menstrual cycle. Most often, pain occurs before menstruation or on the first day of their onset. Hormonal fluctuations play a major role in this. Triptans help prevent migraine in this case.
Classic migraine. Usually it can begin with the main artery, which is located at the base of the skull and affects, as a rule, young people. Additional symptoms include: dizziness, loss of balance, ringing in the ears, and even loss of consciousness.

Abdominal migraine. This species occurs in children whose relatives suffer from this disease. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.
Ophthalmoplegic migraine. It is a rare species and differs from others in the concentration of pain in the eye area. This can cause vomiting, blurred vision, or paralysis of the muscles of the eye. These episodes can last up to several months. To rule out rupture of weakened blood vessels, your doctor may recommend a CT scan.

Retinal migraine. This variety may be accompanied by a headache or pass without it. The main symptoms include: a short-term decrease in vision or complete blindness in one of the eyes. The duration of the attack is at least 1 hour. At the same time, no changes were observed in the other eye.

The mechanism of occurrence of cervical migraine. It is also called vertebral artery syndrome.

vestibular migraine. This species is accompanied by dizziness and may develop without headache.
Familial hemiplegic migraine is a rare genetic disorder. The disease causes dizziness, blurred vision and temporary paralysis of one half of the body. Such symptoms appear 10-90 minutes before the onset of headache and usually disappear with its onset.
Status Migrainosus (migraine status). It is a rare, dangerous type of disease and requires immediate hospitalization of the patient.

Causes

Heredity is considered to be the main factor causing the disease. In 30% of cases, it is transmitted through the paternal line and in 72% through the maternal line. If seizures occur in both parents, then the probability of their occurrence in a child increases to 80%. With the first manifestations of the disease, a person occurs at the age of 18-40 years. But there are times when seizures can occur in five-year-old children. Children under 12 years of age, regardless of gender, are equally susceptible to such a headache. Periodic attacks will continue until about 45 years in men and the period of menopause in women. This is due to fluctuations in the hormone estrogen and progesterone.

The following factors can provoke the onset of an attack:

Decreased reactivity of arterioles.
Violation of blood circulation in the brain due to narrowing of the lumen of the alveoli.
Malfunctions of the nervous system, especially its central department.
Uneven narrowing or expansion of the vessels of the head.
Violation of serotonin metabolism.
Change in blood pressure.

Seizures can provoke mental or physical stress, lack of sleep, and stress. Not the last role in the occurrence of headaches is played by bad habits. Often complaints arise during a change in weather. With the onset of an attack, the patient is advised to limit the consumption of chocolate, fish, cheese and citrus fruits. In this case, the patient needs to pay attention to the amount of fluid he drinks, since dehydration can also lead to a migraine.

Signs of illness

The main manifestations of migraine include:

Before the onset of an attack, patients often report warning signs that include general weakness, feeling tired, pale skin, and difficulty concentrating.
Throbbing pain on one side. As a rule, it begins in the temple area and after a while covers the rest of the head. In some cases, the first manifestations of headache are more pronounced in the back of the head.

Sometimes it is possible to change the side of manifestation.
Migraine attacks are accompanied by nausea and vomiting, light and sound phobia.
Pain increases during movement.

These symptoms will always accompany an exacerbation of the disease. But there are also signs that may appear in some patients:

Increased fatigue.
Paleness or redness of the skin.
Anxiety.
Depressive state.
Increased irritability.

The frequency and intensity of seizures varies from person to person.

Consequences of the disease

Why is a migraine dangerous? In some cases, this condition can cause the appearance and development of other diseases and lead to complications.

A catastrophic form is considered a migraine stroke, which is characterized by neurological symptoms. In this case, the attacks are accompanied by flickering in the eyes. Tomography helps to determine the disease.
migraine status. The disease can be suspected if the headache does not stop for more than 3 days in a row. At the same time, it is very strong and almost non-stop. Migraine status is accompanied by vomiting, which leads to dehydration. Seizures are possible.

In order not to bring things to serious complications, we listen to the advice of a neurologist Mikhail Moiseevich Shperling, who will talk about methods for diagnosing a disease and what to do during an attack:

Risk of heart attack and stroke. A severe migraine headache can lead to stroke and heart problems.
Emotional disorders. Intense headache negatively affects the patient's quality of life, including work productivity and family relationships. This is due to the relationship of migraine, depression and anxiety.

Whatever type of migraine is observed, it requires mandatory treatment, which consists in stopping pain and preventing their occurrence between attacks.

Treatment

How to treat migraine attacks can be told by a neurologist after a detailed examination and determination of the causes of their occurrence. Treatment consists in the use of drugs:

Painkillers non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs ("Ibuprofen", "Paracetamol", "Aspirin").
Combined drugs, which include codeine, metamizole sodium and phenobarbital.

Triptans are indicated for intense and prolonged attacks. Such drugs reduce the level of serotonin, which affects the development of headaches. Their advantages include: high efficiency in arresting an attack, the absence of a sedative effect and a quick elimination from the body.
Non-selective agonists such as "Ergotamine". Such drugs relieve tension in smooth muscles. Side effects include: a negative effect on the condition of blood vessels, toxicity, the possibility of scarring around the heart and lungs. They are contraindicated for use by pregnant women, elderly patients and those who have problems in the functioning of internal organs.
Psychotropic drugs as adjuvant therapy. These include "Morphine", "Demerol", "OxyContin". Among the side effects that their use can lead to include: drowsiness, loss of consciousness, constipation.

Medicines for nausea. In combination with other drugs, Reglan and other drugs are prescribed to improve the absorption of migraine remedies.
Beta blockers. Their main purpose is to lower blood pressure. Some of these drugs have proven effective for headaches: Anaprilin, Lopressor, Tenormin, etc. Side effects of such drugs include: feeling tired, depression, dizziness.

Anticonvulsants. They are able to prevent bipolar disorders and epileptic seizures. These include: "Valproic acid", "Topamax". Side effects of these medications can include: diarrhea, hair loss, drowsiness, weight gain, dizziness, tingling in the limbs, blurred vision.
Antidepressants - "Triciklix", "Effexor".

What drugs to use, only a doctor can determine.

Prevention and non-drug treatment

Almost any disease can be prevented by using prevention methods. How to prevent migraines and what to do if the headache has already started? Organize a healthy diet, start getting enough sleep, exercise and pay attention to non-drug ways:

Behavioral therapy is able to counter muscle contractions and uneven blood supply to the brain. Such prophylaxis is especially useful for children, pregnant women and those who are contraindicated in drugs used to treat the disease.
Complete sleep. People who don't get enough sleep often experience debilitating headaches, including migraines.
Complete nutrition and restriction of certain products. The occurrence of headaches is affected by the frequent use of: monosodium glutamate, sulfites, cheeses, caffeine, dried fruits, smoked meats, chocolate and alcohol. It is also important not to allow a long break between meals. This leads to lower blood sugar levels and can lead to dizziness and migraines.

Relaxation. This method includes relaxation techniques and deep breathing. It is noted that such techniques, in combination with a cold compress on the head, relieve headache attacks.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps you identify stressful situations and deal with them.
Alternative and traditional medicine.

There are herbal preparations and nutritional supplements, which are also referred to as methods of preventing and getting rid of headaches. These include:

Magnesium and vitamin B2. These substances lead to vascular relaxation and are safe for most patients.
Fish fat. The fatty acids it contains have anti-inflammatory and soothing effects. They are found in large quantities in fatty varieties of sea fish - salmon, sardines, etc.
Ginger. It can be used fresh or dry. Ginger is added to tea and various dishes. However, it may not be safe for children and pregnant women, so you should consult your doctor before using it.

It is impossible to completely cure migraine, but with the right approach to disease prevention and interictal therapy, you can successfully avoid its development and prevent further complications.

Migraine is a disease accompanied by attacks of intense headaches. This state proceeds quite brightly, specifically.

This is far from a new disease - there are references to attacks of severe headache in ancient treatises, manuscripts, and historical records. The very same word "migraine" is of French origin, where it came from the ancient Greek language.

It is translated as "half of the head", reflecting the very essence of this ailment.

Prevalence

Migraine is a chronic disease that occurs mainly in the female part of the world's population. However, cases of its occurrence in men can not be called a rarity either.

The disease can remind of itself quite rarely (several episodes per year), and proceed relatively easily. But it also happens that migraine attacks happen daily, and the intensity of their manifestation is so high that a person cannot think of anything but an unbearable headache. Most often, such an ailment reminds of itself 2-8 times a month.

Specific therapy is not a cheap pleasure, so most patients come to be content with only symptomatic treatment. But the worst thing is that constant migraine attacks can lead to partial or prolonged loss of working capacity, which sometimes even causes the patient to become disabled.

Causes of migraine

Scientists have not yet been able to establish the exact causes of migraine. However, on the basis of centuries-old observations, some patterns of this pathology were recorded.

Thus, it has been established that, first of all, people who are intellectually developed and mentally active suffer from migraine attacks. That is, people who work more with their heads than with their hands. Persons whose work is associated with high physical activity suffer from migraines extremely rarely. And although many people try to explain the attacks of this disease by various factors, it was not possible to confirm the correctness of their guesses.

Common causes of migraine include:

the use of certain foods: hard aged cheeses, chocolate, red wine, mackerel fish, coffee, smoked products, etc .;
stress, psycho-emotional shocks, mental stress;
taking certain groups of medications (for example, hormonal contraceptives);
weather dependence;
intense, even excessive physical activity;
PMS in women.

Usually, “experienced” patients know exactly what exactly provokes a migraine attack in them and, if possible, try to exclude the influence of this factor on their body. However, this approach can only reduce the frequency of recurrence of the disease, but it is completely impossible to get rid of it in this way.

migraine symptoms

Migraine is accompanied by pressing, throbbing headaches in one side of the head. In this case, pain can capture the forehead, temple, eye. Sometimes pain can begin from the back of the head, gradually spreading to other areas of the right or left side of the head.

The localization of pain is also unstable. So, if at the current time it arose in the left side of the head, then, most likely, next time it will be localized in the right. If each time the pain syndrome affects only one part of the head, then it is necessary to undergo an examination by a doctor in order to exclude the possibility of an organic brain lesion.

Prodromal symptoms such as decreased concentration and general weakness may indicate a migraine attack. The postdromal state (malaise that occurs after the end of a migraine attack) is accompanied by general weakness, a feeling of weakness, drowsiness, yawning, and pallor of the skin.

Migraine often entails nausea, photophobia, fear of sharp and loud sounds. There is a deterioration or complete loss of appetite. In this case, the headache becomes more intense when standing up or walking.

In children, a migraine attack is accompanied by drowsiness. After the child sleeps a little, the pain goes away.

Migraine is directly related to the female genital organs. That is why seizures often occur in the fairer sex during PMS and menstruation. As a rule, menstrual migraine begins 48 hours after the start of menstruation. In addition, hormonal contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can cause or aggravate an attack of intense headache.

According to its clinical course, migraine is:

Vegetative or panic. In this case, migraine is accompanied by chills, increased heart rate, watery eyes, a feeling of suffocation and swelling of the face.
Associative. Such a migraine is characterized by the transition of a headache paroxysm to a neurological deficit. This form of the pathological process is characterized by the occurrence of cerebellar, aphatic, ophthalmoplegic and hemiplegic migraine.
Cathemenal (menstrual). The name speaks for itself - such migraines occur during the menstrual period in women. This ailment is associated with a decrease in the level of estrogen in the blood in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
Chronic. In this case, headache attacks occur for 15 days for 1 month or more, for 3 months, or even longer. Gradually, the number of attacks increases, and eventually, they begin to appear daily. Along with this, the intensity of the headache also increases.

There are 2 more types of migraine.

Migraine with aura is characterized by the occurrence of transient, visual, speech, sensory and motor disorders. A variation of this pathological condition is basilar migraine.

Sleep migraine is characterized by the occurrence of an attack of headache at night, or in the morning, after waking up.

Diagnosis

If migraines began to recur frequently, it is imperative to contact a specialist - a neuropathologist. Diagnosis is based on the collection of anamnesis and a general examination of the patient.

It is important to understand that recurring headache attacks may indicate the presence of a brain tumor or vascular malformation. For the latter, developmental anomalies are characteristic, under the influence of which the functions of blood vessels are disrupted, and negative changes occur in their structure.

Since migraine is a very serious pathological condition, it is important to take into account the data of instrumental diagnostic methods. In order to determine the causes of this ailment, MRI, CT of the brain, and EEG are performed.

Treatment

Migraine treatment should be carried out in two directions:

Relief of the developed attack.
Prevention of recurrence of headache.

Relief of an attack

The patient should take only those drugs that he was prescribed by the attending neurologist. If the attack proceeds with moderate intensity and lasts no longer than 2 days, then the doctor may resort to prescribing analgesic drugs, including combined ones.

So, the following groups of medications well eliminate an attack of headaches:

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) -, (can not be used for diseases of the liver and kidneys), aspirin (strictly contraindicated in pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract and a tendency to bleeding).
Combined drugs based on codeine, paracetamol, phenobarbital and metamizole sodium.
Triptans are prescribed for headaches of high intensity and duration of more than 2 days. They are available in the form of suppositories, sprays, injections, etc.
Non-selective agonists (for example, Ergotamine).
Psychotropic drugs (as an auxiliary method of therapy) - Domperidone, Chlorpromazine, etc.

Triptans are medications belonging to the group of serotonin derivatives. Their mechanism of action has several directions:

reduce the sensitivity of the trigeminal facial nerve, thereby providing an analgesic effect;
affect the vessels selectively, therefore, only the pulsation in the brain area is eliminated;
have an effect exclusively on pain receptors, reducing their number, due to which pain is stopped.

With migraine with aura, the drug helps well. But it must be taken as soon as the first pain sensations arise.

Experimental treatments for migraine

Modern experimental methods of treating migraine involve hypnosis sessions, the use of special patches and the use of electronic devices. But the effectiveness of such therapeutic approaches has not yet been confirmed, so they need to be investigated more thoroughly.

Since in the pathogenesis of migraine a special place is given to a violation of cellular metabolism and activation of lipid peroxidation, along with conventional drug therapy, the patient should be prescribed drugs with antioxidant and metabolic properties. They improve the energy processes in the cells of the body, while protecting them from the damaging effects of free radicals.

A few years ago, a scientific study was published, which involved about 1550 children and teenagers who had frequent bouts of intense headaches. When conducting a biochemical study of blood plasma, scientists revealed a deficiency in patients of coenzyme Q10. They came to the conclusion that the use of dietary supplements based on this substance will help alleviate some of the symptoms of the pathology.

In another experiment, which involved 42 people, scientists compared the effectiveness of the introduction of coenzyme Q10 at a dose of 300 mg per day with the effectiveness of a placebo. The study found that coenzyme Q10 was more effective than the placebo method, and that it reduced the intensity of migraine headaches and nausea after 3 months from the start of treatment.

A group of US plastic surgeons have been working on the theory for 10 years that migraine attacks are often caused by spasm of the muscles around the trigeminal nerve. As a result, they managed to prove that Botox injections help reduce pain, and the operation to remove the affected muscles completely eliminates unpleasant symptoms.

Compliance with a ketogenic diet also helps to reduce the intensity of clinical manifestations of cluster migraine.

What to do at home?

It will not be possible to completely cure a migraine, but it is possible to reduce its intensity and reduce the frequency of attacks. To do this, you must follow these recommendations:

To refuse from bad habits. Alcohol and nicotine have a detrimental effect on blood vessels and the entire body as a whole.
Develop a work and rest schedule. Constant overstrain of the brain leads to spasm of blood vessels, which causes intense cephalalgia. In addition, prolonged sitting with the head tilted leads to cervical osteochondrosis and pinching of the facial nerves. This, in turn, can also cause migraines.
Minimize your intake of caffeinated beverages. They make the heart work “idle”, and also negatively affect the functioning of the nervous system.
Reduce consumption, and it is better - and completely eliminate - from the diet of all harmful products. A diet dominated by easily digested foods significantly reduces the frequency of migraine attacks.
Provide normal lighting, give the brain relaxation and rest, walk more often in the fresh air and lead a physically active lifestyle. If you limit yourself in all of the above points, then bouts of intense headaches will become your constant companions.

How to relieve migraine pain?

In the treatment of migraine, it is taken into account how and how much the pain syndrome affects the quality of life of a person. For this, a special scale MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment Scale) was developed. It is based on 3 aspects that are most affected by headaches:

study and work;
housework and family life;
sports and social activities.

At the same time, it is necessary to take into account the period of time for which a person loses working capacity in the above areas due to headache attacks. This scale divides migraines into 4 degrees of severity:

In the first degree, headaches are not too pronounced, so they do not interfere with full-fledged life. Patients rarely go to the doctor, using folk methods of dealing with pain. Of the medications, non-narcotic analgesics (Analgin, Baralgin), NSAIDs (drugs based on ibuprofen), antispasmodics (, Combispasm, etc.) successfully stop an attack of cephalalgia.
The second degree is characterized by moderate severity of headaches. In this case, normal life activity is slightly disturbed. Under such circumstances, drugs from the NSAID group are prescribed, or combined painkillers: Spazmalgon, Pentalgin, Tempalgin, etc. In case of severe headache and difficulties in adapting to environmental conditions, triptans are prescribed: Amigrenin, Imigran, Zomig, etc.
3-4 degrees of migraine are accompanied by pronounced bouts of cephalalgia. In this case, they immediately resort to the appointment of triptans, but sometimes the drug Zaldiar can be prescribed. It contains the potent analgesic element tramadol and the anti-inflammatory component paracetamol. For severe and persistent pain, patients are prescribed hormonal drugs (Dexamethasone). Nausea and vomiting are controlled with antiemetic drugs - Cerucal, Metoclopramide, Domperidone, etc. They are taken approximately 20 minutes before the use of NSAIDs or triptans.

Triptan drugs are the most popular in the fight against migraine. They are designed specifically for the treatment of headaches with this ailment. The effectiveness of the drug will be stronger if taken at the very beginning of the development of an attack.

At the first manifestations of pain, take 1 tablet. If the symptom receded, then after about 2 hours, the person will return to working capacity.
If after 2 hours the pain has become less noticeable, but has not completely disappeared, you should take another pill. At the next attack, it is recommended to drink 2 tablets at once.

If the drug was used in a timely manner, but did not have the desired effect, you should consult a doctor. He will select a stronger and more suitable medication.

Triptans are divided into 2 generations:

The first generation drugs are based on sumatriptan. The release forms are different: tablets (Amigrenin, Migran, etc.), candles (Trimigren), spray (Imigran).
The second-generation triptans are naratriptan (Naramig) and zolmitriptan (Zolmig). This group is characterized by higher efficiency and low risk of adverse reactions.

It is important to select drugs individually for each patient. If this can be done, in the future the patient should take only "his" remedy for migraine.

Folk remedies

Alternative medicine also gives good results in the treatment of migraine. The means used for this purpose can also be divided into 2 groups:

drugs for stopping cephalalgia immediately at the time of the development of an attack;
means of preventive therapy aimed at preventing the recurrence of migraine.

To normalize well-being during an attack, you must:

attach a cabbage or burdock leaf to the forehead, then tightly rewind it with a bandage;
soak a piece of cotton wool in beet or onion juice, then place it in the ear (be careful - it can cause a burn!);
attach an onion or lemon cut in half to the temples or forehead;
inhale vapors of ammonia and camphor spirits, taken in equal proportions;
make hot foot baths with the addition of a small amount of dry mustard powder;
conduct an aromatherapy session using lemon, pine, mint or lavender essential oil;
inhale a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar heated to the optimum temperature (not boiling!);
take a warm bath with the addition of a decoction of the roots of valerian officinalis;
drink a quarter cup of raw potato juice. This recipe helps prevent further deterioration of well-being at the very beginning of a migraine attack.

Below are a few recipes that have been used for a long time. They are not aimed at stopping, but at preventing migraine attacks in the future.

Mix equal proportions of motherwort herb and peppermint. Pour 1 tablespoon of dry raw materials with 500 ml of boiling water and let it brew for 2 hours. Strain the finished medicine and drink in small sips for 1 day.
Take 1 part of primrose roots, peppermint leaves, mountain lavender flowers, valerian root and rosemary leaves. Brew 1 tablespoon of the mixture with 250-300 ml of boiling water and let it brew until it cools completely. It is good to filter, and take 400 ml of infusion per day.
With weak manifestations of seizures, you should drink the next cocktail for several days in a row. To prepare it, take a chicken egg and beat it into a glass of hot, just boiled milk. Mix well and drink at a time.
Every morning, before breakfast, drink 1 glass of whey or buttermilk.
Three times a day, take a quarter cup of blackcurrant juice. You can make a juice smoothie by mixing 3 parts carrot juice and 1 part each spinach and dandelion juice.

Do not choose a folk remedy based on the words of friends who claim that it helped them. What works well for one person will make it worse for another, so even traditional medicine recipes must be selected individually.

Migraine Prevention

It is quite possible to prevent frequent outbreaks of migraine attacks. For this it is important:

eliminate the impact on the body of irritating factors;
avoid prolonged sitting in front of a TV screen or computer monitor;
reduce the duration of telephone conversations to a minimum;
alternate physical activity with proper rest;
eat properly and nutritiously;
keep a diary in which the following will be noted: the intensity of pain, the duration and frequency of migraine attacks, the effectiveness of the medications taken;
take medicines containing magnesium and B vitamins;
take drugs from the category of adrenergic blockers (for example, propranolol, beta-blocker), anticonvulsants (topiramate), antidepressants (venlafaxine).

Treatment of migraine is a complex process, but an attack can be overcome or prevented. The main thing is not to let the situation take its course. Pain cannot be tolerated, because it not only affects everyday life, but can also significantly harm your health!

Migraine is a chronic neurological disease that is accompanied by headaches and disorders in the digestive and nervous systems. As a rule, migraine attacks differ in different frequency.

Headache is considered a characteristic symptom of this neurological disease. Other associated symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sound and photophobia. So, people who are often bothered by such signs know what a migraine is.

Headaches most often develop in women (accounting for 18%). Less often such complaints are presented by men (6%).

It is believed that migraine, the signs of which can be observed in adolescents and children, manifests itself mainly by the age of 35. According to statistics, only 5% of older people suffer from such attacks.

Migraine is a hereditary disease. Thus, the presence of migraine attacks in both parents increases the likelihood of such attacks in a child by 60-90%; if the baby's mother suffers from pathology - 70%, and manifestations in the father increase the risk of morbidity by 20%. Thus, it can be concluded that the disease is transmitted through the maternal line.

Clinical picture

The symptoms of such a neurological pathology as migraine include the following manifestations:

Some cases of migraine attacks are accompanied by gastrostasis, which is explained by the stagnation of the contents of the stomach due to a decrease in peristalsis. Such facts become the reason that drugs taken during an attack cannot reach the small intestine, which means that they are practically not absorbed in the body.

With migraine headaches are often unilateral (although they can spread to both sides), and are often localized in the upper jaw and in the eye area. Moreover, the discomfort is pulsatile and can be exacerbated by the slightest stimulus, whether it be smells, light effects, or noise.

The main symptoms of a neurological disease are nausea and vomiting, which cannot bring relief. In addition, some cases may be accompanied by numbness, weakness and paresthesia of the limbs, as well as impaired speech. These signs precede the headache and form the so-called aura, foreshadowing the onset of a migraine attack.

A few tens of minutes or 2-3 hours - this is the duration of a standard seizure. In this case, a condition that lasts 2-3 days is called migraine status.

Migraine and its types

The following types of this neurological disease are distinguished in the classification:

classic migraine, accompanied by an aura that occurs before an attack in 10-30 minutes);
a seizure without an aura, which is called a regular migraine.

As a rule, changes in the sensory aura, as well as neurological status, occur shortly before the attack.

Among other varieties of the disease, the following are noted:

which is episodic and chronic. In this case, headaches appear from time to time at different intervals (once a year or several times a week). Some patients may experience migraines of a current or chronic nature (previously they were called transformed). Usually, the manifestation of such an ailment at the age of 20 or adolescence begins with episodic headaches, which become more frequent over time. Cephalgia, which occurs almost daily, is called chronic.

The sale of over-the-counter pain medications sometimes leads to the abuse of analgesics and, as a result, to persistent migraines. Additional factors (such as being overweight or consuming large amounts of caffeine) may increase the likelihood of episodic seizures becoming chronic. Sometimes it is quite difficult to make a differential diagnosis between chronic migraine and intense pain in the head. After all, such options for unpleasant sensations can be combined with each other. In such cases, discomfort in one half of the head is accompanied by disturbances in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract in the form of nausea and vomiting, which are characteristic of the chronic form of the disease. Most patients who suffer from persistent seizures are prone to depression.
Menstrual migraine. Most women report migraine attacks on the eve of menstruation or in the first days. Of no small importance are the quantitative fluctuations of progesterone and estrogen. If we compare this type of migraine with the standard one, it can be noted that the menstrual type of pathology is much longer, is not accompanied by an aura, and proceeds in a more severe form. Timely intake of triptans can bring relief, and sometimes prevent this kind of pain.
Classic migraine. It is a subtype of neurological disease with aura. First, discomfort occurs in the back of the head, then spread to other areas of the head. The classic type of pathology affects mainly young people. Symptoms include speech disturbance, tinnitus, ataxia, dizziness, loss of consciousness, and severe cephalalgia.
Often this type of ailment affects children with a history of a family history of a similar neurological disease. Paroxysmal headaches are accompanied by discomfort in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting.
Eye migraine. This variant of migraine headache may be accompanied by short-term blind spots or complete loss of vision in one eye for an hour or less. In addition, such a condition is accompanied by a headache, which may precede the aforementioned symptoms. However, some cases resolve without cephalalgia.
Ophthalmoplegic migraine. Adults often suffer from this type of disease. Attacks are characterized by the appearance of pain in the periorbital region of less intensity compared to standard migraine. In parallel with this symptom, double vision, paralysis of the eye muscles, and vomiting may occur. The duration of attacks ranges from several hours to 2-3 months. For differential diagnosis, CT (computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is used, during which the presence of hemorrhage from the aneurysm to the brain is excluded.
It is a disease that is characterized by recurrent dizziness, occurring as the only symptom, or in combination with headaches and signs inherent in migraine.
Migrainos status. This form has a rather serious prognosis and a long course. The best option for treatment is a hospital.
Familial hemiplegic migraine. This type of disease is considered a rare hereditary disease. It is characterized by the appearance of episodic paralysis of one half of the body, visual impairment and dizziness. The occurrence of such signs manifests itself 10-90 minutes before the development of cephalalgia.

Symptoms

A typical migraine attack consists of four phases: prodrome, aura, direct seizure and postdrome.

Prodromal signs

The first stage is characterized by vague symptoms that precede the attack by several days or hours. Among them are the following:

aura signs

Only one patient out of five notes the appearance of a sensory aura that precedes a migraine attack. Visually, it is divided into positive and negative:

In addition, during a migraine attack, mixed auras can also be observed, which are described by patients in the form of an acute-angled fortress with a rather dark center.

The seizure may be accompanied by the simultaneous development of other neurological manifestations, expressed as:

speech disorders;
disorders of perception, namely distortions of dimensions and space;
paresthesia of the limbs;
confusion of consciousness.

Clinical manifestations of a migraine attack

In the absence of therapy, this condition can drag on for 4-72 hours.

The classic fit appearsthe following signs:

nausea, vomiting;
unilateral cephalgia of a pulsating nature, which can spread to the entire head;
visual disturbances and various hallucinations;
blanching and feeling cold;
facial tingling or numbness;
increased sensitivity to sound and light effects.

Rare symptoms of a migraine include redness of one eye, swelling of the eyelids, and rhinitis.

Postdromal features

As a rule, the migraine attack ends with the postdrome phase. Often during this period there is a blurred consciousness.

You should think about the severity of the disease when certain symptoms occur. At the same time, the absence of neurological manifestations in headache is not a characteristic sign of a volumetric process in the main organ of the CNS. In addition, episodic cephalgia does not always indicate malignant hypertension or cerebrovascular disorders.

The presence of chronic migraine headache can mask serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. The only right decision in this situation is to contact a specialist at the slightest change in the nature of cephalalgia or other signs.