With migraine, pain is localized in one half of the head, including in the forehead

Migraine. . . This word is associated in most people with an unbearable headache. However, it should be understood that migraine is an independent neurological disease, headache in which it is the main, but not the only symptom. In addition to headache, migraine is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, intolerance loud sounds and bright light, smells, and in some cases a range of other neurological symptoms. There is currently no cure for migraines. There are treatments available to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks to zero. About what characterizes migraine, how it proceeds, what methods of treatment exist, we will talk in this article.

Prevalence of migraine

Why is there so much talk about migraines? This is due to the significant prevalence of the disease among the entire population of the planet. On average, according to statistics, migraine affects about 10-12% of the population globe. These are the people who regularly suffer from migraine attacks. It is believed that about 80% of the population suffers such an attack once during their life. And the Europeans even calculated the annual losses due to this disease. They amounted to 111 billion euros. Impressive, isn't it? And although no one in Russia counted the losses, the numbers would probably be shocking. That is why migraine issues are so relevant in our time.

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

1. Migraine pain worsens when you turn or move your head.
2. 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. chronic view disease begins at adolescence and is recurrent headaches. 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. Often discomfort causes frequent use various painkillers, obesity and addiction to drinks with high content caffeine. For patients with chronic disease characteristic depression.
• Menstrual migraine. This state is directly related to menstrual cycle women. Most often, pain occurs before menstruation or on the first day of their onset. main role they play it hormonal fluctuations. 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. To additional symptoms include: dizziness, loss of balance, ringing in the ears and even loss of consciousness.

• Abdominal migraine. This type occurs in children whose relatives suffer from this disease. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.
• Ophthalmoplegic migraine. Represents rare view and differs from others in the concentration of pain in the region of the eye. This can cause vomiting, blurred vision, or paralysis of the muscles of the eye. These episodes can last up to several months. To prevent rupture of weakened blood vessels, your doctor may advise you to do 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). Represents a rare dangerous view disease and requires immediate hospitalization of the patient.

Causes

Heredity is considered to be the main factor sickening. 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:

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

Seizures can provoke mental or physical stress, lack of sleep, and stress. play an important role in causing headaches 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 note the precursors, which are 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:

1. Increased fatigue.
2. Paleness or redness skin.
3. Anxiety.
4. Depressive state.
5. 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 the relief of pain and the prevention of 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 is to use medicines:

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

1. 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.
2. Non-selective agonists such as "Ergotamine". Such medicines 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.
3. 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.

1. Nausea drugs. In combination with other drugs, Reglan and other drugs are prescribed to improve the absorption of migraine remedies.
2. Beta blockers. Their main purpose is to lower blood pressure. Some of these drugs have proven effective for headaches: Anaprilin, Lopressor, Tenormin, etc. To side effects such means should include: feeling of fatigue, depression, dizziness.

1. Anticonvulsants. They are able to warn bipolar disorder and epileptic seizures. These include: "Valproic acid", "Topamax". By-effect from such drugs may manifest as: diarrhea, hair loss, drowsiness, weight gain, dizziness, tingling in the limbs, blurred vision.
2. 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 preventive measures. How to prevent migraines and what to do if the headache has already started? Organize healthy eating, start getting enough sleep, playing sports and pay attention to non-drug ways:

• Behavioral therapy can help 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.

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

1. Magnesium and vitamin B2. These substances lead to vascular relaxation and are safe for most patients.
2. Fish fat. It contains fatty acid have anti-inflammatory and soothing effects. AT in large numbers they are contained in fatty varieties sea ​​fish– salmon, sardines, etc.
3. 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.

There is no cure for migraines, but right approach to the prevention of the disease and interictal therapy, it is possible to successfully avoid its development and prevent further complications.

The causes of migraine are different from those that cause headaches, although they are classified as neurological diseases.

Who is at risk, what can provoke this disease and what symptoms occur in this case, read further in the article.

Migraines can be caused by any stressful condition such as physical or emotional stress. The disease can develop as a result of hunger or the use of products containing phenylethylamine and tyramine (champagne, citrus fruits, cocoa, etc.).

The main provocateurs of migraine are:

Common causes of malaise

To date, doctors cannot explain how migraine pain appears. Until recently, migraine was considered vascular pathology, after all, during an attack, the vessels that are in the hard shell of the brain expand.

Causes of occurrence:

1. Violation of serotonin metabolism, which can narrow tubular formations and send signals to all organs.
2. Uneven expansion of the vessels of the main organ of the central nervous system, which negatively affects neighboring cells. The amount of blood the brain tissue receives is insufficient.
3. Genetic predisposition plays important role. Approximately 70% of people suffering from migraine said that this neurological disease was inherited by them.
4. Nervous disorders and metabolic disorders.

Migraine attacks are usually preceded by symptoms that each person manifests differently. The main symptoms of the disease are dizziness, nausea, lethargy, drowsiness. Some have trembling and goosebumps. These alarming manifestations can disturb about an hour and a half before the onset of an attack.

The likelihood of such symptoms is higher in people who active image life, rapidly moving towards the goal and constantly holding back their positive and negative emotions.

Another group of people prone to migraine is people who constantly do something under duress. Hating what you reluctantly do can easily lead to another bout of severe headache.

According to medical research The genetic factor plays an important role in the development of migraine.

The Importance of Serotonin

For vasoconstriction and transmission nerve impulses serotonin is responsible in the human body. A sharp increase in the amount of such a substance in the brain entails such a phenomenon as vasospasm. This is considered a sure sign of the onset of a migraine attack. Symptoms begin to develop in the area of ​​​​the main organ of the central nervous system, where the spasm occurred. Why does pain occur if there are no pain receptors in the vessels inside the brain? The point is that the body defensive reaction on the elevated level serotonin in the blood and begins to release substances that can break it down. When the amount of this neurotransmitter also sharply decreases, the vascular tone also changes.

In turn, the blood flow through the superficial temporal arteries becomes slower, due to which they expand. Inside the vessels are receptors that generate pain sensations. When the level of serotonin returns to normal, the attack stops.

Hypothalamus and migraine

Not so long ago, researchers discovered a link between emerging migraine headaches and the hypothalamus. This is the site of the main organ of the central nervous system responsible for the functioning of the endocrine system. The Department diencephalon also controls the work of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. This also includes information about emotional state, thirst, cold, heat, hunger and other irritants that can cause an attack of severe headache.

/ The results of studies have shown that the activity of the hypothalamus is directly related to migraine. In the future, drugs should appear that will help fight this condition.

genetic predisposition

The hereditary factor is the most common cause of a neurological disease. If the disease is transmitted through the paternal line, the probability of developing this pathology in a child is 30%, maternal - 70%. In the case when both parents suffer from migraine, the risk of such a disease in a child rises to 80%.

As a rule, the first attack can appear at the age of 18-40 years. Although there are cases reported when children as young as 5 suffer from migraine. Until the age of 12, there is no difference in the course of this disease in girls and boys.

In women, migraine attacks stop at the onset of menopause, and in men - at the age of 45. This is explained by the relationship between the level of estrogen, which provokes a state of excitation, and progesterone, the hormone responsible for inhibition. During childbirth, a woman's body often experiences disruptions in the endocrine system, which provokes the development of the disease.

Other factors

Migraine affects people who are in constant nervous tension or experiencing excessive physical exertion. In addition, bad habits can also cause an attack. Alcoholic drinks, long stay among people who smoke in indoors All of these can lead to migraines.

The provoking factor is also abrupt change weather or a trip that involves a completely different climate.

Among other causes of the disease, note external stimuli: bright light, pungent odors and loud sounds.

When the first signs of a migraine appear, it is necessary to eliminate cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits and fish from your diet.

It is important to ensure drinking enough. Dehydration can cause migraine headaches.

Dream- one of important factors. Lack or excess of this physiological state can also cause the development of the disease.

Among women

Attacks of this kind hereditary disease more often disturb the representatives of the weaker sex. Every month during menstruation hormonal background changes, because women are faced with the appearance of a migraine headache that does not go away within a few days. Can be a provocateur contraceptives containing hormones.

Those to whom a similar ailment was transmitted by inheritance, suffer especially hard. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are periods when migraine worsens. In addition, a woman who has recently given birth internal organs displaced, which entails a change in blood flow.

Climax can also cause the development of a neurological disease, since this period is characterized by hormonal changes organism.

The main feature of a woman lies in her impressionability and emotionality. Unlike men, the fairer sex can panic over every little thing.

Women are also more sensitive to smells, because a sharp unpleasant "aroma" is a migraine provocateur.

Prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position during sleep will result in a migraine headache for a woman in the morning.

In men

For representatives of the strong half of humanity, this problem is less acute.

As a rule, the first signs of migraine are observed in 40-year-old men. The pain is growing. Often this condition is accompanied by nausea, weakness, drowsiness, increased irritability and aggressive behavior.

It also appears due to psycho-emotional stress and systematic violation daily routine. The development of the disease can cause a move to another city or, for example, a sharp change in weather. Some medicines ("Reserpine", "Nitroglycerin", "Ranitidine") are also provoking factors for migraine headaches.

Men give a lot of effort to work, take responsibility for solving various production issues. There is often not enough time to replenish the reserves of internal energy. The body is exhausted, which causes the development of a disease such as migraine.

Not the last place in the list of causes of severe headaches in men is occupied by alcoholic beverages and tobacco.

Teenagers

As a rule, it is inherited. Hormonal changes the child is more likely to develop migraine headaches. During this period, you should not load your son or daughter with studies, because mental stress can lead to nervous breakdowns, and this, in turn, will negatively affect the developing body.

Migraine attacks sometimes appear in adolescents due to an unfavorable emotional atmosphere that develops within the family. It is important to calm the child and help relieve stress.

Outcome

A neurological disease such as migraine is easier to deal with when the causes of its occurrence are known. Properly plan your day, follow the rules of healthy lifestyle and stay healthy!

Migraine- a paroxysmal disease characterized by repeated headache from 4 to 72 hours, often accompanied by visual and gastrointestinal symptoms. It is an independent nosological form. The term " migraine"has an extraordinary linguistic fate. To describe recurrent unilateral pain, Galen introduced Greek word « hemicramia", which is later in Latin designated as Hemigranea and Migranea, and from the latter it was transformed into French Migraine. In the XIII century. from French this word has passed into many languages, including English and Russian. Later it turned out that the term is inaccurate, since with a unilateral headache, an attack begins in less than 60% of patients.

Frequency

18-20% of women suffer from migraine between the ages of 10 and 30, usually during the onset of menstruation in girls.

Etiology and pathogenesis

Migraine attacks are accompanied by regional changes in cerebral blood flow due to the expansion of intracranial arteries. Vasomotor changes are caused by an episodic decrease in the systemic concentration of serotonitis. Prodromal symptoms may be due to intracranial vasoconstriction. One of the main factors of migraine is the constitutional predisposition to it, which is often hereditary. More than two-thirds of patients have a hereditary history of migraine. Currently, there are two main theories of migraine: vascular and neurogenic. According to the vascular theory, migraine is considered as a suddenly developing generalized disruption of vasomotor regulation, manifested by the lability of the tone of the brain and peripheral vessels. Aura in migraine is caused by local spasm of cerebral vessels with the development of local cerebral ischemia and the appearance of focal neurological symptoms (scotomas, hemianopsia, dizziness, etc.). At the same time, a headache attack is a consequence of excessive regeneration of the intracranial (sheath) and extranial arteries, and periodic stretching of the vascular wall leads to the activation of pain receptors and gives the headache a pulsating character. Often, cerebral angiography reveals vascular malformations.

The neurogenic theory defines migraine as a disease with primary neurogenic cerebral dysfunction, and vascular changes that occur during an attack are secondary.

Trigeminal-vascular theory gives the main role in the pathogenesis of migraine to the system trigeminal nerve providing interaction between the central nervous system and intracranial and extracranial vessels. Key role assigned to neurogenic aseptic inflammation due to the release of sensitive terminals nerve fibers in the vessel wall of vasoactive neuropeptides (substance P, neurokinin A, protein associated with the calcitonin gene-CGRP). These vasopeptides cause vasodilation, an increase in the permeability of the vascular wall, sweating of spasm proteins, blood cells, edema of the vascular wall and adjacent areas of the dura mater, degranulation mast cells, platelet aggregation. end result of this aseptic neurogenic inflammation is pain. As a result anatomical features trigeminal nerve pain, as a rule, radiates to the fronto-orbital-temporal and is localized in the left or right half heads. During a migraine attack, the level of the peptide associated with the calcitonin gene increases many times in the blood of the external jugular vein, which confirms the role of activation of neurons of the trigeminovascular system.

Migraine is often combined (comorbidity) with diseases such as epilepsy, arterial hypotension, Raynaud's syndrome, prolapse mitral valve, angina, ischemic disease heart, anomaly of the cranio-vertebral junction, constipation.

Clinical picture

There are three main forms of migraine. migraine with aura (classic) occurs in 25-30% of cases. Its clinical picture consists of five phases developing one after another.

• First phase – prodromal- appears a few hours before the development of a headache and is characterized by a change in mood, a feeling of fatigue, drowsiness, fluid retention in the body, irritability, anxiety, bulimia or anorexia, increased sensitivity to smells, noise, bright light.
• Second phase - aura- represents a complex of focal neurological symptoms lasting no more than 60 minutes. In the ophthalmic form of migraine, the aura is characterized by visual disturbances (flickering scotoma, photopsia, hemianopsia, visual illusions). In other forms of migraine, the aura appears neurological symptoms according to the affected arterial pool: hemiparetic, aphatic (carotid pool), cerebellar, basilar.
• Soon after the aura comes third phase - painful. It can last up to 72 hours and is manifested by a throbbing headache in the fronto-orbital temporal region, as a rule, one-sided, moderate or strong intensity, aggravated by normal physical activity, accompanied by photophobia, sound phobia, nausea, vomiting, pallor of the skin. In some cases, the headache is bursting, bursting in nature and can spread to the other side. Sometimes the headache immediately has bilateral localization. Vessels were injected on the side of the headache, lacrimation, swelling of the paraorbital tissues were observed. In addition to edema in the temporal region, there is swelling and pulsation of the temporal artery. Patients often try to compress the temporal artery, rub their face, pull their heads together with a towel or squeeze them with their hands, seek to retire to dark room Avoid loud noises and bright lights.
• Fourth phase - permission. It is characterized by a gradual decrease in headache, cessation of vomiting and deep sleep.
• Fifth phase - restorative- can last several hours or days. She is characterized fatigue, loss of appetite, gradual normalization of functioning sensory systems body (hearing, smell, vision), increased diuresis.

Migraine without aura (simple migraine) is the most common form (up to 75% of cases). A migraine attack consists of three phases - prodromal, pain and restorative. The presence of a prodromal phase for a simple migraine is not necessary. Often the attack begins without any precursors, immediately with a headache. The clinical picture of the headache phase is similar to that described for migraine with aura. Migraine without aura is characterized by the presence of refractory periods, when the disease after an attack does not manifest itself quite long time, and during this period, most patients consider themselves practically healthy. At objective research two-thirds of them have a syndrome of vegetative-vascular dystonia of varying intensity with a tendency to arterial hypotension and rarely - arterial hypertension. Patients tend to hypersensitivity to distress. They are prone to anxiety-depressive reactions, emotional lability, psychoasthenic manifestations.

Differential Diagnosis

When analyzing clinical picture migraines, you should always remember the following symptoms, the appearance of which should alert the doctor, as they may be signs of an organic brain disease:

• the absence of a change in the side of pain, i.e. the presence of hemicrania for several years on one side;
• progressively increasing headache;
• the occurrence of a headache outside the attack after exercise, strong sipping, coughing or sexual activity;
• increase or appearance of symptoms in the form of nausea, vomiting, temperature, stable focal neurological symptoms;
• the appearance of migraine-like attacks for the first time after 50 years.

Migraine must be differentiated from headache in vascular diseases of the brain ( hypertonic disease, vegetative-vascular dystonia, vascular malformations, vasculitis, ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes with small foci, giant cell temporal arteritis - Horton's disease Tolosa-Hunt syndrome), as well as with tumors, infectious lesions the brain and its membranes.

Special place in differential diagnosis migraine belongs to the so-called primary forms cephalgia: cluster headache, chronic paroxysmal hemicrania and episodic tension-type headache.

Migraine is a neurological disease. More than 10% of the world's population suffer from this disease. Women are more prone to migraines than men. The frequency of migraine attacks is different: from several times a year to daily. But most often the attacks appear 2-8 times a month.

During an attack, a person loses his ability to work, and since it is impossible to predict the moment of its manifestation, the patient’s ability to fulfill his labor duties fully is called into question. This fact necessitates the establishment of the patient's disability.

There are two types of the disease: migraine with aura and ordinary migraine.

Aura is a harbinger that appears 10-30 minutes before an attack. During this period, the patient may experience flickering in the eyes, vision partially disappears, sensitivity is lost. Migraine with aura is considered classic.

With classic migraine (with aura), acute throbbing pain can be localized both in one half of the head, and in both. At the same time, there are:

• intolerance to light and sounds;
• nausea or even vomiting;
• state of fatigue, drowsiness;
• general weakness;
• visual impairment: flashes of light, bright spirals, zigzags, etc. flash before the eyes.

The above symptoms worsen within a few minutes. But none of them last longer than an hour.

The symptoms of a common migraine are:

• paroxysmal throbbing headaches lasting from four hours to three days. Moreover, the pain is localized in one side of the head;
• decrease in activity;
• light-, sound-phobia;

Causes

The main causes of migraine are:

• hereditary predisposition;
• stress;
• nervous and physical overload of the body;
• hormonal disruptions. This category also includes the effect on the body of hormonal contraceptives;
• atmospheric pressure fluctuations;
• lack or excess of sleep;
• food and alcohol;
• impaired blood supply to the brain due to vasoconstriction;
• uneven expansion of cerebral vessels;
• disorders of the central nervous system;
• metabolic dysregulation.

At-risk groups

1. Residents of large cities fall into the risk group, because here a person often finds himself in stressful situations. People who live in countryside are less prone to migraine due to a calm, measured lifestyle.
2. A typical migraine patient is an ambitious person who is trying with all his might to move up the career ladder.
3. Emotionally unstable and depressed people.
4. People with diabetes, smokers, taking high doses of estrogen.
5. Children with both parents suffering from migraine.

comforting news

But these are all external or physiological reasons. Recently, medical scientists from France decided to use the reverse method to study what changes in the brain occur during a migraine attack. As a result of their research, they found increased activity hypothalamus during a migraine attack.

The hypothalamus is an area of ​​the brain that occupies 5% of its total mass. Despite such a small size, the hypothalamus regulates the entire endocrine system organism. The hypothalamus receives all the information about the activity of the heart and respiratory system. It is in it that the centers of hunger and thirst are located, as well as regulating the emotional behavior of a person. It is the hypothalamus that is responsible for regulating vascular tone and controls the human response to external factors causing headaches.

Scientists hope that the discovery will help develop drugs that can save a person from migraine.

migraine symptoms

Let's just say that there is no laboratory research that can confirm or refute the diagnosis of migraine. But nonetheless, experienced doctors determine the disease even by the external image of a person.

A person suffering from migraine, as a rule, is internally very tense, irritable. It is difficult for him to make contact with the people around him, he is conservative. Possessing high level intelligence, the patient is unduly conscientious about his duties. And if all of the above is combined with the symptoms characteristic of, then it is difficult to make a mistake in the diagnosis of this debilitating disease.

Migraine: treatment

Treatment of migraine is reduced to the restoration of the nervous system.

Most patients are convinced that migraine cannot be cured. They come to such a disappointing conclusion after repeated attempts to get rid of the disease. And the failure lies in the fact that many consider a migraine vascular disease. Hence the wrong approach to the treatment of migraine. As a result, the patient develops the psychology of a hopeless patient.

But after all, even in the most severe cases, there are periods in the patient's life when he is not bothered by headaches. Therefore, the brain can work in a balanced way, even if short period. The task of the doctor and the patient is to regulate nervous system so that she is less prone to arousal.

There are two types of migraine treatment:

• Ambulance during an attack;
• prevention of future attacks.

To relieve an attack, each patient should have with him properly selected migraine pills. Most often taken are anti-inflammatory drugs (non-steroidal), and triptans.

Triptans for migraine appeared relatively recently - in the nineties of the twentieth century. Unlike older generation drugs, triptans act in several directions at once:

• constrict the blood vessels of the brain, thereby removing painful throbbing. The most interesting thing is that triptans do not have any effect on other vessels;
• act on a group of receptors in the brain that release substances that cause headaches and inflammation. As a result, the amount of these substances decreases, and the headache subsides;
• have an analgesic effect, reducing the sensitivity of the nucleus of the trigeminal nerve.

Migraine drugs containing caffeine or codeine help well, but they are addictive: the brain remembers their stimulating effect and will try to create a situation (another attack), forcing the person to take again and again strong drugs. This is our independent brain. Painkillers are also not worth getting carried away!

Migraine prophylaxis is carried out if the attacks recur more than twice a month. This treatment is long, it is carried out in courses. Such a scheme helps to balance the work of the brain, while not inhibiting the patient's performance.

A huge role in the successful treatment of migraine is played by a person's lifestyle!

First, all kinds of artificial stimulation of the body should be abandoned.
Often patients struggle with feeling unwell by increasing physical activity: begin to attend GYM's, run in the morning, drink stimulating drinks. First, these measures positive effect. But in the end, the body wastes energy reserves, and the general condition worsens.

Secondly, it is necessary to normalize sleep, since it is the main source of energy. The formation of energy in our body is a very complex process, and it takes place only in a state of sleep. You can eat only healthy foods, but until a person falls asleep, the substances contained in food will not turn into energy. Moreover, from three o'clock in the morning the mechanism of energy consumption is launched, so going to bed late will lead to energy exhaustion.

Thirdly, you should give up smoking, alcohol, coffee. All these foods deplete the body's energy reserves, forcing you to absorb them all again and again in large quantities. In other words, stimulants slowly kill a person.

Fourth, it is important for people suffering from migraine to organize proper nutrition.

No need to resort to various trendy diets, you need to eat all the products, but you can’t take breaks between meals for more than five hours. Of course, it is worth as much as possible to exclude semi-finished products intended for long-term storage, preservatives. Food should be natural and, if possible, freshly prepared. Do not give up meat, eggs, dairy products. Be sure to eat fruits and vegetables. Do not be lazy, make mayonnaise yourself, it will be much more useful than store bought. Don't overuse spices. Be sure to have breakfast!

Fifth, take seriously physical activity. If up to 30 years a person is able to endure overload, then after thirty their intensity should be reduced. It is useful to walk, swim for pleasure, and not for speed, do exercises without dumbbells. In other words, move as much as possible, but at a moderate pace.

Folk remedies

are a good help in the treatment of migraine drugs. Nature has given us many herbs that can heal our ailments. Unfortunately, only a few of us know how to properly apply them, and even more so know how to treat migraines. Most people, especially city dwellers, don't even know what medicinal herbs look like.

However, in folk medicine, there are many plants that alleviate the suffering of a migraine patient:

• meadow clover. Its decoction is taken for migraine, as a prophylactic;
• fresh leaves of cabbage and lilac. Applied to sore spots, they will relieve pain within a couple of hours;
• fresh potato juice. It refers to the means of ambulance: it is taken when a headache occurs;
• effective remedy for migraine - strong green tea, as well as viburnum and currant juices. Taken during seizures;
• Siberian elder flowers. An infusion of them is a prophylactic;
• herbal collections. For example, a collection consisting of highlander grass, hawthorn flowers, shepherd's purse grass, white mistletoe grass. A decoction of this collection is taken during a migraine attack.

But do not forget: the effect of herbs on the body is diverse. And most people have problems with different organs. Unknowingly, treating migraines can harm the liver or stomach. So before you start taking herbal remedy for migraine, notify your doctor. He will tell you which herbs are safe for you.

Massage for migraine

Massage is used as aid in the treatment of migraine. Avicenna also advised how to get rid of a migraine: you need to rub the temple area on the affected side with your hands or with a coarse cloth. Yes, and each of us, when pain occurs in the head area, instinctively begins to rub his temples. And it helps!

A person suffering from migraine should not trust an inexperienced massage therapist: out of ignorance, he can aggravate his health. Massage is carried out both during relative well-being and during attacks. In the latter case, only that part of the head is massaged, in which the patient feels only echoes of pain. The head massage is completed by relaxing the muscles of the shoulders and neck. After performing the procedure, it is better for the patient to lie down for about thirty minutes in a dim room. Prevention of migraine consists in massage courses of 10 or 15 sessions every other day. It is useful to rub the Asterisk balm during the massage.

Migraine during pregnancy

Migraine during pregnancy usually worries expectant mothers in the first three months. If you know the cause disease state, can be cured by eliminating repetitions of adverse situations. The reasons, in general, are standard: sleep disturbances, the use of unwanted foods. As a rule, after three months of pregnancy migraine passes. But in some cases, migraines torment women during the entire period of pregnancy.

It is impossible to treat the disease on your own: most drugs have a negative effect on the fetus. This also applies medicinal herbs: some of them can lead to miscarriage.

It is best for women who suffer from migraines to do light exercises, enough rest. The best remedy for migraines during pregnancy - avoid stressful situations.

You can do yoga under the supervision of an experienced instructor, undergo acupuncture or reflexology procedures. It has been proven that these actions do not negative influence mother and her unborn child.

cervical migraine

At the heart of cervical migraine is a problem with the vertebral artery. It is located inside the canal, which is formed by the processes of the cervical vertebrae. If the body's metabolism is disturbed, then in cervical region salts are deposited in the spine. The vertebrae are deformed and, when moving, touch the vessel. This leads to throbbing pain, tinnitus, dizziness. The pain originates in the back of the head, gradually spreading to one side of the head. It was because of the one-sided pain that the disease was called cervical migraine. Unlike a true migraine, the pains are short-lived. Most often they occur at night, when a person does not control the turns of the head.

Treatment of cervical migraine is long-term. In addition to drugs, massage is used or manual therapy. Sometimes treatment does not help and is required surgical intervention.

Abdominal migraine

Abdominal migraine is not related to headache at all. This disease is expressed in paroxysmal pains in the abdomen, which are accompanied by muscle cramps. abdominal wall. This disease is most often manifested in young children and young men.

Pain in abdominal hypertension is severe, can last up to several days and is accompanied by vomiting and nausea. Such patients are subject to hospitalization in the neurology department.

Eye migraine

Ocular migraine has another name - atrial scotoma. It manifests itself in the periodic disappearance of the image in some parts of the field of view. This disease is quite common, but despite the awesome term "migraine" is painless.

Ocular migraine does not require treatment. But if there are blind spots, lightning and zigzags in the eyes, you still need to see a doctor, because retinal detachment has the same symptoms.

Eye migraine is still little studied, so you will not wait for any recommendations from doctors. The only thing that is known is that this condition is not associated with the eyes, but with the visual center of the brain.

Migraine in children

Diseases are getting younger, and now children are familiar with migraine disease. Most often suffer from migraine children, whose parents are also prone to this disease.

Migraine manifests itself in children in the same way as in adults, but the treatment is fundamentally different. Most migraine drugs have not been tested on children, so the effects of such treatment are unpredictable.

If a child school age, be sure to inform the nurse and teacher about the child's illness. They will be ready to help him with a migraine. But undue attention to the illness of the baby is not necessary. Otherwise, he will feel like an invalid. Or (more likely) he will use this circumstance to manipulate his parents.

Frequent migraines are a reason for long-term drug treatment.

Migraine attacks in children are provoked by the same reasons as in adults, therefore, in order for them to be disturbed as little as possible by a migraine headache, it is necessary to make every effort to organize proper nutrition and daily routine of the child. It is useful for children to play sports: it distracts them from illness and gives confidence.

Parents should thoroughly study the rules for managing migraine and teach them to the child. Although this disease is not fatal, it should not hinder its normal development.