Published May 26, 2022, 11:51 a.m. by None
When there is pressure or pain in your head, it can be difficult to tell whether you’re experiencing a typical headache or migraine. HeadacheA headache is a pain in the head or upper neck. They may be primary (not associated with a medical condition) or secondary (caused by an injury or medical condition). Primary headaches include tension, migraine and cluster headaches. Most headaches are not indicative of a serious medical problem. However, you should seek medical attention if it is severe or unusual, does not respond to treatment and worsens over time, frequently recurs, or is accompanied by injury, seizures, vomiting or fever, or by changes in speech, vision, or behavior.Symptoms of a tension headache include pressure and a band-like tightness that begins in the back of the head and upper neck and gradually encircles the head.Cluster headaches are headaches that occur in groups, or clusters, over several weeks or months separated by headache-free periods of months or years. During the headache period, the cluster headache sufferer experiences several episodes of pain during the day, each of which lasts 30 to 90 minutes. These attacks, which often occur at the same time of day, include sharp, penetrating pain around or behind one eye, watering of the eye, and a stuffy nose.Migraine headaches cause intense, throbbing pain, often on one side of the head. Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity; to light and sound; and exertion often accompany migraines, which can last several hours or up to three days. Some migraine sufferers experience a visual disturbance called an aura before the onset of the migraine. Auras are flashing lights, wavy lines, blurry vision, or blind spots.Most headaches are not indicative of a serious medical problem. Some people have occasional headaches that resolve quickly, while others experience frequent and debilitating pain. You should seek medical attention if your headache is severe. If you believe it is your "worst headache ever," seek emergency medical care.It is different from your usual headaches in terms of its location, severity, or accompanying symptoms, such as numbness or vision lossstarts suddenly, or is aggravated by exertion causes pain significant enough to wake you from sleep does not respond to treatment, and instead worsens over time recurs frequently is accompanied by any of the following: a head injury that involves a loss of consciousness, even for a few secondsseizures or convulsionsrecurrent vomitingdizziness and impaired balancefever or stiff neckchanges in speech, vision, or behavior.Differentiating a migraine headache from a traditional headache, and vice versa is important. It can mean faster relief through more targeted treatments based on the type of headache. It can also help prevent future headaches from occurring in the first place. Migraines can be experienced as little as once or twice a year, or as often as two or three times a week. The pain is severe, throbbing, and usually on one side of the head. A migraine attack can last from four hours to three days and is associated with a spasm of the blood vessels leading to the brain. Three times as many women (15 percent) as men (5 percent) suffer from migraine, and scientists believe that hormones play a large role.Symptoms of migraineA migraine headache has different symptoms from other types of headaches. Migraine symptoms can include:nausea and vomitingsensitivity to lightsensitivity to soundaffected vision, such as an aurasensitivity to smell and touchnumbness of the face or extremities (hands and feet).Triggers for migraine No one knows what causes migraine, but it may be an inherited condition. Attacks are almost certainly triggered by a combination of factors, such as:diet – cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, alcohol (especially red wine)sleep – too little or too muchmenstrual cyclephysiochemical – excessive heat, light, noise, or certain chemicalsemotional causes – stress, excitement, or fatiguerelaxation (weekend migraines) – often triggered by a period of stress and overwork followed by relaxation.Hormones and migraineMigraines affect more women than men, and some researchers believe that sex hormones play a key role. For around half of these women, migraine occurs in the few days before or following their menstrual period. Some studies suggest that reduced levels of the sex hormone oestrogen around the time of menstruation may be to blame.Treatment of migraineThere is no cure for migraine and prevention is difficult, but treatments can help reduce the number of attacks. Migraines vary greatly from person to person and so does the treatment.The four treatment options available to migraine sufferers include:avoiding the trigger factors – this can be difficult since migraines are often triggered by a combination of factorsmedication – including pain-relieving medication and medication to alter the pressure on blood vesselspreventative treatment – medication is taken on a daily basis to reduce the number of attacksnon-medication therapies – including acupuncture, biofeedback, goggles, hypnotherapy, exclusion diets, relaxation, yoga, meditation, and herbal or homeopathic remedies. In the past, pethidine was used to treat migraine. However, this is a highly addictive medication and far more effective treatments are now available. Talk to your doctor or a neurologist about the best treatment for your migraines.
