Migraine affects 22.7% of Pakistanis each year. Each year the effect of migraine on people between the ages of 40 and 49 increases, marking it as the third most prevalent disease in Pakistan.
Despite the compelling home remedies for migraine, it is important to learn about migraines and how to handle them, in order to help your loved ones get through this painful disability.
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What is Migraine? (It is much more than a simple ‘sar dard’)
Migraine is an intense ripple of multiple headaches. It is a neurological disorder during which an individual will feel multiple symptoms. Due to its multiple symptoms and intensity, migraine has been characterized in different categories (that will be addressed shortly).
It is often hard to follow through the occurrence pattern of headaches. Some people experience mild pain once or twice a month, while some people may experience repetitive episodes of painful throbbing at least every 15 days. Similarly, mild headaches can start from an early age or come with full bolts in later years of life.
In order to truly determine your migraine, each person needs to be addressed individually for a better diagnosis. However, in this article, we are going to join in facts, treatment options and triggers, to help you get through with your migraine when it comes uninvited.
Migraine Symptoms
Again, symptoms vary from person to person. In some cases, the headache might get triggered one or two days before the actual migraine however in most cases it happens right away. Some early symptoms start with:
- Low energy and fatigue
- Hyperactivity
- Irritability and moodiness
- Stiffness in the neck and shoulders
- Depression or sadness
- Food cravings
Next comes the attack phase, where there is a severe sting of pain. The attack phase of migraine can lasts from hours to days. Sometime pregnant women are more prone to have next attack of pregnancy migraine. During this phase some of the symptoms look like;
- Nausea from constant pain
- Vomiting
- Pulsing and throbbing in the head
- A particular side of the head become sensitive to touch and has more pain than the rest
- Acute dizziness
- Sensitivity to light
- Experiencing aura ( seeing flashes and bright spots)
Average time for a migraine to last is 4 hours. However if the migraine was not treated immediately, the pain can last for 72 hours to a week.
Causes of Migraine
There are no definite causes as to why migraine happens in the first place. According to multiple studies, women are more prone to migraines than men. Similarly, people living in a specific environment were reported to have more migraine issues. From different studies, it can be concluded that;
- Hormonal changes can be a trigger for migraine, especially in women
- Certain environments will also set off migraines in the brain.
- People who had more caffeine and alcohol also experienced painful migraine
- Consistent stress has also been the reason for chronic migraine
- Sensitivity to bright lights, sun glare and loud sounds can also set off migraine pain
- Smoking and strong smells
- Certain foods such
- as aged cheese and meat
- Some food additives have also been known to trigger headaches
- Weather changes and intense humidity
- Certain strong medications
- Sleep patterns
In severe cases, a nerve blockage or neurotransmitter disability due to brain chemical disability are also some major factors for migraine pain.
Migraine Treatments
Migraines have no cure, however there are ways where the intensity of the pain can be managed with the help of your doctor. One of the most troubling triggers in migraine is the intense nausea. In some cases, people vomit, while in other cases the nausea persists hindering daily life chores. Here are some ways to help with migraine nausea.
Migraine nausea treatment
- Ask for anti-nausea/ anti-vomit medication from your doctor.
- Have some soda with lime and salt and sip on it slowly for a few minutes. This particularly helps if you have a sunstroke triggered migraine.
- Get a massage or an acupressure. Study shows that a 30 mins acupressure actually helps lower the migraine nausea.
For your overall migraine issues your doctor may devise a plan for you based on your age, family history, the intensity of your headache and how frequent you experience migraine. Your doctor will also consider your symptoms to determine what kind of medications can help ease your symptoms while treating your migraine.
Some typical treatments for Migraine are;
- Migraine Medications
- Hormone therapy
- Home remedies
- Homeopathy medications
- Stress management and some lifestyle improvements
You should not take migraine medicine on you own as it can cause side effects if you have any health condition.
Self-Help Migraine Therapies
This is a tested remedy that you can try at home. Sar Dard ka Ilaj ab gharelu totkon se mumkin hai.
Simply lie down in a dark cool room where there are no noises. Massage your temple area with slight pressure. Start with clockwise circles and then after 5 rotations switch it to anti-clockwise rotation. Do this for a couple of minutes.
You can try some of the following tips to help relieve your pain.
- Place a cold cloth on your forehead and behind your neck while you are resting.
- Massage your scalp every other day with warm oil
- Massing certain feet points, neck and shoulder can also immensely help with migraine
If you are curious about other common diseases in Pakistan, read more here!
Migraine Types
To know which headache you are going through it’s important to know the types of migraines.
Please note, you may be experiencing more than one migraine at a time, this is why consulting a specialist is important before any self-diagnosis.
- Migraine with Aura
- Chronic Migraine
- Vestibular Migraine
- Optical Migraine
- Complex Migraine
- Menstrual Migraine
- Silent migraine
- Hormonal Migraine
- Stress Trigger Migraine
If you want to read a detailed analysis of what these types of migraines are, then leave a comment below.
Heal your Migraine with your Doctor
It is Important to consult a doctor right away before it gets too late. Once you figure out what type of migraine you are going through, make sure to seek immediate help.
Many of our physicians on Healthwire have specialized in treating migraine pain through their years of experience. You can now reach out to them through our portal Healthwire. pk. The first step in managing migraines is to know how to prevent them in the first place!
