Mary Betz asked:


Why do migraine headache symptoms last so long? That’s a good question, one that I hear often, and the reason I started this article out that way. So many times a patient will come to me with that question, wondering why do headaches last 2 days, 3 weeks, or even months without letting up?

Generally, migraine headache symptoms last 4-72 hours, and many times a simple dose of an anti-inflammatory and a good nights sleep will stop a headache. But if you are one of the chronic sufferers, then you know that a migraine can last..well…..forever.

Migraines are often labeled with different terms such as common migraine, classic migraine, vascular headache, stress headache, tension headache, aura, migraineur, status migrainosus, Raeder syndrome, histamine cephalalgia, histamine headache, sphenopalatine neuralgia, eye pain headache, severe headache, Horton’s neuralgia, and estrogen-withdrawal headache

A true migraine is accompanied by light sensitivity, noise sensitivity and even sensitivity to smells. This is due to the “central sensitization” in the brain. In other words, the nerves in your brain are overly sensitive. It may have nausea and vomiting but other symptoms of migraine can occur. You may feel hunger or lack of it. You might be irritable (gee..think so?) and even feel confused. Your friends and family will say that you look confused and might be slurring your speech.

You may also feel like your hands and feet are cold and can feel like they are tingling. A stuffy nose leads many to believe that they have a sinus headache. Not true! The same nerve that causes blood vessels to dilate and pound and throb also ends near nasal tissue…hello stuffy nose!

Most female migraineurs also have headaches during their menstrual cycle, which is a common migraine trigger. If your headache is during your menstrual cycle then you are having what is known as menstrual migraine. Additional triggers for migraine include food items and of course, prolonged unrelieved stress! Another trigger for migraine that many people have trouble grasping is depression and other mood disorders. Depression is strongly linked to migraine.

If your headache has gone beyond three days, and you cannot break the pain with your normal migraine headache treatments, you are now in status migrainosus. Unfortunately, at this point oral triptans, such as Imitrex may or may not work. You might possibly benefit from a one week course of steroids (low dose) called a Medrol Dose pak, or you may need IV medications. Before sitting in an emergency room for hours (headaches go the end of the line, right?) try an acute care center. They might not be as busy, and they can still treat you.

Treatment of migraine involves utilizing many venues. If you believe that a pill will cure migraines, then you may have difficulty with your headaches and they will not improve. Migraines improve from a combination of lifestyle changes, alternative therapies, and medications.

Migraine

Cindy Whiteman asked:


The symptoms of ocular migraine can also be classified as migraine auras. A migraine aura is a definite sign that a painful migraine headache will follow. It is a symptom that let migraine sufferers know ahead of time that a headache is about to manifest itself. Some people will have “pre” symptoms for a couple of days that will signal them that an agonizing headache is on its way.

Aura effects can develop for about 6 minutes and generally can appear from twenty minutes to an hour before the start of a headache. They are evidence of what used to be called “classic migraine”. Currently, medical practitioners came up with a more scientifically accurate term, migraine with aura. Only less than 20% of migraine sufferers consistently experience any kind of aura before a headache begins.

Symptoms of ocular migraines – aura effects

Most migraine auras can be seen with the eye (visual). These effects are called positive visual phenomena because rather than their vision gets hazy or goes dark, people who see them experience the following:
Halos or Auras – an atmosphere of light, dust or smoke surrounding objects, specifically light objects. Floating or Flashing Lights – these can be colored or white spots that appear to move. Lightning Bolts – a spiked or zigzag line that flickers and/or arcs over the field of vision; with the regularity and intensity increasing over time until the person can no longer see; this light show usually ends with the beginning of headache pain. Photophobia – a severe sensitivity to light; this light effect repeatedly lasts the extent of the headache.

Most aura episodes last less than an hour. Migraine sufferers who experience auras that last more than an hour are told to suffer from migraines with continued aura. In some cases you may experience aura effects without developing a headache, but it’s still believed to be a symptom of chronic migraines. At different times you may experience all three variations, migraine with aura, migraine with extended aura, or a common aura without the headache.

Migraine News

Jon Kelly asked:


Millions of people find themselves regularly suffering from migraine headaches symptoms. Most regular sufferers can identify a migraine quickly after the onset of symptoms, which last anywhere from several hours to several days. Treatment For migraine headaches should be attempted as soon as symptoms appear, in order to shorten the length of suffering.

This will help prevent the headache from interfering with your work and home life and stop any migraine headaches symptoms returning quickly. As science and medicine progress, more and more treatment options are available for regular sufferers of migraine headaches.

In most people who experience migraine headaches symptoms, they are a problem that reoccurs. For whatever reason, certain people are more prone to attacks of migraines and will have the symptoms on multiple occasions.

While there are common migraine headaches symptoms, some sufferers also experience atypical migraine symptoms. People who have regular migraines can frequently identify symptoms that precede the headache itself. Some classic examples are pain around the eye area, nausea, or sensitivity to sound. There might be a throbbing pain in the forehead or near one temple.

Best Treatment For Migraine Headaches

In the past, people who were suffering from regular migraine headaches symptoms had few options but to sleep or take over the counter pain medications.

These severe headaches could last for 24 hours or more. They would interfere with a person’s responsibilities at work and home, leaving them unable to concentrate. However, medical research has begun to provide more solutions for these powerful headaches.

There are also simple techniques that can be done without medication. For example, applying ice to the locations where pain is occurring will help reduce the inflammation.

Steady breathing exercises and other relaxation techniques can be used effectively to reduce the intensity or even the number of attacks. Traditional Eastern practices such as acupuncture have solutions for migraines as well.

Many brands of pain medication now offer over the counter options that are specific to migraine headache and the symptoms that accompany the pain. These pills can provide a fast solution to the infrequent migraine sufferer.

However, for people who experience migraines on a regular basis or have atypical migraine symptoms, it is important to speak to a doctor about alternative solutions.

There are prescription painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications available, as well as drugs that can help reduce the frequency of migraines. Your general care physician should have knowledge of these treatments or be able to refer you to a specialist.

Migraine sufferers should take their medications when they first notice symptoms of a migraine headache. By taking the medication early, it will have time to help your body avoid the most intense pain and nausea and allow you to return to your day quickly.

These treatment options are great solutions for people who are frustrated by frequent migraine headache. Take control of your life by calling your doctor today. He or she will help you find the best treatment for migraine headaches.

Migraine Diagnosis

Niall Roche asked:


While most people only think about the piercing pain in their head that they experience during a migraine attack, there are quite a few associated symptoms. Some of these symptoms can occur before the headache begins and are used as warning signs by people who suffer from frequent migraines. If you have symptoms before your headache begins, you probably have classic migraines. These warning signs are often called auras. If you don’t have any symptoms before the migraine begins, you are most likely suffering from common migraines.

Usually, if you have classic migraines, you won’t have common migraines. However, on occasion, you may suddenly have one type of migraine when you usually have the other. No matter which type of migraine you have, there are quite a few symptoms that can develop because of an attack. Some are more common before a classic attack, while others can happen during all types of migraines. Here is a list of common symptoms you should be aware of.

* A dull ache developing in the jaw, neck, or back of the head.

* Pain in an eye socket.

* Pain in your forehead.

* Loss of vision in one of your eyes for a short time.

* Blurred vision in either one or both of your eyes.

* Strange odors that only you can smell.

* Visual or auditory hallucinations.

* Nausea.

* Sensitivity to light.

* Pain when you stand up or sit down.

* Loss of hand-eye coordination.

* Dizziness and problems with balance.

* Speaking difficulties.

* Difficulty focusing and thinking clearly.

* Exhaustion.

* Weakness in one or all your limbs.

* Temporary paralysis on either your right or left side.

You may notice that some of your migraines are gone in just a few hours, especially if you take a long nap and a painkiller. However, more severe migraines are more dehabilitating, taking an entire night or even two weeks to finally disappear. If you suffer from one of these migraines, don’t expect to bounce back right away. The longer period of pain will probably leave you feeling extremely drained and tired for several days after the headache is gone.

So, if you suffer from migraines, be sure to learn your symptoms. With experience, you may be able to lessen the severity of a developing migraine. A combination of immediate rest, medication and a dark, quiet room will often help reduce the impact of the approaching migraine. Prevention is always better than cure folks.

Migraines Diagnosis

Rob Forchet asked:


Chances are that you, like many others else, suffer from that splitting headache once in a while. However, if you notice that such headaches become increasingly common, you should pause and think about the possible cause for your condition. In these days of stressful lifestyles, migraine has silently gained a toehold into more people’s lives than you can imagine. However, in early diagnosis lies your best chance of fighting it successfully. Hence if you have constant headaches, you should check and see if you are suffering from chronic migraines. It is here that a good knowledge of migraine headaches symptoms comes in handy.

The main cause behind migraines is the dilation of the temporal artery that lies on your temple and the release of chemicals from the nerves coiled around it. However, there are a lot of associated migraines symptoms that can be detected and categorized as early signs of the onset of an migraine attack. Some of the common associated symptoms include sensitivity to external stimuli such as light and sound. In certain cases smell can also be an unpleasant stimulus. In addition, there can be symptoms like eye blurred vision, a feeling of nausea and vomiting.

When migraine pain occurs, the onset of the condition takes place in four different stages. The initial stage is the Prodrome stage where early symptoms such as fever, dizziness, cravings, headache etc can be seen. The next stage in migraine headaches symptoms is the Aura stage where the patient feels a kind of disturbance before the actual start of the headaches. The third stage is the manifestation of the migraine itself where a great deal of pain is experienced by the sufferer. The final or Postdrome stage is where the symptoms slowly fade out after the pain has subsided.

A great pointer towards the presence of migraine is the trigger. Common triggers which lead to migraine include exposure to smoke, high stress, over exertion, hormonal change (such as during pregnancy), irregular diets and a haphazard lifestyle. You have to write down what you did before the headache started. This goes even one or two days back. Think about what you ate or what liquids you took.

If you notice that any of the above is leading to recurrent splitting headaches, you must not discount the possibility of migraine. If, in addition to this, you notice the common migraine headaches symptoms, then you must take guard and consult your physician immediately. It is not a condition that should be kept lying around.

A lot of people wonder how to distinguish a regular headache from migraine. A good pointer towards migraine could be the fact that migraine headaches usually occur on one side of the temple. Only in rare cases would you find migraines occurring on both sides of the temple. Common symptoms, in addition to a searing pain on one side of your head can be a definite pointer towards migraine. Hence, we urge you to take action promptly if you notice any common migraine headaches symptoms in you or your close ones.

Migraine Headaches