Best Health – Migraine Management
Posted on | October 31, 2009 | No Comments
Is there anything I can do to prevent a migraine?
Migraine is a neurological syndrome characterized by altered bodily perceptions, severe headaches, and nausea. Physiologically, the migraine headache is a neurological condition more common to women than to men.
The typical migraine headache is unilateral and pulsating, lasting from 4 to 72 hours; symptoms include nausea, vomiting, photophobia (increased sensitivity to light), and phonophobia (increased sensitivity to sound). Approximately one-third of people who suffer migraine headache perceive an aura—unusual visual, olfactory, or other sensory experiences that are a sign that the migraine will soon occur.
Initial treatment is first, avoid your triggers. Migraine attacks may be triggered by:
- Allergic reactions
- Bright lights, loud noises, and certain odors or perfumes
- Physical or emotional stress
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Smoking or exposure to smoke
- Skipping meals
- Alcohol
- Menstrual cycle fluctuations, birth control pills, hormone fluctuations during the menopause transition
- Tension headaches
- Foods containing tyramine (red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and some beans), monosodium glutamate (MSG) or nitrates (like bacon, hot dogs, and salami)
- Other foods such as chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, avocado, banana, citrus, onions, dairy products, and fermented or pickled foods.
I even know a guy who gets a migraine whenever he skips a shower.
Another theory: Serotonin is a type of neurotransmitter, or “communication chemical” which passes messages between nerve cells. Serotonin helps to control mood, pain sensation, sexual behaviour, sleep, as well as dilation and constriction of the blood vessels among other things. Migraines are caused by a serotonin deficit in your brain. Without enough serotonin, the blood vessels in your brain swell, creating pressure that causes pain and other symptoms.
If you get migraines more than twice a month, your doctor may prescribe antidepressants, which can boost serotonin levels, or another drug like Imitrex. If you feel a migraine starting, take these steps: Lie down in a dark, quiet room; use a cold compress on your forehead; massage your scalp; and apply pressure to your temples. If these tactics do not help and you worry about the side effects of antidepressants (decreased sex drive is one), try melatonin supplements.
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