Headaches plague everyone now and then, but when a headache leaves you wanting to crawl into a darkened room and never return, you might be experiencing a migraine. These headaches affect millions, and there is no cure. But understanding migraines and finding the right medication can help sufferers find relief through managing their migraine pains.
Unlike other headaches, migraines are a neurological condition. But while some migraines are purely neurological, while others are mixed migraine and tension headaches. Aside from a splitting pain in the head or an extreme throbbing on one side of the skull, other symptoms might include nausea, dizziness and sensitivity to light or sound. In some people, vomiting may also occur as a migraine symptom. As a result of a migraine, sufferers often have trouble concentrating and an inability to find the right words. Migraines can last anywhere from six to forty-eight hours, and even after the migraine subsides it may leave sufferers with a feeling of mental dullness for days.
Some people know when a migraine is coming because of an aura. An aura is a sight distortion, which may show as spots, a temporary blind spot or even as tunnel vision. This signal can come as early as twenty four hours before the migraine itself sets in.
Because there is no cure for migraines, it is important for a sufferer to keep track of what he or she was doing prior to the migraine coming on. Certain aspects of the environment can act as triggers, and keeping track of those triggers can help a sufferer avoid them later on. Common triggers include stress, bright sunlight or a glare, changes in wake-sleep patterns, intense physical exertion or a change in the environment. Some medications may also aggravate migraines.
Taking a list of these triggers and your migraine history to the doctor’s office can help her find the right medication to help you suffer less. The doctor might prescribe a combination of a pain relieving medication and a preventive medication.
Migraines can be chronic, but that doesn’t mean that the pain isn’t treatable. If the first medication you try doesn’t help, don’t give up. Relief may be right around the corner.
