|
|
|
|
Q 1 - How is migraine different from a headache?
Ans - Headaches being the most common disorders globally can occur to anybody, irrespective of age and gender. While there are 150 types of headaches, it can be an underlying sign of stress, anxiety or medical disorder like migraine. In a given year, according to WHO, over 50% of the adults experience some form of headache. Headaches can be classified as primary and secondary -
Primary Headaches are a resultant of over activity, or any complications in the pain sensitive areas inside the head involving the blood vessels, muscles and nerves. The most common examples of Primary headaches are migraine triggers, cluster headaches and tension headaches.
While Secondary Headaches are symptoms of headaches that attribute to another cause like headache due to stroke, brain tumours, concussions, teeth grinding in night, dehydration among various other factors.
Among such varieties of headache, it might be difficult for a normal person to distinguish between the type of headache, and hence in case if the pan is persistent, regular and more severe, the patient needs to seek immediate medical attention.
In cases of primary headaches, normal headaches are attributed to pain and severe aching on both sides of the head involving the temple, back of the neck and the forehead. While a migraine pain can be distinguished if the pain is restricted to the area behind one eye or ear which may be accompanied with nausea and (or) vomiting, blurring of vision, which is mostly temporary, and in most of the cases the patient may feel high sensitivity to sound and (or) light. Pain triggered due to migraine is severe and usually hampers the daily activities.
Most of the headaches suffered by people in the world are migraines.
Q 2 - What are the symptoms? How long does it usually last?
Ans - In most of the cases the symptoms of migraine are recognized as pain due to gas, sinus-type or weakened eyes apart from severe debilitating headaches. Sometimes the patient may experience the sensation at least 15-20 minutes prior to the migraine trigger which is further accompanied by irritation, stiffness in the neck, frequent yawning due to improper oxygen intake, and constipation. A migraineur may experience sensations such as declined alertness, difficulty to concentrate and think, numbness in the face or hands, flashy lights in front of the eyes, changes in the taste, smell and touch.
Other symptoms include –
Scalp tenderness
Nausea/Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Light or sound sensitivity (Sonophotophobia)
Irritability
Head pain (Pounding, pulsating, throbbing)
Dizziness and light-headedness
While there is no fixed period for its occurrence, varying from person to person, can occur from 1 to 3 times in a week and may last upto 2 weeks of more. Some patients have shared their experience of migraine pain which may last from 15 minutes to upto 3 hours, which can even wake you up from deep sleep.
Q 3 - What’s actually happening inside the body when the head seems to be hammering? (what’s happening inside the brain, scientific details in a simple language that’s easy for the layman to understand)
Ans – The main reason for the pain may be attributed to the fluctuation in the flow of blood in the brain due to the narrowed arteries (temporary) due to the action of chemical changes.
The pain may vary, -
Pounding - feels like someone is punching or hammering inside the head,
Pulsating – Fells like on and off pain in quantities.
Throbbing – this pain is severe as if someone is crushing the head.
Hormonal imbalance is what most of the studies elaborate as the reason for migraine pain. Serotonin, a chemical in the brain that helps in communicating with the nerve cells, also leads to the narrowing of the arteries (due to imbalance) and may end up in migraine (in both men and women).
In women, estrogen fluctuation may sometimes trigger pain in the face and scalp nerves. The levels of estrogen in women’s bodies changes with time, it increases during her fertile period and decreases after menopause. Also a woman during her reproductive age undergoes fluctuation in estrogen levels (menstruation cycle) that may cause migraine more in women than in men.
Q 4 - Are there different categories within migraine? (some seem sensitive to sounds, while others to light, or both?)
Ans – While the complications due to migraine may range from mild to severe, and varies from person to person, it can be classified into two types - Classic Migraine and Common Migraine. In case of classic migraine, the person may feel sensation in the head and it is estimated that the classic migraine occurs only in 15% of the total patients experiencing migraine and the remaining 85% of the migraineurs experience the common migraine.
Q 5 - What are the triggers?
Ans – Some may find the summers (heat/ humidity) as trigger factors for migraine due to the heat, light sensitivity, humidity that may cause dehydration or overhydration.
Some of the major causes of Migraine includes
Sleep deprivation – Excess or lack
Irregular meal times
Stress and anxiety
Hormonal changes
Food triggers
Dr Sumit Singh, Director, Neurosciences, Agrim institute of neuro sciences, Artemis Hospital
