Yoga is indeed an effective method for reducing the frequency and severity of migraines. While medications are available to treat migraines, they can be expensive, and many people prefer to explore alternative treatments. The pounding headache, sensitivity to light and sound, and nausea can make it impossible to function normally. There are many medications you can discuss with your doctor to treat migraine attacks or prevent them from happening, but it is important to find a doctor who understands migraine conditions, Godley said.īecause medical professionals who are well versed in treating migraines are in short supply, you may need to advocate for yourself and your pain to get a diagnosis and effective treatment, Petrarca said.If you have ever experienced a migraine, you know how debilitating it can be. “I think kind of taking it away from just the head pain, you know there’s many, many other symptoms that also go along with a migraine attack,” she said.Īnd some of the symptoms, including exhaustion, can happen before a migraine, after it or in between attacks, Tepper added. The list of possible symptoms that go along with a migraine is long but includes: dizziness, vertigo, brain fog, tinnitus, mood changes, yawning, neck pain and food craving, Petrarca said. That can look like blurred vision, seeing spots, numbness in the extremities or changes in speech, she added. But a lot of people experience many more symptoms than that.Ībout a third of people will experience an aura leading up to their migraine, which is “a temporary perceptual disturbance that lasts from five minutes to an hour,” Petrarca said. When people think of migraines, they often think of head pain. But each person who suffers migraines will have their own triggers. Unfortunately, both chocolate and wine can be a big trigger, Petrarca said. But they can also be triggered by weather changes, stress, sleep disturbances, skipping meals, dehydration and alcohol, she added. People usually start to get their migraines after puberty, but they can show up in younger children in forms like colic, motion sickness and dizziness, Godley said.įor many women, migraine attacks tend to go along with phases of the menstrual cycle as estrogen levels change, Petrarca said. Struggling with migraines? This specific yoga routine can help, study says Migraine triggers are different for everyone, so Petrarca recommends keeping a diary of when you get attacks so you can track what factors might correlate. It is important to note, however, that there is a difference between what causes someone to be prone to migraines and what triggers them, Tepper said. And hormonal changes, particularly in estrogen, can really impact migraine attacks. Migraines tend to be passed down in families, but can still present differently among various family members, Godley said.Īlthough genetics are a major cause, some migraines can also be caused by head injuries, he added. It’s hard to say exactly, but there is a lot of evidence to show there are genetic and environmental factors that lead to people getting migraines, Petrarca said. The attacks also must have at least one of two features: nausea and sensitivity to light or sound, he added. The condition must also meet at least two of four criteria: moderate to severe intensity, throbbing pain, worsening with activity, and occurrence on one side of the head, Tepper said. To be diagnosed with a migraine condition, a patient has to have at least five attacks in their lifetime that each last four to 72 hours when left untreated. The condition is better understood as a complex neurological disease that affects many parts of the nervous system, Godley said. Stewart Tepper, a neurologist based in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Migraines start deep in the brain, said Dr. What used to be called a migraine headache is now called a migraine attack to better capture how much further the condition extends beyond pain in the head, Petrarca said. Understanding what migraines are, why you may get them and what you can do is a powerful tool to advocate for yourself and get the proper treatment, Petrarca said. A new study that was published Wednesday in Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology, has shown that both cluster headaches and migraines have a connection to circadian systems, meaning time of day and sleep patterns might have a big impact on those conditions. Frederick Godley, an ear, nose and throat specialist and president of the Association of Migraine Disorders.īut there are professionals researching and treating migraine conditions. Many doctors don’t know enough about the nuances of migraine disorders, said Dr. “People don’t give it the recognition it deserves,” she added. People with migraines get less REM sleep, study finds
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