Migraine, symptoms and treatment. How to relieve the pain in migraine

Migraine - a chronic neurological disease characterized by periodic severe headache. The distinguishing feature - is that most of the pain extends only on one half of the head. This is a very common problem. It found 10% of people. Seizures may occur rarely - a few times a year, but the majority of patients they happen 1-2 times a week.

The beautiful half of humanity often suffer from bouts of severe headache. But many men are faced with this problem. Another name for migraine - a disease of aristocrats. It is believed that headaches are more common in people who are engaged in intellectual work.

What it is?

Migraine - a neurological disease, the most common and characteristic symptom of which are occasional or regular strong and painful headaches in one (rarely both) half head.

In this case, there are no serious head injuries, stroke, brain tumors, and the intensity and pulsating character of pain associated with vascular headache rather than a headache from stress. Migraine headache is not associated with an increase or a sharp decrease in blood pressure, glaucoma attack or increased intracranial pressure (ICP).

Interesting Facts

The very first symptoms that resemble migraine were described by the ancient healers of the time of the Sumerian civilization even before the birth of Christ in 3000 BC. A little later (about 400 g BC) Hippocrates identified migraine, as the disease and described her symptoms. However, its name migraine is obliged Roman physician - Claudius Galen. In addition, he first identified the feature of migraine - localization of pain in one side of the head.

It is noteworthy that migraine is often the companion of genius. This disease, like no other, "loves" active and emotional people who prefer intellectual work. For example, it suffered from such prominent figures as Pontius Pilate, Peter Tchaikovsky, Edgar Allan Poe, Karl Marx, Anton Chekhov, Julius Caesar, Sigmund Freud, Darwin, Newton. Migraine is not spared side and contemporary celebrities. Tormented by headaches, live and work by such famous personalities as Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Ben Affleck and others.

Another interesting fact (although it has not been proved scientifically): migraine often affects people who strive for excellence. These individuals are ambitious and ambitious, their brains are constantly working. They were not enough to fulfill all perfect, they must be the best. Therefore, they are very responsible and conscientious attitude to everything working "for himself and for the guy." In fact, it workaholics.

The mechanism of migraine headache

It is known that migraine - this is a special type of headache, the development of a mechanism which is unique and is not similar to one another. Because most drugs for headaches are not effective in migraine.

Migraine attack occurs in several successive phases:

1. Spasm of cerebral arteries and the development of short-term hypoxia of the brain substance. It is with this phase associated with the development of migraine aura.
2. Then comes the dilation or expansion of all types of brain vessels (arteries, veins, venules, arterioles and capillaries). At this stage, and it develops the typical throbbing headache.
3. Develops the swelling vessel walls and perivascular space, which makes their rigidity to signals for reverse constriction. This phenomenon causes the duration of a migraine headache.
4. The last stage is characterized by regression of migraine and is also called postmigrenoznym syndrome. For some time after the cessation of pain the patient may complain of general weakness, fatigue, a feeling of "staleness" in the head.

Despite the evidence of the nature of migraine headache, every day new information, as this problem has been studied extensively by scientists worldwide. For example, according to the latest medical publications in the pathogenesis of migraine essential role acts out the hypothalamus brain and it gives new opportunities for the invention of effective drugs for the treatment and prevention migraine.

The causes of migraine

One of the puzzles are the causes of migraine. On the basis of long-term observations were able to establish some patterns of attacks.

Migraine affects both men and women, but in women it occurs twice as often than men. There is a dependence of the frequency of occurrence of the disease on the lifestyle, so, found that the most susceptible migraines are socially active and ambitious, professions that require high mental alertness, as well as Housewives. Very rare cases of migraine disease among people of working trades, whose activity is connected with a constant physical activity.

The causes of migraine people suffering from it, include a number of factors, but in fact the direct influence on the development of the attack is not set managed, so can be considered a predisposing factors, or "starting point" will be triggered when the true cause disease. The causes of migraine are:

• Some types of products: hard aged cheeses, red wine, chocolate, fish of mackerel, sausage, coffee;
• Stress or experiences the psycho-emotional arousal .;
• Some kinds of drugs, such as oral contraceptives;
• The sharp change in weather (meteodependent form of migraine);
• Strong physical activity;
• Premenstrual syndrome.

Usually experienced patients know exactly what triggers their migraine attack, and try to eliminate the impact of this factor, so it is possible to reduce the frequency of attacks, but do not get rid of them completely.

Classification

Depending on migraine symptoms, the disease is divided into the following types:

• hemiplegic (lost opportunity to take action arm or leg);
• migraine status (lasts more than one day).
• Retinal (affecting half the head and eye area, possibly a sharp decline in vision);
• basilar (common in young women, it is fraught with cerebral infarction in the absence of adequate treatment);
• Ophthalmic (striking visual organs, there is an overhang of the century, the loss of visual function);
• abdominal (common in children, youths, accompanied by cramping, abdominal pain);

In medical practice, there is also the concept of migraine with aura and without it.

Without the aura of the patient has frequent attacks of headache that can last from four hours to three days in a row. Painful sensations are recorded in the particular part of the head (at the point). Pain increases with physical activity, as well as intense mental activity.

With aura accompanied by a large number of complex, sometimes mixed symptoms that occur well before the attack, or directly from its beginning.

migraine symptoms

The most basic symptoms of migraine in women and men - is a throbbing, paroxysmal pain in the side of the head, lasting from 4 to 72 hours. When the slopes of the pain increases - this is an excessive dilation of blood vessels.

Migraine attacks may be preceded by aura - different neurological symptoms: the vestibular, motor, sensory, auditory, visual. Visual aura arises more often, when a person sees a lot of bright flashes in the left or right visual field, there is a loss of fragments of sight or distortion of objects.

Thus, the main symptoms of migraine are as follows:

1. Harbingers of migraine - weakness, feeling unmotivated fatigue, inability to concentrate, attention disorders. After the attacks are sometimes observed postdrom - drowsiness, weakness, pale skin.
2. Nausea - an important symptom that helps to distinguish the pain of migraine from other types of pain. This symptom is always accompanied by seizures and sometimes so prominent that comes to retching. In this case, the patient subjectively easier for a few minutes, it becomes easier. If vomiting does not bring relief, but the pain does not subside within a few days, it may be a sign of migraine status and required hospital treatment.
3. The character of the pain of migraine differs from other headaches - starting with the temple, throbbing and pressing pain gradually covers half of the head, extending to the forehead and eyes.
4. In 10% of cases of migraine in women it occurs during menstruation and lasts for a day or two from its beginning. Menstrual migraine suffers from one-third of all women who have this disease.
5. Migraine always have one or more accompanying symptoms - photophobia, nausea, vomiting, phonophobia, disturbances of smell, vision or attention.
6. Oral contraceptives and other drugs that affect the hormone balance, including funds hormone replacement therapy, can significantly increase the risk of attack, in 80% of cases increases it intensity.
7. Artery in the temple tense and throbbing, pain and tension aggravated by movement, so patients Transfer Principle in bed, in a quiet and dark place to minimize the number of external stimuli.
8. Irritability, anxiety, fatigue, drowsiness, paleness or redness of skin, anxiety and depression - associated symptoms of migraine, which can be shown or not manifest in each individual case.
9. Unilateral pain may alternate from attack to attack, covering the left, then the right side of the head, or the occipital region.

According to medical research, migraine often affects women, experiencing an average of 7 attacks per month 6 against attacks in men seizure duration is 7.5 hours in women and men - 6.5 hours. The reasons for the attack in women are the changes in atmospheric pressure, air temperature and other climate changes, and for men - intensive exercise. Also differ and symptoms associated with migraines: women more often nausea and impaired sense of smell, and men - photophobia and depression.

How to relieve pain at home?

With minor manifestations of migraine, relieve pain from the attack possible without medication, which requires:

• allowed a "otsypanie";
• cold and hot shower;
• mimic gymnastics;
• washing head;
• massage of the head and neck;
• acupuncture;
• yoga classes;
• homeopathy.

The most simple means at hand to alleviate the suffering from migraines in the home are tablets analgesics available without recipe containing Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Aspirin, Paracetamol (the latter is the least effective) acting faster and stronger as "Effervescent" forms.

To reduce nausea or vomiting manifestations can use antiemetics, including in the form of rectal suppositories. Antiemetics, analgesics promoting absorption from the gastrointestinal tract, strengthen their action.

How to treat a migraine?

In the home treatment of migraine involves two main areas - cupping already developed attack, and prevention of attacks in the future.

Cupping. Only a neurologist may designate any funds for anesthesia during a migraine attack, it depends on the intensity and duration. If the attack, medium or low severity and last no longer than 2 days, the doctor prescribes simple analgesics, possibly combined.

1. Combination preparations containing codeine, paracetamol, metamizol fenobarbetal and sodium.
2. NSAID (ibuprofen), paracetamol (contraindicated in pathologies the kidneys and liver), acetylsalicylic acid (it is impossible to take a tendency to bleeding and in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract).
3. If the intensity of the pain is high, the duration of attacks over 2 days, the prescribed triptans for migraine (a list of all the modern triptans, prices, how to take them properly). They are available in the candlelight, solutions, sprays, infections.
4. Non-selective agonists - Ergotamine and others.
5. Auxiliary psychotropic drugs - domperidone, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine.

Triptans, are drugs developed 20 years ago and derived serotonin. They operate in several directions:

1. Triptans selectively affect vessels, reducing painful pulsation only in the brain without affecting the rest of the vascular system of the body.
2. Affect only the specific producing substances (receptors) that trigger the appearance of pain, reduced their number - and the pain goes away.
3. It has a pronounced analgesic effect, reducing the sensitivity of the trigeminal nerve.

In the classical variant of migraine with aura can help Papazol adopted in the first few minutes. Someone helps a hot tub, someone exposure to cold, the third relieves the pressure chamber.

Experimental methods for the treatment of migraine

For experimental procedures include treatment with hypnosis, electronic devices, special plaster. However, there is no evidence of their effectiveness, and more research is needed.

Due to having a role in the pathogenesis of migraine violation cellular metabolism and the activation of lipid peroxidation, along with conventional medication pathogenetically justified the appointment of antioxidants and metabolic products that will improve energy processes in the cells and protect them from damage by free radicals (a combination of vitamins A, E, C, coenzyme Q10, ANTIOXICAPS, emoksipin).

For example, a study was recently published, which was attended by 1550 children and adolescents suffering from frequent migraine attacks. In the course of it has been shown in a number of patients had low levels of coenzyme Q10 in the plasma, and that advice BAD use containing coenzyme Q10, can lead to an improvement in some of the clinical signs. The authors concluded that the required analysis with a qualitative research methodology to confirm these observations.

In another study, 42 patients receiving the authors compared the efficacy of Coenzyme Q10 (300 mg / day) and placebo: coenzyme Q10 was significantly effective than placebo in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks, duration of headache attacks and duration of nausea after 3 months treatment. The authors evaluated coenzyme Q10 as an effective and well-tolerated agent prophylaxis of migraine symptoms.

A group of plastic surgeons University Hospitals of Cleveland about ten years working on the hypothesis that in some cases the cause of recurrent headaches and migraines is the irritation of the trigeminal nerve caused by a spasm of the muscles around it. Published the results of research confirming the weakening or disappearance of the headache while Botox injections and surgical removal of the relevant muscles.

Alternative methods for the treatment of migraine

Other ways to treat this disease:

1. Biofeedback. This is a special kind of relaxation with the help of special equipment. During the procedure, a person learns to control physiological responses to various influences, such as stress.
2. Acupuncture. Studies have shown that this procedure helps to cope with the headaches of various origins, including migraine. But acupuncture is safe and effective only if it holds a certified specialist, with special sterile needles.
3. Cognitive behavioral therapy. It helps some people who suffer from migraines.
4. Massage. Effective means of prevention, helping to make migraine attacks less frequent.
5. Herbs, vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals. Prevent and make a few migraine attacks help tools such as herb butterbur, feverfew, high doses of riboflavin (vitamin B2), coenzyme Q10, magnesium. But before applying them it is necessary to consult with your doctor.

Prevention of migraine attacks

Nemudrenyh following these recommendations, you can avoid the attack of provocation:

1. To diet and nutrition, do not rush during meal and snack "on the fly".
2. Do sleep hygiene, the duration of which should be 7-8 hours, where a daily "quiet time" should be completely abolished. You need to go to bed in a quiet, nerazdrazhennom state at one and the same time (but not too early) to get up, too, would be good to train yourself in the same hour.
3. To minimize stressful situations, always have on hand a harmless means of dealing with them (valerian tablets, etc.), as well as do not forget that in some cases it is desirable to enlist the help of a therapist who will help to learn how to control their behavior.
4. Do not get involved with alcohol, nicotine and coffee, but if you can afford your favorite coffee drink does not more than two cups a day (in the morning), the alcohol with tobacco products should be avoided at all.
5. Under no circumstances should not ignore the use of medicinal preventive antimigraine agents prescribed by your doctor. They should also always be on hand.
6. Bad periodically spa treatment or preventive treatment in a local where possible receive non-pharmacological prevention (physiotherapy, neck massage, acupuncture).

One has to agree that the fight against migraine is difficult, but possible. Usually disciplined patients are aware of their illness and all cope in most cases, though, of course, they are not to be envied, to be on the alert all the time. "Road by walking!" - the ancients said.

Forecast

With proper and comprehensive treatment prognosis for this disease - encouraging. Presence of the disease may be evidence of serious diseases, including cancer, abscess, brain inflammation, encephalitis, vascular aneurysm, hydrocephalus, etc.

The risk group of people who have migraines may include residents of large cities that are vibrant lifestyle and neglect the rest, the girls and women between the ages of 20 years (especially during menstruation), as well as people with a genetic predisposition to migraines.

For a correct diagnosis and optimal treatment is necessary to seek help from a neurologist. Only an experienced doctor will be able to distinguish the symptoms of migraine from other syndromes with similar symptoms, as well as offering a gradual, effective therapy.