If you happen to be a victim of constant headaches, you are not alone. Headaches, especially migraines are attacks of moderate or even severe pain that occur as a result of specific alterations in one’s brain. However not all headaches are migraines and given below are some of the main indications and symptoms of a migraine.
Major symptoms of migraine
- Nausea and sometimes even vomiting
- Throbbing pain in the eyes
- Extreme sensitiveness to sound and light
- A pain similar to a kind of severe pounding that occurs normally on one side of the head
- Blind spots
Common triggers of migraine
While the cause of migraine headaches cannot be clearly identified in some people, the most common culprits of a migraine include:
- Rooms filled with smoke of any kind
- Flickering or bright lights
- Allergic reactions
- Dehydration
- Passive or active smoking
- Physical stress like fatigue, exercise or jet lag
- Irregular sleep patterns
- Hormonal alterations like fluctuations in menstrual cycle, menopause or ingestion of birth control tablets
- Tension headaches
Treatment for Migraines
- Normally migraine is treated with either prescription medications or over the counter pills. Common medications include Frova, Axert, Imitrex, Sumav, Zolmitripan and Maxalt, etc.
- It is found that alterations in diet and lifestyle and regular exercise can aid the lowering of the frequency of these migraine attacks.
- Steering clear of foods that trigger migraine attacks is also a good move to combat migraines.
- It has also been proven that drinking caffeinated beverages in small quantities can provide commendable relief during the primary stages.
- Temperature therapy, both cold and hot compresses on the neck and head are found to provide a numbing effect that will help to relax the tensed muscles. Even having hot baths are found to provide relief to the pain.
- Relaxing in a dark room with lights off and without any sound disturbances is found to be quite helpful in relief from pain.
- Acupuncture is also a good alternative to provide cure for migraine headaches.
Preventive Measures
- Having vitamin B2 supplements on a regular basis for around three months has been proven to be quite effective in lowering migraine frequency.
- Herb butterbur has also been found to be a wonderful remedy to avert migraines to an extent as it aids proper flow of blood to various parts of the brain.
