Migraine Headaches

It’s 5a.m and I can barely move; everything is blurry, my right hand is numb, and the right side of my head is pounding. A couple hours later everything transferred from my right side of my body to the left side of my body. It is a migraine that I am having, and this has been my life since 6th grade.

Migraine headaches are the third most prevalent illness in the world, and ranked as the sixth most disabling illness. Statistics show that only about fifty percent of people who suffer from chronic headaches know that they’re suffering from a migraine. 76% of people who suffer from migraines worry that they will suffer for the rest of their lives, and 37% of sufferers worried about their migraines between attacks. Studies found that approximately 12% of Americans suffer from migraines, and 40% of Americans could benefit from preventative therapies. Even though studies show that at least 40% of sufferers could benefit from preventative therapies, only one in five sufferers are currently using preventative therapies. Studies also show that over 25% of people who suffer from migraine attacks miss at least one working day over the past three months, and nine out of ten sufferers say that they cannot “function normally” during those days. At least 98 percent of migraine attack sufferers take medications for temporary headache relief, whether it be over the counter or prescription. Only 12% of sufferers take preventative medications as opposed to the 98% of sufferers taking medications for relief. Severe migraines are ranked in the highest of seven disability classes, along with psychosis, dementia, and quadriplegia, published by the World Health Organization. People who participated in a survey who admitted to a

Migraines contrary to old beliefs are not just bad headaches! Migraines are actually a neurological disease that affects 38 million people worldwide, according to the Migraine Research Foundation, 1 in 4 U.S households have at least one person who suffers from debilitating migraines living there. Although there is no cure for migraines, the vast majority of these victims use Excedrin Migraine or Advil Migraine to try to dull the sharp, throbbing pains they experience. These over the counter pain relievers may be very similar but they also have many differences.

In summary, Miss A came to seek medical attention with the onset of a scale of 8/10 Migraine headache of 2 days. After careful examining her and taking a complete history, Miss A is diagnosed with Migraine headache without aura. The NP is able to establish a treatment plan with Miss A’s involvement. The treatment plan includes: acute Migraine management and prophylaxis management. The acute Migraine management is proven to be effective for her as the evidence of pain relief: her headache was a scale of 2/10 after taking Sumatriptan combined with Naproxen. She also reports the nausea was improved after taking Metochlopromide and was able to consume normal oral intake. The prophylaxis intervention includes therapeutic teaching on healthy diet, effective scheduling on school and work, ensure plenty rest period, and relaxation

Chronic migraine is a debilitating condition with over $1 billion in medical cost and $16 billion in lost productivity per year in the United States. (25) Here we examine the efficacy of onabotulinumtoxinA [botox] injections versus topiramate as prophylactic therapy for chronic migraine (CM) in adults. Chronic migraine (CM) is a specific and relatively newly defined sub-type of Chronic Daily Headache (CDH) defined as “more than fifteen headache days per month over a three month period of which more than eight are migrainous, in the absence of medication over use. Episodic migraine is the other migraine sub-type, which is defined as less than 15 headache days per month.” (14)

Other nonpharmacological options that may be beneficial in the prevention of migraine headaches include: biofeedback, other forms of relaxation training, cognitive-behavioral therapies, acupuncture, and transcutaneous electrical

A migraine is a common, chronic, and debilitating neurovascular disorder. It is characterized by attacks of serve headache along with autonomic nervous system dysfunction and some patients an aura neurological symptom (Goadsby, Lipton, & Ferrari, 2002). There are two types of migraines classical migraine and common migraine. Classical migraine is one that either preceded or accompanied by focal neurological symptoms which are generally visual, this occurs in 15% of patients and is referred to migraine with aura (Goadsby, Lipton, & Ferrari, 2002). Common Migraine is one that has episodes of head pain that are severe and throbbing and can last 4 to 72 hours. These are migraines without aura and are usually associated with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, sound or movement (Sorge et al., 1988). When diagnosed with frequent migraine attacks, doctors try to understand what the cause of a subject’s migraines are which can be due to many variables such as stress, sleep deprivation or menstruation.

Though there has been advances in the treatment options for both acute and chronic migrane, patients are still suffering unnecessarily because of underuse of these medications[15,16]. After the preventive

Migraine headaches are very different from typical headaches. They tend to be a lifelong battle with severe, repeated attacks (Headache Disorders, 2016). There is a process involved in the development of every migraine. Usually, one of many possible triggers causes the brain to signal inflammation in and around the head, and that inflammation causes the pain for which migraines are well known (Davis). One of the challenges of living with migraine headaches is identifying triggers. Triggers are unique to each migraine sufferer and can include foods, odors, lighting, and chemicals, among many others (Davis). People living with migraines must be prepared at all times, because it is usually impossible to know in advance when they will encounter a migraine trigger, whether known or unknown.

“Understanding Migraine Headaches,” a pop culture article, prevails itself as a concise, but accurate description about migraines, its causes, treatments, and other interesting facts. This article explained migraines to be highly concentrated and severe headaches. It also revealed the fact that auras often precede a migraine allowing a migraineur to be prepared for the coming wrath. The article also describes the possible causes of migraines- disturbances in nerve patterns. Along with this, the article also explained about treatments for migraines which happen to be medication which can lower the pain of a migraine and prevent them for short periods of time. The article even talked about rebound headaches -headaches which come as a result of overmedication. The article even described the effect of migraines on strokes.

Many genetic factors are also clearly an indicative of the susceptibility to migraine headaches. While the exact mechanism remains uncertain, it is thought that migraines are caused by genetic abnormalities that cause hyper-excitability of the nervous system. The nerve terminals release neurotransmitters such as substance P, neurokinin A (NKA), and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which then binds to the receptors on intracranial blood vessels, causing vasodilation, mast cell degranulation, increased vascular permeability and blood vessel edema, plasma protein extravasation, and sterile inflammation. The cranial nerves are then reactivated causing the pain experienced during a migraine.

Migraines have been attempted to be treated for years, beginning with primitive and painful treatments and evolving into modern medicines. In the past, migraines were treated in rough ways, largely based on superstition. These included embedding a clove a garlic in the victim’s head through an incision in the temple, drilling a hole in the skull to release “evil spirits,” applying a red-hot iron to the affected area, and bloodletting, or the cutting of a victim in order for blood to be released (“Historical Overview”). Luckily, newer and less brutal methods have been developed to treat migraines. These largely consist of medications. There are two main categories of prescribed and unprescribed medications used for migraine treatment. One such category is drugs taken at the onset of a migraine. Medications taken at the first sign of a migraine are over-the-counter painkillers, ergotamines, triptans, antinausea medications, and opioids (Healthline Editorial Team). Mild painkillers are

I have always suffered from migraines since I was little I have never seemed to outgrow them I have always felt because my mom suffered from them too she gave them to me as well. Furthermore, doing some research on this subject I came a across an article by the Mayo Clinic (mayo.clinic.com) who described the definition of migraines and the symptoms. Migraines can be described as an, intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. In addition, when a migraine attack happens it can cause significant pain for hours or even days some individuals who suffered from are accompanied by sensory warning symptoms, such as flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling in your arm or leg. Treat for a migraine can vary usually medicine will work (I.e. Excedrin or Advil) if treat still hasn’t worked for talk to your doctor about medicines you can take and

According to Key Facts and Figures about Migraine (2014), migraines are the most common neurological condition in the developed world, even more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined. The statistics on migraines are very alarming because of the very little knowledge of the actual cause of the disease. The migraine trust compiled a list of different studies and concluded the following. “Severe migraine attacks are classified as among the most disabling illness, comparable to dementia, quadriplegia, and active psychosis. There are an estimated 190,000 migraine attacks every day. Depression is three times more likely in people with migraines, Migraines remains undiagnosed and undertreated in at least 50% of patients. Over half

The individuals who experience the ill effects of the loathsome head pains, which can likewise trigger queasiness, regurgitating and additional affectability to sound or light, know that it is so difficult to go about everyday life when one strikes. Yet, they might not have acknowledged how weight impacts them.