“I don’t want that explosion in my head that my father used to have,” said Ramesh N., an 18-year-old engineering student, during his visit to my clinic. He was distressed by a severe headache that had lasted 5-6 hours, especially with exams around the corner. The throbbing pain made it impossible for him to concentrate.
Headaches are a common reason for visits to physicians, with migraine being the second most common cause of headache globally. Despite its prevalence, migraine often goes unnoticed or misunderstood, especially in childhood and adolescence. Many parents and teachers dismiss it as an excuse to avoid studying or working.
Migraine is a benign, episodic syndrome characterized by headache and accompanying neurological symptoms. A positive family history of migraines is common in those affected.
What Is Migraine?
A migraine attack can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours. While predicting when an attack will occur is challenging, the pattern of each attack can often be identified. Understanding the stages of a migraine and sharing a detailed history with a doctor can help in diagnosis and treatment, reducing the intensity or frequency of attacks.
Stages of Migraine
Prodormal Phase: This phase includes subtle physical or mental changes like mood swings, thirst, or tiredness. It may last for minutes or hours.
Aura Phase: Neurological symptoms appear during this phase, such as:
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- Visual disturbances (dark spots, colored spots, or zigzag lines)
- Numbness or weakness
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Speech changes or confusion
Attack Phase: The headache begins, often behind the eyes. It is typically severe, throbbing, and unilateral but can sometimes be bilateral. This stage is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light (photophobia) or sound (phonophobia).
Postdromal Phase: After the headache subsides, many experience lingering effects like fatigue or a “hangover” feeling, which can take hours or even days to resolve.
Diagnosing Migraine: A simplified diagnostic criterion includes repeated headaches lasting 4-72 hours with no underlying physical or neurological causes. Migraine symptoms include:
- Unilateral pain
- Throbbing sensation
- Worsening with movement
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sensitivity to light and sound
While the exact timing of an episode is unpredictable, lifestyle changes and triggers management can reduce the frequency or severity of attacks.
- Identifying and avoiding triggers is one of the most important ways to avoid an attack.
- Research shows that foods like nuts, cheese, citrus foods, chocolates, hot and spicy food, fermented, sour foods, alcohol and smoking can trigger a migraine attack.
- Untimely meals, irregular sleeping patterns which result in lack of sleep, excessive intake of processed or junk food, overthinking, extended exposure to laptops, mobile phones can all be responsible for triggering an attack.
- Increased exposure to direct sunlight is known to cause an attack. If sun exposure cannot be decreased or stopped, one must wear glasses and have to protect oneself. One must also be aware of strong odours and changes in weather.
- Being constantly acidic or constipated will always make you prone for repeated attacks.
A lifestyle change with proper sleeping hours, adequate water and the right food intake along with minimum 30minutes exercise will cause wonders in the management of Migraine.
- Certain yoga postures are extremely beneficial for migraine. Some of these are moon salutation, boat pose, bow pose (dhanurasan), spinal twist (matsyendrassana), tree pose and standing on toes.
- Meditation puts your mind at ease and reduces stress levels which brings a balance in one’s being.
- Pranayam (breathing exercises) has a long term impact in maintaining good health.
- 5 drops of brahmi ghee in each nostrils sometimes helps relieve the pain.
- During an attack it is best that you confine yourself to a closed dark room to avoid any loud sounds and excess light.
- You can also try tying a scarf or dupatta around your head if the pain is too much. Place some eye cubes wrapped in a towel on your eyes.
- Medicines are available to halt the progression of aura to a full-blown attack or to manage pain during the headache phase. However, always seek a doctor’s advice before taking any medication.
Migraines often improve over time, with many experiencing reduced severity and frequency after early adulthood. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can bring long-term benefits, making migraine episodes less frequent and more manageable.
If this article helped you understand migraines better, share your thoughts in the comments below! For further information or guidance, reach out to our certified experts by subscribing to GOQii’s Personalised Health Coaching here.
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