Migraine Misery: Causes, Symptoms and Treatments Explored

What is a Migraine?

Migraine is a condition that causes intense and pulsating pain, often on one side of the head. A migraine attack can last from 4 to 72 hours, resulting in exhaustion for the individual afterwards.

Two common types of migraine are:

• Migraine without aura
• Migraine with aura. The aura refers to sensory disturbances just before or during a migraine attack. These can include visual problems like flashing lights, blind spots or blurry vision. Other aura symptoms can include tingling and speech problems.

Contents

• What is a Migraine?
• What Causes Migraines?
• Migraine Symptoms
• Diagnosing Migraines
• Treating Migraine Attacks
• Preventing Migraines
• Self-care tips for migraine

What Causes Migraines?

Migraine is not fully understood, but it is thought to involve changes to nerves and blood vessels in the brain. Genetics also appear to play a part, and you are more likely to experience migraine if a close family member has it.

Migraine Symptoms

As well as a severe headache, migraines have several associated symptoms including:

• Increased sensitivity to light and sound
• Nausea and vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Temporary vision loss or flashing lights
• Tingling sensations or numbness

Symptoms can vary between migraine attacks. Some people experience warning signs like food cravings, mood changes or neck stiffness.

The location, intensity and quality of migraine pain can differ between attacks and individuals. Some people describe throbbing pain, while others experience a constant ache and tightness.

Diagnosing Migraines

Migraines are usually diagnosed by a doctor asking about your symptoms. They may ask you to keep a headache diary to identify any triggers or patterns. Sometimes other tests are needed to rule out conditions like stroke, meningitis or headaches caused by an underlying condition. But for most people, a detailed headache history is enough for a migraine diagnosis. Doctors will try to rule out secondary headaches caused by infection, medication overuse or underlying conditions like giant cell arteritis. Migraines have no definitive diagnostic test.

Seek urgent medical help for a sudden, extremely painful headache, or a headache accompanied by symptoms such as weakness, problems speaking, loss of vision, confusion or a seizure. These symptoms can have causes other than migraine and need urgent assessment.

Treating Migraine Attacks

When a migraine attack starts, it helps to stop what you’re doing and rest in a quiet, dark room. Over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen can provide relief when taken early on. Your doctor may prescribe migraine-specific medicines such as triptans or gepants, or medicines to help with nausea and vomiting. These work best when taken at the first signs of an attack.

Taking painkillers too frequently can contribute to medication-overuse headaches. If you regularly need painkillers for migraine, speak to your GP or pharmacist about the most appropriate way to manage your attacks.

Preventing Migraines

Identifying and avoiding potential migraine triggers can help reduce the number of attacks. Commonly reported triggers include:

• Stress
• Hormonal changes
• Lack of sleep
• Dehydration
• Missing or delaying meals
• Caffeine or changes in caffeine intake
• Alcohol
• Flickering lights

Keeping a diary can help identify your unique triggers. Since triggers are different for everyone, it takes some detective work to sort out which ones to avoid.

Preventive treatment may be considered if migraine attacks are frequent or significantly affect your quality of life. A GP can discuss the benefits and risks of the available options and which treatment may be suitable for you. If your migraine is associated with a particular trigger, identifying and managing that trigger may also help reduce attacks.

Self-care tips for migraine

In addition to medical treatments, there are several self-care techniques that may help with migraine symptoms:

Rest in a dark, quiet room

Light, sounds and smells can worsen migraine pain. Retreating to a darkened, quiet room can help ease symptoms.

Apply a cold compress

Some people find that applying a cold compress to the head or neck provides relief during a migraine attack. Make sure to wrap an ice pack in a towel rather than applying it directly to the skin.

Stay hydrated

Dehydration can trigger or worsen migraines. Drinking water regularly may help, particularly if dehydration is one of your migraine triggers.

Use essential oils with care

Some people use essential oils such as lavender or peppermint as part of their relaxation routine, although evidence for their effectiveness in treating migraine is limited. Essential oils should not replace established migraine treatments. If applying an essential oil to the skin, it should be appropriately diluted and used according to the product instructions.

Try acupuncture

There is some evidence that acupuncture can help prevent migraine attacks or reduce their frequency. It may be considered as a preventive treatment for some people, particularly when other treatments are unsuitable or have not worked.

Exercise regularly

Aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, swimming or cycling may help reduce migraine frequency for some people. But avoid intense workouts during a migraine attack.

Get enough sleep

Lack of sleep is a common migraine trigger. Most adults need 7-9 hours per night. Go to bed and wake up at consistent times and limit screen time before bed.

Consider supplements

Some supplements have been studied for migraine prevention. Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is among the options sometimes considered, while there is also research into supplements such as magnesium. Evidence and appropriate doses vary, so speak to your GP or pharmacist before starting a supplement for migraine prevention, particularly if you take medicines or have an existing health condition.

Keeping a migraine diary where you track symptoms, triggers and treatments can help you discover patterns and identify which approaches may work best for you. Finding the right treatment approach can take time, but keeping a migraine diary and discussing persistent or frequent attacks with your GP can help identify suitable treatment and prevention options.

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