Migraine is a chronic neurological disease characterized by recurrent severe headaches. A distinctive feature is that most often the pain spreads only to one half of the head. This is a very common problem. It is found in 10% of people. Attacks can occur rarely - several times a year, but in most patients they occur 1-2 times a week.

The fair half of humanity often suffers from attacks of severe headaches. But many men also face this problem. Another name for migraine is the disease of aristocrats. It is believed that headaches occur more often in people who engage in mental work.

What is it?

Migraine is a neurological disease, the most common and characteristic symptom of which is episodic or regular severe and painful attacks of headache in one (rarely in both) half of the head.

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

The very first symptoms that resemble migraines were described by ancient healers from the time of the Sumerian civilization even before the birth of Christ in 3000 BC. A little later (around 400 AD), Hippocrates identified migraine as a disease and described its symptoms. However, migraine owes its name to the ancient Roman physician Claudius Galen. In addition, he was the first to identify a feature of migraine - the localization of pain in one half of the head.

It is noteworthy that migraines often become the companion of geniuses. This disease, like no other, “loves” active and emotional people who give preference to mental work. For example, such outstanding personalities as Pontius Pilate, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Edgar Allan Poe, Karl Marx, Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, Julius Caesar, Sigmund Freud, Darwin, Newton suffered from it. Modern celebrities have not escaped migraines either. Suffering from headache attacks, such famous personalities as Whoopi Goldberg, Janet Jackson, Ben Affleck and others live and work.

Another interesting fact (though it has not been scientifically proven): migraines are more likely to affect people who strive for perfection. Such individuals are ambitious and ambitious, their brains are constantly working. It’s not enough for them to do everything perfectly, they have to be the best. Therefore, they are very responsible and conscientious about everything, they work “for themselves and for that guy.” Essentially, they are workaholics.

The mechanism of development of migraine headaches

As you know, migraine is a special type of headache, the mechanism of development of which is unique and unlike any other. Therefore, most headache medications are ineffective for migraines.

A migraine attack occurs in several successive phases:

1. Spasm of the arterial vessels of the brain and the development of short-term hypoxia of the brain. It is with this phase that the development of migraine aura is associated.
2. Then comes dilatation, or expansion, of all types of brain vessels (arteries, veins, venules, arterioles and capillaries). At this stage, a typical throbbing headache develops.
3. Swelling of the walls of blood vessels and the perivascular space develops, which makes them rigid to signals for reverse narrowing. This phenomenon determines the duration of migraine headaches.
4. The last stage is characterized by the reverse development of migraine and is also called post-migraine syndrome. For some time after the pain stops, the patient may complain of general weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of “staleness” in the head.

Despite the available data on the nature of migraine headaches, new information appears every day, as this problem is actively studied by scientists around the world. For example, according to recent medical publications, the hypothalamus of the brain plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of migraine, and this provides new opportunities for the invention of effective drugs for the treatment and prevention of migraine.

Causes of migraine

One of the mysteries is the causes of migraines. Based on many years of observations, it was possible to establish some patterns of the occurrence of attacks.

Migraines affect both men and women, but they occur twice as often in women as in men. There is a dependence of the incidence of the disease on lifestyle, so it has been established that people who are most susceptible to migraines are socially active and ambitious people, people in professions that require high mental activity, as well as housewives. Cases of migraine are extremely rare among people in working professions whose activities involve constant physical activity.

People suffering from it attribute many factors to the causes of migraine, but in fact, their direct influence on the development of the attack could not be established, so such factors can only be considered predisposing, or a “trigger moment” that is triggered when the true cause of the disease appears. Causes of migraine include:

• Some types of products: hard aged cheeses, red wine, chocolate, fish of the mackerel family, smoked meats, coffee;
• Stress or experienced psycho-emotional arousal;
• Certain types of medications, such as oral contraceptives;
• Sudden changes in weather (weather-dependent form of migraine);
• Strong physical activity;
• Premenstrual syndrome.

Typically, experienced patients know what exactly provokes a migraine attack in them, and they try to exclude the influence of this factor, thus they manage to reduce the frequency of attacks, but not get rid of them completely.

Classification

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

• hemiplegic (the ability to perform an action with a hand or foot is lost);
• migraine status (lasts more than one day).
• retinal (affects half of the head and the eye area, a sharp decrease in vision is possible);
• basilar (occurs in young women, fraught with cerebral infarction in the absence of adequate treatment);
• ophthalmological (affects the visual organs, drooping of the eyelid occurs, loss of visual function);
• abdominal (often found in children and young men, accompanied by cramps and abdominal pain);

In medical practice, there are also concepts of migraine with and without aura.

Without an aura, the patient experiences frequent headache attacks that can last from four hours to three days in a row. Pain sensations are fixed in a specific part of the head (at a point). The pain intensifies with physical activity, as well as intense mental activity.

Aura is accompanied by a large number of complex, sometimes mixed symptoms that occur long before the attack or immediately with its onset.

Migraine symptoms

The most basic symptoms of migraine in women and men are throbbing, paroxysmal pain in half the head, lasting from 4 to 72 hours. When bending over, the pain intensifies - this is due to excessive expansion of the blood vessels.

A migraine attack may be preceded by an aura - various neurological symptoms: vestibular, motor, sensory, auditory, visual. Visual aura occurs more often than others when a person sees many bright flashes in the left or right field of vision, fragments of the visual field fall out or objects are distorted.

So, the main signs of migraine are as follows:

1. Precursors of migraine are weakness, a feeling of unmotivated fatigue, inability to concentrate, and attention problems. After attacks, a postdrome is sometimes observed - drowsiness, weakness, pallor of the skin.
2. Nausea is an important symptom that helps differentiate migraine pain from other types of pain. This symptom always accompanies attacks and is sometimes so severe that it leads to vomiting. At the same time, the patient’s condition is subjectively alleviated; he feels better for a few minutes. If vomiting does not bring relief, and the pain does not subside within several days, then this may be a sign of migraine status and requires hospital treatment.
3. The nature of pain during migraine differs from other headaches - starting from the temple, throbbing and pressing pain gradually covers half of the head, spreading to the forehead and eyes.
4. In 10% of cases of migraine in women, it occurs during menstruation and lasts a day or two from its onset. Menstrual migraine affects one third of all women who have this disease.
5. With migraine, there is always one or more accompanying symptoms - photophobia, nausea, vomiting, fear of sound, disturbances in smell, vision or attention.
6. Oral contraceptives and other drugs that affect hormonal balance, including hormone replacement therapy, can significantly increase the risk of an attack, in 80% of cases increasing its intensity.
7. The arteries in the temple area are tense and pulsating, pain and tension increase with movement, so patients endure the principle in bed, in a quiet and dark room, to minimize the amount of external irritants.
8. Irritability, anxiety, fatigue, drowsiness, pale or red skin, anxiety and depression are symptoms associated with migraine that may or may not appear in each individual case.
9. One-sided pain can alternate from attack to attack, covering either the left or right side of the head or the occipital region.

According to medical research, women are more likely to suffer from migraines, experiencing an average of 7 attacks per month versus 6 attacks in men, and the duration of attacks is 7.5 hours in women and 6.5 hours in men. The causes of an attack in women are changes in atmospheric pressure, air temperature and other climate changes, and in men - intense physical activity. The symptoms accompanying migraines also differ: women are more likely to experience nausea and impaired sense of smell, and men are more likely to experience photophobia and depression.

How to relieve pain at home?

With minor manifestations of migraine, pain from an attack can be relieved without medication, for which you need to:

• allowing yourself to “sleep”;
• contrast shower;
• facial gymnastics;
• washing your hair;
• head and neck massage;
• acupuncture;
• yoga classes;
• homeopathy.

The simplest home remedy for relieving migraine pain is over-the-counter analgesic tablets containing Ibuprofen, Nurofen, Aspirin, Paracetamol (the latter is the least effective), acting faster and stronger in the form of “effervescent” forms.

To reduce the symptoms of nausea or vomiting, you can use antiemetics, including in the form of rectal suppositories. Antiemetic drugs, promoting the absorption of analgesics from the gastrointestinal tract, enhance their effect.

How to treat migraine?

At home, migraine treatment involves 2 main directions - stopping an attack that has already developed, and preventing the occurrence of attacks in the future.

Stopping an attack. Only a neurologist can prescribe any pain relief during a migraine attack; it depends on the intensity and duration. If the attack is of moderate or mild severity and lasts no more than 2 days, then the doctor prescribes simple analgesics, possibly combined.

1. Combination drugs containing codeine, paracetamol, phenobarbetal and metamizole sodium.
2. NSAIDs (ibuprofen), paracetamol (contraindicated in kidney and liver pathologies), acetylsalicylic acid (cannot be taken if you are prone to bleeding or have gastrointestinal diseases).
3. If the intensity of the pain is high, the duration of attacks is more than 2 days, then Triptans for migraine are prescribed (list of all modern triptans, prices, how to take them correctly). They are available in suppositories, solutions, sprays, and infections.
4. Non-selective agonists - Ergotamine, etc.
5. Auxiliary psychotropic drugs - domperidone, metoclopramide, chlorpromazine.

Triptans are drugs developed 20 years ago and are derivatives of serotonin. They act in several directions at once:

1. Triptans act selectively on blood vessels, reducing painful pulsation only in the brain, without affecting the rest of the body's vascular system.
2. They act only on special producing substances (receptors) that provoke the appearance of pain, their number is reduced and the pain goes away.
3. They have a pronounced analgesic effect, reducing the sensitivity of the trigeminal nerve.

For the classic version of migraine with aura, Papazol taken in the first minutes can help. For some, a hot bath helps, for others, exposure to cold, for others, a pressure chamber alleviates their condition.

Experimental treatments for migraine

Experimental methods include treatment using hypnosis, electronic devices, and a special adhesive plaster. However, there is no evidence of their effectiveness and more research is needed.

Due to the disruption of cellular metabolism and activation of lipid peroxidation that occurs in the pathogenesis of migraine, along with conventional drug treatment, the prescription of antioxidants and metabolic drugs that improve energy processes in cells and protect them from damage by free radicals (a combination of vitamins A, E, C, coenzyme Q10, antioxycaps, emoxypin).

For example, a study was recently published that involved 1,550 children and adolescents suffering from frequent migraine attacks. It showed that a number of patients had low plasma levels of coenzyme Q10, and that the recommendation of dietary supplements containing coenzyme Q10 may lead to an improvement in some clinical signs. The authors concluded that to confirm such observations, analyzes with more scientifically sound methodology are required.

In another study of 42 patients, the authors compared the effectiveness of CoQ10 (300 mg/day) and placebo: CoQ10 was significantly more effective than placebo in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks, the duration of headache attacks, and the duration of nausea attacks after 3 months of treatment. The authors evaluate CoQ10 as an effective and well-tolerated means of preventing migraine manifestations.

A team of plastic surgeons at University Hospitals of Cleveland has been working for about a decade on the hypothesis that in some cases, the cause of recurrent headaches and migraines is irritation of the trigeminal nerve caused by spasm of the muscles around it. Studies have been published confirming that headaches are reduced or eliminated by Botox injections and surgical removal of the associated muscles.

Alternative Migraine Treatments

Other ways to treat this disease:

1. Biofeedback. This is a special type of relaxation using 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 cope with headaches of various origins, including migraine. But acupuncture is effective and safe only if it is performed by a certified specialist using special sterile needles.
3. Cognitive behavioral therapy. Helps some people with migraines.
4. Massage. An effective preventive measure that helps make migraine attacks less frequent.
5. Herbs, vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements. Such remedies as butterbur herb, feverfew, high doses of riboflavin (vitamin B2), coenzyme Q10, and magnesium help prevent and make migraine attacks less frequent. But before using them, you should definitely consult your doctor.

Preventing migraine attacks

1. Follow your diet and nutrition regimen, do not rush during meals and do not snack on the go.
2. Practice sleep hygiene, the duration of which should be 7-8 hours, where the daytime “quiet hour” should be completely abolished. You need to go to bed in a calm, non-irritable state at the same time (but not too early); it would also be good to get up at the same time.
3. Reduce stressful situations to a minimum, always have harmless means of dealing with them at hand (valerian tablets, etc.), and also do not forget that in other cases it is advisable to seek the help of a psychotherapist who will help you learn to control your behavior.
4. Do not get carried away with alcohol, nicotine and coffee, but if you can afford no more than two cups of your favorite coffee drink a day (in the first half of the day), then you should avoid alcohol and tobacco products altogether.
5. Under no circumstances should you ignore the use of preventive anti-migraine medications prescribed by your doctor. They should also always be at hand.
6. It is a good idea to periodically undergo spa treatment or treatment at a local dispensary, where you can get non-drug preventive measures (physiotherapy, neck massage, acupuncture).

We must agree that fighting migraines is difficult, but possible. Usually disciplined patients know everything about their illness and in most cases cope, although, of course, you cannot envy them; you need to be on guard all the time. “The one who walks will master the road!” - said the ancients.

Forecast

With competent and comprehensive therapy, the prognosis for this disease is encouraging. The presence of the disease can be evidence of the development of serious ailments, including cancer, abscess, inflammation of the brain, encephalitis, vascular aneurysms, hydrocephalus, etc.

The risk group of people who may experience migraines includes residents of large cities who lead a dynamic lifestyle and neglect rest, girls and women over the age of 20 (especially during menstruation), as well as people with a genetic predisposition to migraines.

For correct diagnosis and optimal treatment, you need to seek help from a neurologist. Only an experienced doctor will be able to distinguish the signs of migraine from other syndromes with similar symptoms, and also recommend step-by-step, effective therapy.

Headaches bother many people. More often they are not dangerous for humans and are one of the signs of overexertion or overwork of the body. But in some cases, it may indicate serious pathologies, such as hemiplegic, facial or pharyngeal migraine, which require medical attention.

Vertebral artery syndrome as a cause of pain

Vertebral artery syndrome– pathological processes occurring in the body and caused by compression of the arteries of the spine. These arteries pass through the openings of the vertebral processes in the neck and connect in the cranial cavity with the basilar artery. And along its entire length it can be compressed by bone and cartilaginous growths, a herniated disc, a spasmed muscle, etc.

All this causes reflex spasms of the vertebral artery, which causes the lumen to decrease and the blood supply to decrease. In this case, a person feels a headache, which can begin from the back of the head and neck, then spread towards the forehead, crown, temples, ear and eyes. More often, migraines are one-sided, constant or paroxysmal in nature, and intensify during neck movements.

Pain often occurs when lightly touching the scalp or when combing the hair. When turning your head or bending, you may feel an unpleasant burning sensation in the neck area, and you may hear a crunching sound. This syndrome is also called - cervical migraine. Sometimes the syndrome is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, noise and ringing in the ears, usually in parallel with the pulse.

Some patients experience visual disturbances (floaters, blurred vision, fog before the eyes, double vision, decreased acuity), and decreased hearing. Much less commonly diagnosed pharyngeal migraine, which is manifested by difficulty swallowing, a feeling of a lump in the throat.

When the artery is compressed, paroxysmal conditions occur as a result of turning the head:

• a person may fall after turning his head, however, he remains conscious and can get up on his own;
• turning his head sharply, a person suddenly falls, losing consciousness, may wake up after 10-15 minutes and rise to his feet.

With osteochondrosis, dizziness often occurs when raising the head, as this leads to compression of the vertebral artery. When you tilt your head down, dizziness is associated with such a serious disease as atherosclerosis of the vessels in the brain.

Headaches associated with hemiplegic migraine

Hemiplegic migraine There are non-family and family types. It manifests itself with episodes of hemiplegia or hemiparesis, hence the name (less commonly, paresis of the arm and face). Moreover, the motor defect slowly grows and spreads. Hemiparesis is paralysis of one half of the body. One of the arms and face is often more affected than the leg. Hemiplegia occurs due to a disease that affects the opposite hemisphere of the brain.

In most known cases, the disease is accompanied by motor symptoms and homolateral sensory disorders (reflex disorders). Rarely, paralysis of one part of the body (hemiparesis) moves from one side of the body to the other. Myoclonic twitching occurs due to deterioration in muscle function. Characteristic visual disorders are hemianopia (loss of 1 of 2 halves of the normal visual field) or a typical visual aura. These are the neurological symptoms of hemiplegic migraine. And in terms of time, the episodes take from several minutes to one hour, and end with throbbing severe headaches that cover the entire head or certain parts of it.

Migraine is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, phonophobia (sound intolerance) or photophobia (light intolerance). Medicine has described rather unusual manifestations of hemiplegic migraine in severe form: drowsiness, fever, confusion, coma, the duration of which ranges from several days to several weeks.

Hemiplegic migraine of the familial type can occur in conjunction with sensorineural hearing loss (hearing loss caused by damage to certain structures of the inner ear), retinitis pigmentosa (degeneration of the retina), tremor (trembling of the body or its individual parts), and oculomotor disorders. Such neurological signs are permanent and have nothing to do with migraine attacks.

Hemiplegic migraine rarely leads to complications, but if this happens, the consequences are very serious, for example, stroke or severe neurological multifocal deficit and dementia.

Headaches due to facial migraine

Facial migraine usually affects people aged 30–60 years. In most cases, the pain is concentrated in the neck or lower jaw, sometimes in the parioorbital area (around the eyes) or the upper jaw. The nature of the pain is deep, aching and dull, periodically turning into throbbing. This often results in a sharp, dagger-like pain.

Facial migraine in the neurological status, focal symptoms are not determined. Difficulties in diagnosis are apparently due to the fact that pain in the facial type of migraine differed from the typical form in localization and nature.

The attacks are repeated systematically - they happen once or several times a week, and last from several minutes to several hours. Typically, palpation of the carotid artery is quite painful, the pulsation of the artery increases significantly, and in addition, the soft tissues around it swell. Many patients experience an accompanying throbbing pain in a certain area of ​​the head, which under other circumstances would indicate an attack.

Facial migraine often occurs after dental trauma. The presence of pain when palpating the carotid artery also occurs in a large number of people who have been diagnosed with other forms of migraine. Their artery is also painful when touched, and precisely in the area where the source of the headache is concentrated.

Treatment

For each type of migraine, treatment is carried out in accordance with the reasons that caused them.

In case of vertebral artery syndrome, it is necessary to normalize blood circulation in the arteries of the spine, to minimize or completely eliminate the causes of vasospasm. The patient is prescribed vascular therapy, pharmacopuncture, reflexology, laser therapy, vacuum therapy, magnetic puncture, electrical stimulation, dry traction and other methods of physiotherapy.

For hemiplegic migraine, the doctor prescribes medications that relieve symptoms and reduce the duration of the attack; in special cases, stronger drugs are required - analgesics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. If vomiting and nausea are present, appropriate antiemetic medications are indicated. There are medications prescribed by your doctor to prevent migraine attacks. As a rule, they are recommended for use in severe attacks with a frequency of more than 2 times a month (beta-blockers); anticonvulsants should be taken daily.

For the treatment of facial migraine, in addition to sedatives, medications, vitamin therapy, etc., diadynamic current therapy is used (the effect is on the area of ​​the temporal superficial artery, as well as on the cervical superior sympathetic node). The treatment is effective and allows for relief of facial migraine attacks and a change in the nature of the attacks: they bother you less and less, and the pain intensity decreases with repeated courses of treatment.

Effective in combating an attack of facial migraine, rigetamine is a drug containing tartaric ergstamin (1-2 mg), which has a strong vasodilator effect. A noticeable improvement in the condition is observed half a minute after taking the tablet.

Northwestern State Medical University named after I. I. Mechnikov

Department of Neurology named after Academician S.N. Davidenkova

Topic: “Headache. Migraine. Etiopathogenesis, classification, clinical picture, diagnosis, treatment.”

Completed:

Student of group 417

Romanova Ya. Yu.

Teacher:

Zuev A. A.

Saint Petersburg

90% of people have experienced headache at least once

70% go to the doctor.

25-40% suffer from chronic headache.

Hypertension is the leading and sometimes the only complaint in more than 50 diseases. Only 5-14% have serious intracranial pathology.

It is known that sensitivity to pain depends on genetic factors, namely:

Density of nociceptors (pain receptors);

Level of algogenic substances:

Taknevyh (serotonin, histamine, acetylcholine, prostaglandins);

Plasma (bradykinin, kallidin);

Released from nerve endings (glutamate, calcium-tonin-gene-related peptide).

Sensitive to pain:

Skin, subcutaneous fat, mucous membranes,

Muscles, tendons, aponeurosis,

Periosteum, mandibular joint,

Main arteries

Cranial nerves: V, IX, X; roots C2,3; somatic and autonomic ganglia,

Dura mater of the base of the skull and its duplications.

Types of sensitivity.

The epicritic (fast) nociceptive system is responsible for:

Statement of the damaging effects,

Localization and identification of damaging effects,

Implementation of immediate defensive reactions.

Sensitive to temperature and mechanical stimuli.

ENS mediators: glutamate, aspartate, ATP

Average response speed (V)=15m/s.

Having fulfilled the signaling role, epicritic pain is replaced by protopathic pain, which, depending on the degree of damage, occurs in seconds, minutes and even hours.

Protopathic (ancient, slow) nociceptive system:

Constantly reminds you of trouble in the body,

Determines the emotional and autonomic accompaniment of pain,

Meaningful defensive reactions

Sensitive to changes in chemical and physical parameters that occur during inflammation.

This pain is dull, diffuse, and persists until complete recovery.

PrNS mediators: cholecystokinin, somatostatin, substance P.

Average response speed (V)=2m/s.

Antinociceptive system (ANS):

Controls the pain threshold.

Relay systems:

Gate control (islet cells),

Suprasegmental control (central gray matter, raphe nuclei, reticular nucleus of the thalamus)

Somatosensory cortex.

The descending pathways of the ANS through norandenaline, serotonin and, to a lesser extent, dopamine inhibit the flow of pain. GABA and glycine, released from the terminals of inhibitory neurons, block the release of substance P, glutamate and aspartate.

Endogenous opiate system.

The most important part of the ANS. The main role is played by the central gray matter of the brainstem: the brain - b-endorphin and dynorphin, the spinal cord - enkephalins.

Released from the depot, they inhibit the release of substance R.

Blood serotonin stimulates the release of b-endorphins from the anterior pituitary gland.

Cholecystokinin neutralizes the effect of endogenous opiates.

Acute pain (AP) develops when tissue damage and/or smooth muscle function is impaired.

Types of acute pain:

Superficial,

Deep,

Visceral,

Reflected.

The duration of OB is determined by the time of tissue and/or smooth muscle recovery, but no more than 3 months.

After 3 months, the pain transitions from chronic to chronic.

Causes of development of chronic pain (CP):

Chronization of the pathological process,

Dysfunction of the central ANS, metabolism of serotonin, catecholamines, which also determine the psycho-emotional structure of the personality.

The formation of CB depends to a greater extent on psychological factors than on the intensity of exposure. Chronic pain can be purely psychogenic.

Nociceptive pain.

Impact on the receptor apparatus.

Neuropathic pain.

Violation at any level of the somatosensory system (central, peripheral).

Headache (cephalgia).

The main role in the development of cephalgia is played by the trigeminovascular system - a complex of neurons of the trigeminal nerve nucleus and the cerebral vessels innervated by them.

Classification of hypertension (ICD-II, 2004)

14 groups, 86 types.

Primary headache.

1. Tension headache (TTH),

   Tufted headache and trigeminal autonomic cephalgia

   Headaches not associated with structural damage to the nervous system (external influence, cold, orgasmic, cough, physical stress).

Secondary GB.

Vascular pathology,

• Infections, etc.

The most common causes of secondary headache:

Diseases of the cardiovascular system,

Changes in ICP during volumetric processes,

Infections, metabolic disorders,

Neuralgia V, IX, X pairs of the cranial nerve, occipital nerve,

Diseases of the eyes, ears, paranasal sinuses, mandibular joint.

Pathogenetic classification of headache.

Liquorodynamic,

Vascular,

Neuralgic

GB voltage.

Liquorodynamic GB.

Associated with increased or decreased intracranial pressure and dislocation brain. The severity of the pain depends on the rate of change.

Clinic of intracranial hypertension (ICH):

headache, nausea, vomiting “fountain”,

Kocher-Cushing syndrome: Ps, BP,

Mental disorders,

Impaired consciousness

Meningeal symptoms (+/-),

Dizziness (+/-),

Lesion of the VI pair of cranial nerves (+/-),

Congestive optic disc (+/-).

Clinic ICP.

CSF is a “cushion” for the brain.

Anchor formations:

Clinical features:

Strengthens in a vertical position

Shooting when moving,

Accompanied by increased heart rate.

Vascular GB.

Arterial:

Overstretching of the arterial wall at BP>%,

Paretic vasodilation (pressing, bursting, aching pain),

Spastic (local, general). Nausea, lightheadedness, darkening of the eyes.

Tension of the arteries.

Venous:

is caused by excessive blood filling of the veins, associated with a decrease in their tone in the syndrome of autonomic dysfunction, cardiovascular and pulmonary insufficiency, thrombotic veins and sinuses of the brain.

The headache is of a dull, bursting nature, accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the head, periorbital edema, facial pastiness, and intensifies with venous tests.

Hemorheological:

is caused by increased blood viscosity, which leads to impaired microcirculation, increased blood supply and hypoxia of the brain. The pain can be of varying intensity: dull, diffuse, accompanied by drowsiness, noise and ringing in the ears.

Neuralgic headache.

Damage to the cranial nerve (V, IX), nn. occipitalis.

Paroxysmality,

Trigger zones

Vegetative support (mainly sympathetic),

There are no changes outside the attack!

Tension headache.

Episodic tension headache:

Duration 30 minutes-7 hours, no more than 15 days per month, more often in young people due to anxiety disorders.

Intensity 2-6 points on VAS (visual analogue scale). Paroxysmal autonomic disorders (panic attacks, lipothymia, neurogenic fainting). The most common cause is muscle distress.

Chronic tension headache:

More often in older people with lower educational qualifications due to depression. Intensity 5-6 points or more according to VAS.

Accompanying syndromes: nausea, photo- and phonohypersthesia. Autonomic disorders are permanent (hyperventilation syndrome, diffuse algic syndrome). The most common cause is psychogenia.

EGTH and CGTH may or may not be accompanied by tension in the pericranial muscles.

Criteria for diagnosing tension-type headache:

Monotonous, compressive, may spread to the collar area,

Diffuse character

The intensity does not increase with normal physical and intellectual stress,

Duration of at least 30 minutes,

Tension and soreness of the pericranial muscles (+/-).

Pathogenesis of tension headaches.

In addition, there are many other factors that lead to migraines. These include: physical and nervous stress, emotional stress, eating cheese, chocolate, nuts, fish, alcohol (red wine, champagne, beer), as well as hormonal changes that occur in a woman’s body during the menstrual cycle or when taking contraceptives, insufficient or, conversely, excessive sleep, climatic conditions and their changes.

The main symptoms of migraine include special sensitivity to light and sounds, nausea, vomiting, general weakness of the body, impaired musculoskeletal function, and visual impairment. Most often, migraines occur suddenly, but it also happens that patients feel tired, depressed, or really want sweets.

To diagnose migraine, a specialist only needs to know the symptoms and frequency of attacks that the patient experiences. In addition, it is recommended to get tested and undergo an examination. As a rule, the doctor asks the patient to keep a diary in which to indicate the time, frequency and duration of migraine attacks. A specific migraine pattern indicates the influence of certain factors.

Providing care at each stage of migraine development will be completely different. For example, when a patient feels an attack approaching, the most important thing is not to wait for the headache to get worse. It is recommended to drink a cup of hot sweet tea with sweets, since glucose during hypoxia can slow down the further development of the attack. Acupressure self-massage using the Shi-atsu method also prevents the development of severe headaches. The Shi-atsu technique involves pressing the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers of both hands on the area of ​​the occipital protuberance. Pressure must be applied simultaneously with exhalation for seconds and repeated once. After this, it is good to do acupressure of the carotid artery. To do this, first determine the pulsation of the left artery with the thumb of the left hand, and then the pulsation of the right artery with the thumb of the right hand. An artery with strong pulsation is pressed for a second with the thumb to the spinal column. This action must be repeated once.

As a rule, to treat migraine, the doctor prescribes medications individually for each patient. In addition, if a patient suffers from migraines several times a week, a specialist must prescribe some kind of medication to prevent this disease. In the case when migraine becomes a consequence of the influence of any factor, you must try to avoid its impact on your body in the future.

A decoction of meadow clover is one of the most effective and widespread traditional medicine for the treatment of migraines. To prepare it you need to take 1 tbsp. meadow clover flowers and pour a glass of boiling water over them. Leave the broth for one hour and strain. The decoction should be taken 3 times a day, 100 g.

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Migraine - symptoms and treatment

A neurological disorder that represents a severe specific headache is called migraine. Women are more likely to suffer from this disease than the stronger sex. There are several types of pathology, each of which has its own signs and causes. What to do for a migraine, how to prevent an attack?

What is migraine and how to treat it

A paroxysm (attack) of severe pain in half of the head is a migraine. Hemicrania is often observed in the frontotemporal or orbital regions. Malaise is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and high sensitivity to sound and light. This article will discuss migraine in detail - symptoms, treatment of this disease. The process of development of the disease has not been fully studied by doctors, but it is believed that the problem is associated with a disorder of the nervous system and pressure on the blood vessels of the brain.

The main causes of seizures are:

• hormonal imbalance;
• premenstrual syndrome (in women);
• frequent stress, mental overexcitation;
• nervous, physical fatigue;
• sharp sounds or smells;
• circulatory disorders in the human brain caused by vasoconstrictor syndrome;
• frequent drinking of alcohol;
• disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract and central nervous system.

Therapy consists of two stages:

• eliminating attacks of pain;
• prevention of paroxysm.

Basic rules of the treatment process:

1. individual approach to each specific case;
2. patience of the patient and the attending physician;
3. awareness that therapy is based not only on the use of medications, but also on eliminating the factors that cause attacks.

Migraine with aura, symptoms

There are several types of the disease. For example, there is a migraine with aura, the symptoms of which are slightly different from the usual ailment. Such a complex disorder has manifestations that increase over a certain period of time (5-20 minutes) and last more than an hour. Often the aura represents visual, speech, and sensory disturbances. The main signs of the disease:

1. Visual disorders: flickering, spots before the eyes, unclear and blurry “picture”, etc.
2. Speech disorders, for example, dysphasia (a general designation for disorders of the speech apparatus of any origin).
3. Perceptible tingling or numbness in the extremities. This disorder covers one half of the body and spreads to the migraine-affected facial part.

Migraine without aura, symptoms

Regular migraine, or a neurological disorder without aura, is more common. Women are more likely to experience this pathology. This type of illness has characteristic symptoms. Find out how the disease manifests itself:

• fear, intolerance to light and sound;
• severe, throbbing headache that focuses on one side;
• nausea, vomiting;
• a significant increase in symptoms when walking or physical activity.

Symptoms in women

Neurological deviation in most cases “attacks” female representatives. For many ladies, it may appear during the menstrual period or before/after it. The disease is characterized by specific manifestations. Symptoms of migraine in women, treated in different ways, look like this:

1. The paroxysm starts gradually (about a minute before a severe headache).
2. Unpleasant sensations have different durations: from several hours to 2 days. The pain can be throbbing, bursting, or squeezing.
3. The attack begins in the temporal region, moving to the ocular, frontal, and occipital zones.
4. Sometimes - loss of appetite, severe nausea, vomiting.
5. The patient is irritated by bright lights and loud sounds.
6. Increased sweating, shortness of breath, and rapid heartbeat may occur.
7. Some women suffer from chills, upset stomach, and fever.

Symptoms in men

Men's migraines are different from women's. The stronger sex often experiences very strong, prolonged headaches, during which cerebral circulation is disrupted. Depression, fatigue, deterioration in concentration and even memory loss are observed. The main symptoms in men are:

• significant decrease in performance, increased fatigue;
• increased body temperature, fever;
• nausea, vomiting;
• pain is concentrated in specific areas of the head.

Cervical migraine - symptoms and treatment

Learn about another type - cervical migraine, symptoms and treatment of this ailment. It is caused by compression of the nerves surrounding the vertebral artery. This pathology occurs very often and is “activated” for various reasons. The following symptoms stand out:

• temporary disruptions in the visual and auditory systems;
• dizziness, fainting;
• when arteries are damaged, coordination is also impaired;
• severe headache occurs.

There are many different methods of treating cervical disease. According to doctors and patients, the following are considered the most effective:

1. Medicines: painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, diuretics, vitamins, muscle relaxants, tablets to improve blood circulation.
2. Special therapeutic exercises.
3. Manual therapy.
4. Specific daily diet.
5. Acupuncture.
6. Making changes for the patient's physical activity.

Treatment at home

To defeat migraine, treatment at home is carried out taking into account the doctor’s recommendations. Drugs are prescribed only on an individual basis after diagnosis. Therapy for a neurological disease is aimed at stopping the paroxysm and is symptomatic. Between attacks, preventive treatment is carried out. You can take medications, use folk remedies, follow rules that help relieve and eliminate the signs of the disease.

The main types of medications against attacks caused by pathology:

1. Painkillers (non-steroidal tablets, powders that have an anti-inflammatory effect): Ibuprofen, Diclofenac, Motrin, Naproxen, Aspirin. The drugs Acetaminophen and Excedrin are also used.
2. When a migraine seriously progresses and causes severe pain, doctors prescribe opiate medications. Such drugs include tablets Codeine, Morphine, Dimerol, Oxycodone, opioid spray Butorphanol and so on.
3. Medicines that save the patient when nausea and vomiting occur. For example, Metoclopramide is prescribed in combination with other medications. Buscopan, Motilium, Motilak also help.
4. Medicines that can relieve pain and dull other symptoms of chronic migraine. They are recommended to be taken for preventive purposes. The most effective are: Anaprilin tablets, Timolol, Divalproex sodium, Topiramate, Depakon, Botox in bottles, Stavzor (Valproic acid) capsules.
5. Beta blockers help relieve and relieve paroxysms associated with migraines. They reduce discomfort and muffle the signs of the disease. Such drugs include Blockadren, Propranolol, and so on.

Folk remedies

In combination with medications, grandmother’s recipes can be used to enhance the therapeutic effect. If migraine attacks regularly, the symptoms and treatment should be studied in advance in order to get rid of the unpleasant disease in a timely manner. Before using herbal infusions and other natural remedies, you should definitely consult a specialist. How to treat migraine with folk remedies? Below are several effective methods:

1. You can use regular cabbage. Its sheet is applied to the area of ​​the head that hurts. Cabbage is replaced with lilac leaves in the warm season.
2. When an attack begins, it is recommended to drink ¼ glass of potato juice or ½ cup of fresh viburnum juice.
3. Another way: hold your head in a basin filled with hot water or take a warm shower, while massaging the area of ​​your head that hurts.
4. How to cure a migraine in minutes? You can try inhaling vapors of camphor and ammonia, which are mixed in a 1:1 ratio.
5. The following method: cool a wet towel in the freezer and apply it to the desired area of ​​the head. This can be treated only at the very beginning of an attack.
6. A warm bath with a decoction of valerian root helps to relieve an attack.

Video

The information presented on the site is for informational purposes only. The site materials do not encourage self-treatment. Only a qualified doctor can make a diagnosis and make recommendations for treatment based on the individual characteristics of a particular patient.

Migraine: symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention

What is migraine

Migraine (vegetative-vascular paroxysm) is not a disease, but a functional disorder, which is based on a violation of the regulation of vascular tone. In fact, this is a borderline state between health and illness, in which timely diagnosis and properly selected correction (treatment) allows you to completely restore self-regulation and return to a normal state of health.

Although migraines can appear at any age, they usually first appear between ages 10 and 30 and sometimes disappear after age 50. This headache is more common in women than men.

Since about half of people with migraines have close relatives with the same disease, it is believed that the development of migraines may be hereditary. Migraine headaches are usually more severe than tension headaches.

Migraine classification

There are two main forms of migraine: migraine without aura (precursors) - simple migraine, and migraine with aura.

Migraine without aura

To make a diagnosis of migraine without aura, there must be a history of at least 5 attacks that meet the listed criteria; migraine with aura - at least 2 attacks. Migraine without aura is the most common form, observed in 75–80% of cases. In migraine with aura, the pain attack is preceded by a migraine aura. An aura is a complex of local neurological symptoms that precede an attack of pain or occur at the height of pain. The nature of clinical neurological manifestations depends on the involvement of the carotid or vertebral vascular system in the pathological process.

Migraine with aura

Migraines with aura are characterized by:

The greatest difficulties arise in the differential diagnosis of migraine aura with transient ischemic attacks (i.e., transient cerebrovascular accidents). The frequency of migraine aura, its temporal characteristics, combination with typical migraine headaches and family history of migraine are of utmost importance.

Depending on the nature of the local neurological symptoms that occur during an aura, several of its forms are distinguished:

The ophthalmic form occurs most often.

Basilar or syncope migraine

The most severe form of migraine with aura is basilar or syncopal migraine. This form occurs more often in girls during puberty. Focal neurological symptoms are caused by the involvement of the vertebrobasilar vascular system in the pathological process.

Autonomic or panic migraine

A special form of migraine is vegetative or panic migraine. In this form, a migraine attack is combined with a panic attack. The disease occurs in patients with affective disorders of an anxiety-depressive nature. The attack begins with a typical migraine attack, it provokes the occurrence of:

• fear (panic),
• tachycardia,
• feeling of lack of air,
• possible increase in blood pressure,
• the appearance of chill-like trembling,
• general weakness,
• polyuria.

Panic-associated symptoms are “secondary” in timing to the headache. Headache fully meets the definition and diagnostic criteria of migraine.

Causes of migraine

What are the main causes of migraine? The main reason for the development of this functional disorder is most often emotional stress. It has been proven that under stress, the brain seems to be focused on perceiving a threat and counteracting it. At the same time, to ensure the necessary activity (attack or escape from danger), hormonal regulation is activated, which leads to:

• increased muscle tone,
• lowering the threshold of pain sensitivity,
• increase in breathing rate and heart rate,
• increased blood pressure levels,
• decreased activity of the immune system.

In a situation of chronic stress, an “imbalance” of regulatory mechanisms occurs, which can also manifest itself in the form of vegetative crises. Migraines occur when the arteries leading to the lining of the brain first narrow and then widen. As a result, pain receptors located around are irritated.

What causes the compression and subsequent dilation of blood vessels is not known, but their narrowing can be caused by a decrease in the blood concentration of serotonin, a chemical substance involved in the transmission of signals between nerve cells (neurotransmitter). In rare cases, the underlying cause of migraine may be a malformation of a blood vessel. In such patients, the headache almost always occurs in the same half of the head, but in most people it affects the entire head.

Migraine symptoms

Migraine symptoms are very varied and can vary. Among the most common: attacks of rapid heartbeat, short-term periods of increase or decrease in blood pressure, dizziness, a feeling of weakness, chills, fainting, sweating, cold feet and hands, a feeling of lack of air (you want to take a deep breath, yawning appears), pain in various parts of the body, muscle spasms, discomfort in the abdomen.

Most often, migraine symptoms appear suddenly, in the form of a crisis, and are accompanied by feelings of restlessness, anxiety, and fear. The main symptoms of migraine: paroxysmal, throbbing, moderate or severe pain in half of the head, which lasts from 4 to 72 hours. This pain intensifies with physical activity, tilting the head, and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Bright light, sharp sound, strong smell increase the pain. I want to put my head in my hands and hide in a quiet, dark place. Patients often bandage their head with a towel and cover the sore side and eye. If you have experienced this condition at least 5 times, you have a migraine. Sometimes there is a bilateral migraine.

Detailed descriptions of symptoms

Diagnosis of migraine

Which doctors should I consult for migraines?

The criteria for diagnosing migraine were defined by the International Headache Society in 1988.

A headache has at least two of the following characteristics:

The presence of at least one accompanying symptom:

• nausea;
• vomit;
• phonophobia - intolerance to strong sounds;
• photophobia - intolerance to light stimuli.

To make a diagnosis of migraine without aura, there must be a history of at least 5 attacks that meet the listed criteria. For migraine with aura, there must be at least 2 attacks that meet these criteria.

Migraine during pregnancy

Studies have shown that migraines often resolve during the first trimester of pregnancy. Constantly changing levels of estrogen and progesterone in the body contribute to the disappearance of migraines. However, migraine attacks usually return immediately after childbirth, when women begin their menstrual cycle again.

Migraine during pregnancy can be successfully treated if you know the cause of its occurrence and try to avoid similar situations in the future. The most common causes of migraines are stress, chocolate, cheese, red wine, weather, hormones, and lack or excess sleep. The causes of migraines can be different for each woman. It is advisable to keep records of headache attacks to determine the underlying cause.

Migraine treatment

How to treat migraines? It is best to consult a psychotherapist, neurologist or psychiatrist. It is these specialists who can determine the causes of migraine and prescribe appropriate treatment to completely normalize the condition. At the same time, data from long-term observation of such patients with migraine (vegetative-vascular dystonia) indicate that they subsequently do not have any signs of dysregulation.

Treatment of migraine: medications, tablets, remedies and preparations

What drugs and pills are most effective for migraines? Quick relief options include over-the-counter analgesics, most of which contain aspirin, ibuprofen or paracetamol. Soluble forms of these drugs, such as effervescent tablets, work faster and better. If you are very bothered by nausea or vomiting, you can use antiemetic drugs. Special anti-migraine drugs have also been developed.

Triptans are used to relieve migraine attacks. Patients suffering from migraines may soon be able to breathe freely: they will be helped by a new drug without side effects. The new product will be especially effective for people who are not helped by existing medications. The drug, called Telcagepant, is currently in the final stages of development. A new migraine drug will help patients who are not affected by the triptans prescribed to most migraine patients today.

Non-drug treatment of migraine

General measures: shielding of irritations. Since a migraine attack is based on a paroxysmal failure of the antinociceptive system of the brain stem, stimulation of any kind (sensory, visual, auditory) can be perceived as unpleasant or even painful. Therefore, one of the first measures in the treatment of migraine attacks is the shielding of irritations. Patients should have the opportunity to retire to a quiet, darkened room.

In addition, among non-drug methods during a migraine attack, various pain-relieving techniques can be recommended, which are selected individually, usually by the patient himself:

• an ice pack or a towel soaked in cold water on your head;
• hand or foot hot (40-42 °C) baths;
• mustard plasters on the back of the neck;
• pressing the pulsating temporal artery;
• use of anti-migraine menthol pencil.

Treatment of migraine with folk remedies

Traditional medicine currently offers a large selection of herbal medicines for the treatment of migraines. A migraine attack is completely relieved by a short but deep sleep. One of the main medications for migraines is caffeine. It is used in the form of strong coffee or tea 2-3 times a day. In the Caucasus, for migraines, they drink a decoction of dogwood fruits instead of tea several times a day. A head massage, starting from the forehead and moving both hands to the back of the head, helps relieve an attack. Drink 1/4 cup of fresh potato juice 2 times a day for systematic headaches.

Strong green tea often interrupts a migraine attack. It also relieves any headache. During a migraine attack, baths with valerian decoction have a good effect. Traditional medicine advises for migraines to rub your forehead and temples with a leaf of fragrant geranium. You can use menthol or lavender oil instead of geranium leaf. Hot hand or foot baths also help. Often an attack can be relieved with a cup of strong, hot tea with mint. It is useful to massage the head from the forehead to the back of the head with both hands at the same time. Prevention of migraines includes walking in the fresh air for at least an hour a day, eating well and sleeping, quitting smoking, spicy foods and chocolate. It is useful to sleep with the window open.

Triptans for migraines

Triptans are a new generation of migraine drugs that have become widespread and popular since the 90s of the last century. These are selective 5HT 18/D receptor agonists, and since they are all derivatives of 5-hydroxytryptamine, they are called triptans. Sumatriptan is the first triptan discovered, which made it possible to improve the effect on migraine and to obtain new, more effective triptans for migraine:

The high effectiveness of triptans in the treatment of migraine is explained by the fact that, unlike conventional drugs for migraine, the action of which is local in nature, triptans affect headaches in several directions at once: constriction of the blood vessels of the brain, which relieves throbbing pain - triptans do not affect other vessels have no effect; impact on a local group of receptors in the cerebral cortex, which reduces the release of substances that cause pain and inflammation; impact on the receptors of the trigeminal nerve nucleus, reducing its sensitivity to pain.

Application

Sumatriptan is used intranasally, orally and subcutaneously. The most effective method is the subcutaneous method. The use of triptans in patients with migraine with aura has its own characteristics, since aura is a whole symptom complex, manifested in disturbances of smell, vision, coordination of movement, etc. Triptans administered subcutaneously during an aura cannot stop a migraine attack; they must be used at the onset of the headache itself.

Contraindications

Since triptans are vasoconstrictor drugs, they must be used very carefully in people who suffer from disorders of cerebral circulation and the cardiovascular system in general. The use of triptans together with antidepressants, antibiotics, antiviral and antifungal drugs is not recommended.

Side effects

Clinical studies have proven that triptans are well tolerated by people of all ages when using these drugs as prescribed by a doctor and in the prescribed dosage. In rare cases, tachycardia and dizziness are possible, but they do not pose any danger.

Instructions for using migraine medications

Migraine prevention

Try to understand what situations or emotions led to your migraine attack. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep for several days in a row, and then the weather suddenly changed. Maybe you get a migraine every time after nervous planning meetings with your boss. Or maybe a migraine vice begins to squeeze your head when you don’t have time to do something, are in a hurry and are nervous?

In any case, to prevent migraines, you need to avoid stressful situations and balance your work and rest schedule so that the body has time to recover from stress and does not work for wear.

A separate situation is the so-called “weekend” migraine. If you experience migraine pain especially often on weekends or are especially intense on these days, the best prevention of migraine attacks is to eliminate radical differences in the routine and diet of weekdays and weekends. Because migraines can be triggered by sleeping for many hours on weekends, drinking less coffee compared to weekdays, and spending a long time on the street.

It is necessary to lead the most correct lifestyle possible - go to bed early, drink less or less strong coffee, walk more and do gymnastics. Avoid foods that trigger migraine pain and drink plenty of clean water.

If you feel that an attack is beginning, then try to take measures to prevent the migraine from getting worse: lie on the bed in a dark, cool room, put a cold compress on your head. During this time, you should avoid any activity (both mental and physical), try to eliminate all sound, aromatic and light stimuli, and ideally sleep for at least half an hour.

If migraine prevention does not produce noticeable results, be sure to visit a neurologist to prescribe medications that stop the attack. Migraine pain cannot be tolerated!

Drug prevention of migraine

Patients with severe and frequent attacks are prescribed special drug prophylaxis. This measure is used in cases where a person is involuntarily exposed to factors that provoke attacks, and it is not possible to protect him from this.

Prevention of migraine with aura is aimed at preventing the chain of abnormal reactions in the intracranial blood vessels that occur during migraine attacks. It is usually carried out with one drug, with the exception of particularly severe forms of the disease. Try to determine if you need migraine preventive therapy:

If at least half of the points listed are your story, be sure to contact a neurologist with a request to prescribe medication for migraine prevention. The most effective seizure blocker will be selected for you through experience; this will significantly improve both your condition and quality of life.

Diet for migraine prevention

It is necessary to follow a special diet that does not contain provoking foods. The following should be avoided:

1. Alcohol.
2. Thiamine: in hard cheese, pickled herring, chicken liver.
3. Aspartame: in sweet carbonated drinks.
4. Nuts, cocoa, chocolate, citrus fruits.
5. Colored meat products - smoked sausages, balyk, ham.
6. Fatty dairy products.

Three balanced meals a day are also required to prevent low blood glucose levels.

Questions and answers on the topic “Migraine”

Question: Good afternoon, I have been diagnosed with migraine for 15 years, I was treated with various drugs, in the last year the attacks have become more frequent to 2-4 per week, after visiting a neurologist I take the drug Vazobral, during attacks I take amigrenin, but there is no improvement, I took Vazobral for 2 months, I’m very worried , that soon I won’t be able to live without amigrenin, but it has a great effect on my heart, I’m 50 years old. Please advise how to protect yourself and what other medications I can take?

Question: Could antibiotic treatment have caused more frequent migraine attacks?

Question: I suffer from terrible migraines almost every day. I take anti-migraine regularly. What prevention courses can you recommend?

Question: Is it possible to take Ketonal for migraines?

Question: For the last month I have been experiencing frequent headaches and blurred vision. I've had migraines like this before, but this is the fourth one in a month. I measured my blood pressure - 106/44. I drank Citramon and felt better. What could it be?

Question: I am 30 years old. Periodically there are severe pains from the neck to the back of the head and temples, accompanied by increased pressure, 140 to 100 with a weight of 53 kg, trembling throughout the body and repeated vomiting. However, I cannot take any medications. What to do during an attack? What examination is needed? The doctor ordered a blood test and an MRI of the brain.

Question: Is it true that sex helps with migraines?

Migraine

Migraine (French migraine) is a neurological disease, the main symptom of which is a very severe headache of an episodic or regular nature in one half of the head (very rarely both halves of the head).

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©18 The information on the site is for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a qualified physician.

Migraine is a disease, the painful effects of which people have experienced since the time of Hippocrates. Today, there are means that can stop attacks of painful headaches or reduce their frequency, but not a single medicine guarantees a complete cure for the patient. Fortunately, after the patient reaches the age of entry, the disease often goes away on its own. However, until this time, to alleviate the condition during attacks, it is necessary to use medications and other means to relieve pain.

Migraine: symptoms and treatment at home

What symptoms accompany migraine?

If pain is caused by migraine, it will have several features.

In most cases, each attack has 4 stages.

1. Prodrome is a state of increased anxiety, nervousness.
2. Aura – disturbances in vision, smell, speech and tactile sensations that precede a severe headache.
3. Migraine pain is an exhausting pulsating pain sensation that is localized in a separate area of ​​the head.
4. The postdormal stage is a general loss of strength after the end of the active phase of the attack.

Development of a migraine attack

In some people, migraine may not have an aura stage at all, in others, on the contrary, it involves a pronounced period of aura, during which the patient begins to experience dizziness, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of vision and other symptoms.

The location of the pain may also differ: most often the pain is on one side in the temple area, less often on both sides at the same time. The duration of migraine pain can last from 2 hours to several days.

Recurrent migraine attacks occur in 20% of women of childbearing age and 6% of men. In boys, the first signs of the disease may appear after 8 years, in girls - after 13 years or at an older age. Most women manage to forget about migraines after menstruation stops and menopause begins.

Possible causes of the disease

Disputes about the main factor that provokes the development of migraine are still ongoing: scientists and doctors have not been able to come to an unambiguous conclusion. Most often, the culprit of attacks is considered to be a hormonal imbalance, which is provoked by a sharp increase in the production of serotonin. A physiological reaction to changes in hormonal levels is unilateral or bilateral spasm of blood vessels inside the skull and expansion of the artery located in the temple area. As serotonin production normalizes, which usually takes several hours, the headache subsides.

Common causes of headaches

Another group of scientists also considers the main cause of migraines to be a disruption of normal hormonal levels, but excessive activity of the hypothalamus is cited as the cause of disruptions in the endocrine system. External stimuli can provoke too intense work of this part of the brain: stress, lack of sleep, chronic fatigue.

Among other reasons that can cause debilitating headaches, doctors name:

• genetic factor;
• pathologies in the functioning of the central nervous system;
• changes in the endocrine system, provoked by taking contraceptives, menstruation;
• insufficient blood supply to the brain;
• traumatic brain injuries;
• significant changes in blood pressure and some other reasons.

Types of headaches and migraines

Statistics confirm: nervous exhaustion, excessive physical activity, abuse of alcohol and strong coffee, taking certain medications and chronic lack of sleep significantly increase the chances of experiencing a migraine attack.

What can be done to treat and prevent the disease?

Medicine is still powerless to completely cure patients from migraine pain. However, doctors know how to reduce the frequency of attacks and relieve pain during an exacerbation.

For migraine pain, it is important to be very careful when selecting medications and, if possible, to avoid overstraining the head muscles (in particular, when chewing gum).

Preventive measures for migraine

If it was not possible to prevent an attack, you should take care to reduce its duration and eliminate unpleasant symptoms. The following will help you cope with these tasks:

• pharmaceutical drugs;
• folk recipes using herbal remedies;
• a set of special exercises;
• some massage techniques.

Medicines to relieve pain and prevent relapses

It is advisable to select appropriate medications together with a doctor (neurologist), who will recommend the most appropriate medications, taking into account the intensity and duration of attacks, their frequency, as well as the patient’s individual intolerance to drugs. The standard regimen of drug treatment for migraine involves the combined use of several types of drugs.

Drug treatment of migraine

1. Non-steroidal painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs (usually Ibuprofen, Aspirin or Paracetamol are prescribed).
2. In some cases, it is advisable to take complex drugs with analgesic, sedative and vasoconstrictor effects - Sedalgin, Citramon, Migrenol.
3. Antispasmodics that eliminate attacks of spastic pain (Ergotamine, Dihydroergotamine).
4. Antiemetics (if indicated, Domperidone, Metoclopramide may be prescribed).
5. In case of severe pain, it is possible to take narcotic analgesics (Butorphanol or Codeine). It is important to consider that drugs containing caffeine or codeine are addictive, and their regular use can lead to an increase in the frequency of migraine pain.

Antiemetic drug Domperidone for migraine

If migraine attacks last longer than two days or the use of other medications is ineffective, the patient may be prescribed triptans (Sumatriptan, Eletriptan, Zolmitriptan). The effectiveness of these drugs is confirmed by about 67% of patients for whom other drugs do not allow them to cope with attacks. The effects of triptans occur in three directions:

• narrowing of cerebral vessels and reducing their spasms;
• inhibition of the production of serotonin, which provokes the onset of an attack;
• decreased sensitivity of the trigeminal nerve, which is the main source of pain.

The effect of the medicine begins 2 hours after taking it and lasts for several hours.

What physical exercises will help prevent an attack?

In some cases, a deterioration in the blood supply to the brain can be caused by problems with blood flow in the cervical area. To avoid relapses of the attack, it is important to perform several joint exercises daily.

Therapeutic exercises for migraines

1. Circular movements of the head.
2. Alternately tilt the head forward and backward, performed at a slow pace. The back bend should not be deep.
3. Extending movements of the neck and head upward, as well as forward and backward, right and left alternately.
4. Dynamic pressure with the back of the head on the wall.
5. Rolling the back of the head along the side of the sofa.

When performing exercises, it is necessary to control the regularity of breathing and exhale only through the nose.

Using traditional methods of treating migraine

At home, during an attack, it is important to eliminate all possible irritants (remove sources of bright light, noise, sensory influence). The response to non-drug methods of pain relief is very subjective, so it makes sense to choose the method of therapy individually. Various drugs can be used to eliminate pain during an attack and prevent relapses of the disease.

Folk remedies for migraine treatment

Treatment

Possible options include:

• hot baths for hands or feet (temperature up to 42°C);
• cooling the forehead with a cold towel or a hot water bottle;
• using a menthol pencil;
• placement of mustard plasters on the back of the neck.

Methods for treating migraine

Herbal remedies can also help shorten the duration of an attack.

1. A compress of cabbage leaves, cut fresh aloe leaves, a mug of raw potatoes or lilac leaves. It is advisable to place a cool compress on the location of the pain (temple or entire forehead) and secure it with an adhesive plaster. After 20 minutes, the compress is replaced with a new one.
2. Using garlic infusion can also be effective. 10 cloves of the plant are brought to a boil in 50 ml of milk and boiled for 3 minutes. The finished broth is cooled and filtered. 10 drops of the decoction are instilled into each ear; after a minute, the decoction is drained by tilting the head. The frequency of such procedures is every 2-3 hours.
3. Lovage infusion helps relieve pain. 1 tsp. crushed root or twice the amount of green part of the plant, pour 250 ml of boiling water. It is advisable to leave the decoction for at least 7 hours. Half a glass of the decoction should be drunk within two days before each meal.
4. Herbal tea will help you quickly get rid of pain. You can use a mixture of angustifolia fireweed, oregano herb and peppermint, which are taken in equal doses. 3 tbsp. the mixture is poured with a liter of boiling water and infused for an hour. During an attack, it is advisable to drink 3 glasses of tea during the day; for preventive purposes, drink a glass of decoction daily.
5. Juice of fresh viburnum or black currant in the amount of ¼ cup allows you to get rid of severe headaches. It is advisable to use the remedy from the first minutes of an attack and drink the juice every 4 hours.
6. Valerian decoction. The crushed root (1 tbsp) is poured with 250 ml of boiling water and boiled in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. The decoction is infused for 1 hour, filtered, and taken in the amount of 1 tbsp. three times a day until the end of the attack.

Migraine treatment without chemicals

The use of aromatherapy can also be effective: a couple of drops of essential oil are diluted with 1 tbsp. l. sunflower or olive oil, and the resulting mixture is rubbed into the temple area.

The most effective oils for headaches are orange, mint, lavender and lemon balm.

Acupressure is also appropriate. You can shorten the duration of an attack by massaging the temple area in the part of the head where pain is felt. First, pressing movements are performed with the thumb or index finger for 3 minutes, then soft vibrations and tapping. At the end of the procedure, you can gently stroke the forehead and back of the head.

You can influence not only the location of pain, but also its projection on the arm. To do this, just massage the back of your wrist for 5 minutes in the line of the ring finger on each hand. Another possible option is intensive rubbing of the upper phalanges of the thumbs on both hands. Applying pressure to points located on the feet, behind the ears, and on the back of the forearm will also help relieve pain.

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Prevention

1. Every day on an empty stomach, drink a glass of warm water with the addition of 1 tsp. honey and the same amount of any natural vinegar (for example, apple cider vinegar). You can take this remedy for an unlimited time.
2. As an alternative to honey water, you can drink a glass of buttermilk or whey daily on an empty stomach.
3. An excellent preventative remedy is freshly squeezed juices of potatoes, carrots, spinach and cucumbers or a mixture of them in any proportions. It is recommended to drink a ml of fresh juice three times a day every day. The minimum course of preventive treatment is 1 week. The effect will increase if the juice treatment lasts a couple of months.
4. You should also add high-quality green tea or dogwood decoction to your daily diet (1 tablespoon of fruit per glass of water).

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The response to the use of various methods of relieving migraine pain may differ depending on the characteristics of a particular organism. Taking medications is accompanied by adverse reactions, so before using them, it makes sense to try to eliminate the pain in other ways.