Headache is a frequently observed symptom that occurs for various reasons. It is estimated that one in every three people suffers from a serious headache at some point in their lives.
Migraine has been known for thousands of years and is one of the most common diseases in the world. Migraine is probably among the highest disabling neurological diseases, disease burden and cost. Migraine is a disease that causes serious labor loss and social problems, ranks 4th among all diseases-related reasons for missing work in the production sector, and can be controlled when diagnosed and treated.
Migraine is a disease with familial characteristics. It may start in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood, and recurs with decreasing frequency in later ages. As a result of the studies, it has been determined that migraine affects more than 10% of the general population. It is more common in adult women than men.
Migraine is a disease diagnosed based on history. Physical examination, neurological examination, laboratory and imaging examinations are normal. Examination and other examinations are performed to exclude another disease. The pathophysiology of migraine has not been fully elucidated despite increasing studies on this subject. Today, the view that migraine is a neurovascular disease is widespread.
There are four main periods in a migraine attack;
1) Prodrome phase; It is the phase in which precursor phenomena are observed in the hours or days before the headache.
2) Aura phase; Migraine aura is a mixture of focal neurological symptoms that precede, accompany, and rarely follow an attack; It can be in the form of visual, sensory and motor phenomena. Most of them develop within 5-20 minutes and often last less than 60 minutes.
3)Pain phase; The typical headache of migraine is defined as unilateral, throbbing, moderate-severe in nature, starting from the back of the head.
4) Post-pain phase; After the headache, the patient feels tired, exhausted, restless and may have impaired concentration. There may be sensitivity in the skull and mood changes. All of these stages may not occur in every attack. The pain usually ends within 4-72 hours, and the person can return to normal between attacks.
In order for migraine to be treated effectively, a correct diagnosis must first be made, the diagnosis must be explained to the patient, and an appropriate treatment plan must be prepared in cooperation with the patient.
The factors that facilitate the occurrence of migraine attacks must be thoroughly understood. Questioning and learning has significant value in terms of treatment. Recognizing the preventable ones among these and ensuring that the patient avoids them can lead to a significant decrease in the number of attacks.
Pharmacological treatment of migraine can be acute (attack-terminating) or prophylactic (attack-preventing). Acute treatment aims to reverse a headache once it begins or stop the headache from progressing. Preventive treatment, on the other hand, aims to reduce the frequency and severity of expected attacks, even if there is no headache at the moment.
Migraine pain intensity and quality of life are inversely proportional. Studies have shown that when the place of pain during attacks of migraineurs is examined in their daily and social lives, the overall quality of life of individuals is affected. It has been determined that it is significantly affected compared to the healthy population.
Recommendations for Migraine Pain;
1. Identify the triggering factor of your migraine attack and try to stay away from it;
A chart in which you write down your migraine attacks will be a guide to determine this. Write down the frequency, duration and severity of the pain, and note the factors you were exposed to before the attack or that may trigger the attack.
2. Especially stay away from foods and drinks that may trigger your attack;
Caffeinated drinks, yoghurt, chocolate, cookies, sausage, salami, sausage, onion, fig, cheese, smoked meat and fish, diet soda, tea, coffee, You should be careful as alcoholic beverages (especially whiskey, beer, red wine) can trigger migraine attacks.
3. Do not skip your meals or neglect your snacks. Remember that low blood sugar after fasting may trigger your migraine attacks.
4. Stay away from smells such as heavy perfumes, bleach and cigarettes as they can trigger migraine attacks.
5. Weather and seasonal changes, southwest wind, being too high above sea level, noisy environment, bright lights, fluorescent lights, flashing lights. fading You should be careful as being in bright environments may trigger your attack. Protect yourself as much as possible in southwest winds. Be aware that a drop in oxygen level and pressure at high altitudes may trigger a migraine attack. Do not use yellow lights in your home and remember that watching television in a dark environment may trigger your attack as it may give consecutive visual warnings.
6. Pay attention to your sleep-wake pattern, be careful to sleep and wake up at the same times every day, protect your sleep cycle. More than 10 hours or less than 6 hours of sleep a day can trigger migraine attacks.
7. Try to live a life as free from stress, excessive sadness and pressure as possible, and make time for yourself.
8. Stay away from physical and daily activities that will tire your body. Remember that migraine is a headache that increases with movement.
9. In the interim periods when there are no attacks, try to relax your muscles with activities such as sports, yoga, meditation and massage. Do breathing and relaxation exercises for about 10 minutes in the morning. Exercises will help you cope with stress by secreting serotonin and regulate your circulatory system.
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