Migraine Definition
If you have experienced severe headaches that have had a detrimental, debilitating effect on your life, you could be having migraines. It is important to understand what a migraine is so that you can determine whether or not this is what you are suffering from. As defined by the International Headache Society, there are some basic criteria to be identified if a headache is to be considered a migraine. One is duration, in which the headache may last for several hours, up to, and as long as three days. A second criterion is location, where the pain of the headache is on one side, and in which the pain has a pulsing or throbbing quality. Sensitivity to light and sound, as well as nausea and/or vomiting, may accompany the headache. This is a description of the common migraine. While not all migraines are the same, a number of them share these characteristics.
Some other characteristics of migraine headaches are vision disturbances. Many are preceded by an aura. This is a visual disturbance where there is shimmering light in front of the eyes, dots, or a pattern. Fortunately, most migraine sufferers do not experience auras. On the other hand, some experience auras without the headache that usually follows. The average migraine can be extremely painful, and it can be helpful for the individual to lie in a dark, quiet room, without external stimulation, for hours before relief is obtained. There are also acute and rescue medications that may help to relieve the actual pain of the migraine.
Acute pain relievers are non-narcotic and include NSAIDs and acetaminophen. Common brands of NSAIDS include Ibuprofen, Motrin, Bayer and Aleve. Tylenol is the most common brand of acetaminophen. Over the counter drugs created especially for headaches, such as Excedrin, may combine elements of these pain relievers. Excedrin Migraine combines the NSAID aspirin with acetaminophen and caffeine, in that caffeine has actually been shown to raise the effectiveness of these types of pain relievers.
Rescue treatments are opiate-based prescription medications administered by a doctor, only after acute drugs have failed to work. For example, if you have an extremely painful migraine, you have taken an over the counter pain reliever, and have still experienced no relief, you may consider heading to the ER for something stronger. Often this will consist of an injection of a drug like Demerol or Stadol. Remember: do not attempt to drive to the ER when you have a migraine; in addition, you will not be able to drive back home after being given a narcotic pain reliever. When I had to take a dose prior to oral surgery, I was advised to have a driver. Pretty soon was quite apparent why! These drugs should be used only when absolutely necessary because of their numerous risks and side-effects.
If you have a better understanding into the nature and description of migraines, along with some of the different methods for treating the pain, you might want to talk to your doctor about prevention measures and treatments for this type of headache. There are preventative drugs that can be prescribed which can reduce the frequency of migraines, in addition to drugs called triptans, which may reduce the duration and severity of migraines. Many individuals are able to identify situations, foods, or stress factors that might be implicated as triggers in bringing on migraines, so learning about your own triggers and being able to eliminate them can represent a big step in being able to deal with the pain and symptoms of migraine headaches.
