Headache vs. Migraine — Perceive Your Ache

For many who expertise headache ache, you will need to perceive what you feel so as to determine the kind of headache, deal with the ache and make modifications to keep away from the event of a persistent situation. Halima Karim, MD, a neurologist with Dignity Well being Woodland Clinic, shares extra about headache problems and offers perception on the most typical kind — migraines.

Headache Issues 
A headache is assessed by the Nationwide Institute of Neurological Issues and Stroke (a part of the Nationwide Institutes of Well being) as gentle to extreme ache on one or each side of the top. Headache problems are the most typical type of ache within the physique, typically inflicting folks to overlook work, faculty or social occasions. The time period “headache dysfunction” refers to a lot of various kinds of complications, that are categorised as major or secondary. 

Main complications aren’t attributable to one other medical situation. The most typical major complications are: 

Migraine — an intense, throbbing ache within the head lasting between 4 to 72 hours that has occurred at the very least 5 occasions all through one’s life. Migraines are related to nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to gentle and sound. Some folks might also expertise seeing zigzagging gentle or lack of imaginative and prescient with a migraine. 

Rigidity — also called a “muscle contraction headache” or “stress headache,” pressure complications contain boring, bandlike ache across the head and may have an effect on the brow, again of the top or neck. Rigidity complications could final from half-hour as much as every week. 

Cluster — extreme ache on one aspect of the top and related to signs occurring on the identical aspect of the top together with, a pink or teary eye, runny or stuffy nostril, and sweating. Such a headache can return between 1-8 occasions per day and a cluster cycle can final for weeks, even months. 

Secondary complications consequence as signs of different well being points. Widespread underlying situations that may end up in secondary complications embrace:

• Emotional situations like stress, melancholy and anxiousness
• Fever or an infection
• Damage to the top or different physique trauma
• Hypertension
• Remedy overuse
• Dehydration
• Insomnia

Extra About Migraines 

The American Migraine Basis estimates 144 million folks worldwide undergo migraines for 15 days or extra over the course of three months.  

“Your imaginative and prescient and posture are essential features to contemplate when creating a piece atmosphere that won’t set off migraines,” says Dr. Karim. “It’s greatest to create a piece atmosphere with comfortable lighting, and to take a break from the pc each 20 to half-hour.” 

Migraines and Girls 

“Girls are more likely to expertise migraines primarily due to  hormonal fluctuations they expertise all through their lives,” says Dr. Karim. “Each ends of the reproductive cycle, puberty and menopause, in addition to month-to-month hormonal modifications that happen throughout a menstrual cycle are recognized to trigger migraines in girls.”

In response to the American Migraine Basis, girls could expertise a migraine throughout their menstrual cycle, typically resulting from low estrogen ranges. Alternatively, girls who are suffering from migraines could expertise a lower in migraine frequency throughout being pregnant, resulting from an increase in estrogen ranges. Migraines could change into extra frequent within the years main as much as menopause and reduce throughout and after menopause. 

Triggers and Causes of Migraines Resulting from COVID-19 

“Because the begin of the pandemic, we now have seen a considerable enhance within the variety of sufferers who’re having migraines and different kinds of complications,” says Dr. Karim. “Stress, anxiousness and melancholy stemming from environmental, social and life-style modifications throughout the pandemic have contributed to the rise.” 

Dr. Karim suggests monitoring stress and anxiousness intently. Not solely are these emotions triggers for migraines on their very own, however they’ll additionally result in insomnia, one other frequent explanation for migraines. Individuals who have been contaminated with COVID-19 are additionally at greater danger for experiencing migraines. 

“A migraine is a standard symptom of COVID-19,” says Dr. Karim. “In actual fact, complications and migraines proceed to be a major symptom of post-COVID-19 for these often called long-haulers.”

Migraine Therapies 

Your physician will decide the suitable measures to take, whether or not that be preventive life-style modifications, or a process like SPG block therapy, by which the group of nerve cells referred to as Sphenopalatine Ganglion’s (SPG) linked to the primary nerve concerned in complications is blocked by numbing medicine. 

Residing a wholesome life-style can assist decrease the chance of major headache problems, together with migraines. This contains getting the correct amount of sleep, maintaining a healthy diet, staying hydrated, and exercising often. 

“Know your migraines — migraine ache presents otherwise in every individual, so avoiding one’s private triggers by making more healthy life-style decisions is step one in treating migraines,” says Dr. Karim.

For instance, gluten and caffeine could be frequent migraine triggers. Nonetheless, caffeine can be useful for relieving acute migraine ache. Different pure methods of treating a migraine embrace, train, avoiding stress, cognitive remedy, taking nutritional vitamins and dietary supplements like magnesium and Riboflavin (B2), maintaining a healthy diet, staying hydrated and getting sufficient relaxation. 

“Over-the-counter drugs can be utilized as short-term reduction for migraines, nonetheless these shouldn’t be thought-about a therapy for migraine,” says Dr. Karim. “These drugs are only a Band-Support for ache, and if overused, will create extra issues in future, together with additional complications as results of medicine overuse or injury to the abdomen and gut.” 

Dr. Karim additionally notes that any over-the-counter drugs shouldn’t be taken multiple to 2 days per week. 

When to See a Physician 

In case you’re preventing migraines or associated signs often, there could also be different medical points to deal with. Contact your physician in case you are experiencing a rise within the frequency or depth of headache occurrences or if the ache is accompanied by numbness, weak point, vertigo, fainting or cognitive points. 

“If complications are prohibiting your day by day actions, please discuss to your physician,” says Dr. Karim. “Your  supplier will know for those who want skilled therapy and may join you with specialists to assist present reduction if wanted.” 

Key Takeaways

When coping with headache ache, bear in mind:

• It’s essential to know the distinction between a major and secondary headache, which can assist with therapy 
• Easy life-style modifications like taking breaks throughout the workday, exercising, getting ample relaxation and staying hydrated can assist reduce the prospect of major complications occuring 
• Understanding headache triggers is the perfect preventative measure 
• If you’re going through constant ache resulting from a headache or migraine, it could be time to name your physician 

In case you would not have a major care doctor, go to our “Discover a Physician” web page to study extra about Dignity Well being Medical Group physicians close to you.