If you have been dealing with an intense throbbing or pounding headache with other neurological symptoms, you may have a migraine. The chances are high when the symptoms make you suffer for long hours or days.
If it’s true you have migraines, you are not alone. Migraines are a fairly common health concern that affects millions of people in the US. In fact, the Migraine Research Foundation revealed that nearly 1 out of 4 households in the country include a member who suffers from migraines.
Migraines are more common among women, but men can suffer from it just the same. It is also prevalent among people aged 15 to 55. In some cases, people who suffer from migraines experience pain on one side of the head. On the other hand, others say that they feel the throbbing sensation on both sides.
The severity also varies from one person to another. Some say they have mild headaches, while others complain of severe and prolonged pain. While the pain eventually subsides, most of the time, it leaves a person feeling lethargic or weak for the next few days.
Similar to other health conditions, migraine also has various types. You can tell them apart by using the guidelines indicated in the International Classification of Headache Disorders or ICHD. Essentially, the ICHD makes use of algorithms to define and categorize headache disorders. By learning the main types, you can understand the best approach to use to alleviate your symptoms. Below are some of the different types of migraines recognized by the ICHD guidelines.
In addition, to the main types, here are other recognized categories of migraines:
When reporting migraine to your physician, take note of the symptoms you experience. Do you have migraine neck pain? Where is the pain concentrated? Do you experience vomiting or nausea every attack? It’s also crucial to take note of the duration of each episode. You can also add details on the activities you were engaging in before a migraine starts. It’s a good idea to jot down notes on each attack in a journal, so you can accurately report your condition to your doctor. This way, experts can also provide you with a more accurate diagnosis.
Besides the extreme pain and discomfort brought by migraine, it can also come with various debilitating symptoms. The symptoms tend to vary, depending on the type of migraine affecting a person. Migraines can also be a symptom of a serious disease or health condition.
As such, it's crucial to get help from your physician to gauge and understand your condition fully. If the symptoms you feel doesn't improve or if it worsens on every episode, you must seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Remember the common symptoms of a migraine listed below:
Besides knowing the tell-tale signs of a migraine attack, doctors also advise tracing the specific factors that trigger the condition. Again, like in the case of symptoms, migraine triggers are different for each person. Below are some of the most commonly observed triggers:
These could include taking oral contraceptives. Some medications tend to cause migraines as a side effect. It would be best if you also look out for pain medications. Overusing such medications can worsen each episode.
Some examples include strong odors, flickering, or extremely bright lights, motion sickness, pollution, smoke, and changing air pressure during travel.
Abnormal sleeping patterns, stress, hunger, fasting, dehydration, alcohol and drug abuse, and over-exertion often trigger severe bouts of headaches.
These may include bright sunlight and sudden changes or fluctuation in temperature, air pressure, and humidity.
Hormonal fluctuations are also proven to cause moderate to severe migraines in women. Such hormonal problems are common during menstruation when a woman is taking oral contraceptives or undergoing hormonal therapy. It can also happen during the different stages of pregnancy.
Plenty of medical practitioners still struggle in identifying the most effective way to relieve migraine and its symptoms. However, upper cervical care chiropractors have been finding great success in managing various types of migraines. They pay close attention to the alignment of the neck bones and the vertebral column to care for their patients. Misalignment of the bones in the neck area can be the leading cause of migraine attacks because they pressure the brainstem. Such bone misalignment could also trigger other problems such as the blockage of cerebrospinal fluid and blood flow to and from the head.
Upper cervical chiropractors employ gentle and careful methods to correct bone misalignment. Over time, the bones naturally realign, providing patients with long-lasting relief from migraine and symptoms such as migraine neck pain.
If you want to naturally relieve your migraine attacks, you can search for an upper cervical care doctor near you. Consult with your preferred chiropractor.
to schedule a consultation today.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.
