The Migraine Brain: Your Breakthrough Guide to Fewer Headaches, Better Health

A comprehensive book that explains how to cope with migraines by an esteemed neurologist. You know that your migraine isn’t just a headache. But you may not know that migraine actually is a neurological disease. Affecting one in five women, one in twenty men, and one in twenty children, it’s a debilitating, complex, and chronic condition that manifests in a combination of symptoms that can include excruciating head pain as well as other distinctive physical and emotional effects. Yet it’s also a disease that you can get control of, improve, and manage, as Dr. Carolyn Bernstein has discovered in her seventeen years as a Harvard Medical School faculty member and practicing neurologist.

 

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Do you ever experience aura with your migraine attacks?

Prevention (for migraines)

Prevention (for migraines)

Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may benefit from lifestyle changes that can help reduce the number and severity of migraines. One or more of these suggestions may be helpful for you:

Avoid triggers
If certain foods or odors seem to have triggered your migraines in the past, avoid them.

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Alternative medicine (migraines)

Alternative medicine (migraines)

Nontraditional therapies may be helpful if you have chronic migraine pain:

Acupuncture
In this treatment, a practitioner inserts many thin, disposable needles into several areas of your skin at defined points. Clinical trials have found that acupuncture may be helpful for headache pain.
Biofeedback

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Lifestyle and home remedies (for migraines)

Lifestyle and home remedies (for migraines)

Self-care measures can help ease the pain of a migraine headache.
Try muscle relaxation exercises. Relaxation may help ease the pain of a migraine headache. Relaxation techniques may include progressive muscle relaxation, meditation or yoga.
Get enough sleep, but don’t oversleep. Get an adequate amount of sleep each night. It’s best to go to bed and wake up at regular times, as well.

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Treatments and drugs (for migraines)

Treatments and drugs (for migraines)

Migraines can’t be cured, but doctors will work with you to help you manage your condition. A variety of medications have been specifically designed to treat migraines. In addition, some drugs commonly used to treat other conditions also may help relieve or prevent migraines. Medications used to combat migraines fall into two broad categories:

Pain-relieving medications
Also known as acute or abortive treatment, these types of drugs are taken during migraine attacks and are designed to stop symptoms that have already begun.
Preventive medications
These types of drugs are taken regularly, often on a daily basis, to reduce the severity or frequency of migraines. Choosing a strategy to manage your migraines depends on the frequency and severity of your headaches, the degree of disability your headaches cause, and your other medical conditions. Some medications aren’t recommended if you’re pregnant or breast-feeding. Some medications aren’t given to children. Your doctor can help find the right medication for you.

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Tests and diagnosis (for migraines)

Tests and diagnosis (for migraines)

If you have migraines or a family history of migraine headaches, your doctor trained in treating headaches (neurologist) will likely diagnose the condition on the basis of your medical history, a review of your symptoms, and a physical and neurological examination.
Your doctor may also recommend a variety of tests to rule out other possible causes for your pain if your condition is unusual, complex or suddenly becomes severe.
Blood tests
Your doctor may order blood tests to test for blood vessel problems, infections in your spinal cord or brain, and toxins in your system.

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Risk factors (for migraines)

Risk factors (for migraines)

Several factors make you more prone to having migraines.
Family history
Up to 90 percent of people with migraines have a family history of migraine attacks. If one or both of your parents have migraines, then you have a good chance of having migraines too.
Age
Migraines can begin at any age, though most people experience their first migraine during adolescence. By age 40, most people who have migraines have had their first attack.

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Migraine Causes

Migraine Causes

Although much about the cause of migraines isn’t understood, genetics and environmental factors appear to play a role. Migraines may be caused by changes in the brainstem and its interactions with the trigeminal nerve, a major pain pathway. Imbalances in brain chemicals — including serotonin, which helps regulate pain in your nervous system — also may be involved. Researchers continue to study the role of serotonin in migraines. Serotonin levels drop during migraine attacks. This may cause your trigeminal system to release substances called neuropeptides, which travel to your brain’s outer covering (meninges). The result is headache pain.

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Migraine Definition and Symptoms

Migraine Definition and Symptoms

Definition
A migraine headache can cause intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can cause significant pain for hours to days and be so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down. Some migraines are preceded or accompanied by sensory warning symptoms (aura), such as flashes of light, blind spots, or tingling in your arm or leg. Medications can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. If treatment hasn’t worked for you in the past, talk to your doctor about trying a different migraine headache medication. The right medicines, combined with self-help remedies and lifestyle changes, may make a big difference.

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