Having a migraine is hard and frustrating at the same time. Those who live with people who suffer from this headache on a regular basis, often tend to downplay it because the symptoms are not visible. This makes the patient feel little supported by the people around him.
Studies on migraine
An investigation carried out in 13 thousand homes by the Department of Neurology of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York, on the impact of migraine in the family stated that 44% of the spouses of people with these headaches do not believe that be so serious .
Then, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), headaches or headaches are one of the most common disorders of the nervous system. It is estimated that up to 47% of adults have suffered it, at least once, in the last year.
And Andrés Yupit Puerto, a neurologist from the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), made a report in which he stated that there are several types of headaches, such as tension, pharmacological, hormonal, caused by stress and migraine, being the latter one of the most disabling .
What is a migraine like?
This type of pain is more common in women and of all the people who believe they have it, only 20% actually suffer from it. In other words, many people call any type of headache a migraine, a fairly common mistake . For this reason, it is quite important to know the symptoms of a real migraine, the most common being blurred vision, heaviness in the head, pain in the pit of the stomach, nausea, photophobia, sonophobia and a tingling sensation in the hands and face.
Migraine, according to Andrés Yupit Puerto, can be due to an alteration in sleep, physical stress, nutritional habits or because by genetic inheritance there is an alteration in chromosome nine , although the latter has not been scientifically proven. Regarding nutritional habits, there are foods that trigger migraines, such as dairy products, chocolate, those containing monosodium glutamate, smoked fish and some legumes.
In a day several episodes of migraines can occur in which the pain is excruciating. In this case, it is best to know how to identify when the pain will appear and take common painkillers or caffeine before its appearance because they are anti-migraine.
Migraine in pregnancy
Several studies have shown that women who normally suffer from migraine may notice an intensification of symptoms during pregnancy , especially during the first months of pregnancy due to hormonal changes.
This is believed to be because estrogen may play a role in migraines. This would mean that in stages such as gestation, menstruation or menopause these headaches may occur more frequently. Doctors suggest monitoring headaches during these stages, as pain can sometimes be associated with pre-eclampsia or high blood pressure in pregnancy, something that could trigger health problems in both the mother and the fetus.
Regarding treatment, it is recommended not to take medications because they could be harmful to the baby . It is best to rest in a dark place, place cold compresses on your forehead, avoid noise, and relax. With these tricks you can release tension and reduce the headache, even make it disappear.
Do children suffer from migraines?
Like adults, children can also suffer from migraines and may experience the same symptoms as an adult , such as dizziness, stomach pain, and sensitivity to light or odors. The duration can be a couple of hours.
It is believed that out of every 20 children under the age of 10, there is one who suffers from migraine headaches. After 12 years of age, when the moment of development has arrived, the most affected are girls.
Treatment, in these cases, will be the same as for an adult, headache pills and rest.
When to go to a doctor?
When you have a severe headache, there are some signs to watch out for to rule out more serious problems, such as a stroke. These symptoms could be:
- An extremely intense and unbearable headache.
- Trouble speaking, seeing, moving, or balancing.
- Neck stiffness.
- Headache accompanied by fever.
- When pain occurs suddenly, especially in those over 50 years of age.
Can it be prevented?
As we have said before, to reduce pain it is best to stop doing normal activities and find a quiet place to rest, turn off the lights, apply a cold compress to the forehead and have a caffeinated drink. Although, obviously, it is not good to abuse these types of drinks or the opposite effect could be achieved.
To avoid future migraines it is best to establish regular hours of sleep . That is, you have to go to bed and get up at about the same time every day, including weekends. Naps cannot exceed 20-30 minutes or could affect nighttime sleep. It would also be interesting to practice relaxing activities during the day .
Food is as important as sleep, so meals should always be at the same times, do not skip any and avoid foods that cause headaches .
And finally, you have to try to exercise regularly and control your stress a lot . To avoid the latter, it is necessary to know how to manage time in an intelligent way, to rest when the body asks for it and to modify the attitude in the face of difficulties. Changing habits a little and leading a healthier life can reduce migraines considerably. Through them you can also reduce symptoms or combat them in a much more efficient way and without resorting to medications. Of course, if you need them, if it is under medical supervision, they should not pose any health problem, but quite the opposite.
