Migraines and Headaches- Causes, Triggers and Remedies

A headache is an unbearable pain, usually on one side of the head, that hampers daily activities and may last hours to days if left untreated. An estimated 64 to 77% of people worldwide suffer from headaches at some point. More than 90% of headaches are primary headaches, including migraines and cluster headaches.

1. Primary headaches are regarded as tension headaches, and most people with tension headaches have “episodic” headaches that usually come and go.

2. Cluster headaches are severe headaches on one side of the head, typically around the eye. Eye-watering, red eyes and nasal congestion are common symptoms of cluster headaches. Moreover, cluster headaches can be treated with triptans and prevented with prednisone and ergotamine.

3. Migraine headaches – Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea and vomiting. People affected with migraines are extremely sensitive to light and sound. An estimated 6% of men and 18% of women get migraines each year, and it is also a fact that migraines are more common among women.

Types of migraine headaches:

1. Migraine and headaches

There are various types of migraine headaches, including ocular migraine and sinus headaches. These are mentioned below:

• Ocular migraine causes temporary vision loss or distortion in one eye, generally followed by a headache. This type of migraine is also known as retinal migraine or ophthalmic migraine. Ocular migraines are more common in women and people who are under 40 years old or who have a family history of migraines or other headaches. Blur vision, partial vision loss, blank spots in vision, and light flashes are common symptoms of ocular migraine. People can prevent ocular migraine by kicking the smoking habit, maintaining high blood pressure, and avoiding stress and exposure to excessive heat.
• Sinus headache – An estimated 24 to 31 million cases of sinusitis occur in the United States annually. The sinus is an air-filled space located in the forehead, cheekbones, and behind the bridge of the nose. The sinus drains through channels in the nose, and when it becomes inflamed, the channels become blocked, which increases the pressure and causes pain like a headache. The symptoms of sinus headache are nasal discharge, fever, feeling of fullness in the ears, and facial swelling. People can prevent sinus by drinking more fluids and using a humidifier or salt water nasal spray.

Causes of migraine:

Changes in the brainstem and abnormal brain activity cause a migraine headache. There are various activities and causes that trigger migraine, but the exact chain of events remains unclear. Most researchers believe the attack begins in the brain and involves nerve pathways and chemicals. Below are some of the mechanisms that may trigger migraine to happen:

1. Family history – It has been studied in various research that 90 percent of people with migraines have a family history of migraine attacks.
2. Hormonal changes in women – Fluctuations in estrogen levels may trigger headaches in many women with known migraines. Women report headaches immediately before or during their periods when they have a major drop in estrogen levels.
3. Foods – Aged cheese, salty, and processed foods may trigger migraines. Moreover, skipping meals or fasting also triggers migraine attacks.
4. Drinks – Beverages that contain a high quantity of caffeine and alcohol may also trigger migraines.
5. Anxiety and stress – Emotional stress is a common trigger of migraine. People can reduce stress by taking a break or doing exercises. This type of relaxation often helps eliminate the major cause of migraines.
6. Changes in the environment and medications—Changes in weather or barometric pressure, oral contraceptives, and vasodilators can cause migraines.

7. Migraine attacks may be triggered by caffeine withdrawal, changes in sleep patterns, loud noises or bright lights, skipping meals, and strong perfumes.

Signs and symptoms of migraine:

Migraine often begins in childhood or early adulthood and causes recurrent severe headaches associated with autonomic symptoms. Migraines progress through four stages, including prodrome, aura, and headache. These are as mentioned below:

1. Prodrome stage—This stage occurs hours or days before the headache, and about 60% of people with migraines have to face it. Symptoms in this stage include altered mood, fatigue, depression, or euphoria, craving for a certain food, constipation or diarrhea, and sensitivity to smells or noise.
2. Aura stage – This stage of migraine occurs before or during migraine headaches. Most of the people with migraines experience attacks without aura. Auras are nervous system symptoms that include light flashes, touching sensations (sensory), movement, or speech (verbal) disturbances. Symptoms begin gradually over several minutes, lasting for 20 to 60 minutes. These include visual phenomena like shapes, bright spots or flashes of light, pins and needles sensations in the arm or leg, or, less commonly, limb weakness (hemiplegic migraine).
3. Headache stage – The frequency of headaches varies from person to person. People may experience migraines several times a month or much less often. They experience symptoms like pain on one or both sides of the head, sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell, nausea and vomiting, or blurred vision.
4. Postdrome – It has been reported that the effects of migraine persist for some days after the main headache has ended. During this time, people may feel drained, though some report the feeling of euphoria.

Medications and remedies for migraine:

Various remedies can help prevent attacks and ease the symptoms of migraines. You can follow some of these remedies to treat migraine naturally or medicinally:

1. Herbs and vitamins – There is evidence that herbs are a great source to prevent migraines or reduce their severity. Additionally, a high dose of riboflavin (vitamin B-2) may prevent migraines or reduce the frequency of headaches.
2. Fish oil – Through various research, it has been proven to reduce inflammation.
3. Avoid triggers—Avoid foods or odors that have triggered your migraines in the past. Establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and meals and try to control stress-related activities.
4. Exercise regularly – Regular exercise reduces tension and helps in preventing migraines.
5. Some medications that help lower migraine triggers are Excedrin and Sumatriptan. Excedrin is a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. It helps treat pain, fever, and inflammation and relaxes muscle contractions in the blood vessels to improve blood flow. A migraine patient needs to get a doctor’s recommendation on whether Excedrin is safe or not.

Aspirin in Excedrin is very harmful because it may cause stomach or intestinal bleeding, which can be fatal to an unborn baby’s heart. The side effects may reduce birth weight or cause severe effects on the child. Consult your doctor before taking any medicine for any health condition if you are pregnant.