Migraine is more than just “bad headaches”.
The condition is debilitating and can lead to nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to sound or light.
Around five million Australians suffer from migraine, yet few understand its different phases.
Understanding the different phases of pain can help you identify the symptoms at each phase and treat them accordingly.
Phase 1:
Premonitory or prodrome is the first stage of migraine. This phase is a kind of warning that begins between 24 and 48 hours prior to the migraine attacks.
Premonitory phases are closely related to the hypothalamus.
The hypothalamus regulates important functions like body temperature, appetite and mood.
The hypothalamus of a migraine sufferer becomes abnormally active. This abnormal activation of the hypothalamus can affect other brain parts with various functions.
It can cause symptoms like poor concentration, food desires, irritability, and insomnia. You’ll be more likely to catch the beginning of a headache if you recognize these signs.
Aura Phase 2.
A migraine attack’s second phase is known as “aura”. Aura is a term used to describe varying neurological symptoms that affect vision, speech and the ability to sense sensations. The most common type of aura is a visual one, affecting your vision.
A visual aura can cause blind spots, swirling patterns or flashing lights. Sensory auras can cause numbness and tingling of the face or arms.
People may have difficulty speaking in severe cases.
A process known as cortical spread depression may contribute to the symptoms of aura. This process involves a slow spread of electrical activity in the brain that can affect certain brain areas.
A migraine aura affects only 30% of sufferers.
The third phase is Headache
Third phase is headache.
The third phase of a migraine attack is the headache.
If left untreated, this phase can last between 4 and 72 hours.
Other symptoms, such as headaches and nausea can also develop when different brain networks are activated.
The medulla, or the “vomit center” in the brain can be abnormally active and cause nausea and vomiting.
Trigeminal Nerve Activation Disorder: The nerve that allows you to experience sensations in your face can be abnormally active. The release of chemicals may cause the brain to perceive pain.
One of the chemicals in this group is a substance called calcitonin-related peptide. Certain migraine medications that are administered by injection block this protein in order to relieve pain.
Postdrome Phase
Postdrome is the fourth phase. This is sometimes called the “migraine after-effect”.
Your brain works hard during this phase to get back to normal. You may experience increased fatigue or difficulty concentrating following a migraine.
How can I deal with a migraine?
Knowing the signs and symptoms of migraines can help you to manage them.
It’s best to keep pain medication or nausea tablets on hand if you experience predictable symptoms. So you can deal with early symptoms.
This can be an indication to take a break, especially before headaches start.
Taking migraine pain medication such as aspirin, triptans or anti-inflammatory painkillers during the aura phase may prevent the headache phase.
You may want to consider preventive medication if you suffer from more than 4 migraines per month.
They are typically daily pills that help you control your baseline head pain. There are also injectable options.
Do not ignore this phase. You may have overlapping attacks if you overdo it during the recovery phase. When one attack of migraine occurs before the previous one has resolved, this is called overlapping attacks. It is much more difficult to treat overlapping migraine attacks.
Other symptoms may be associated with a migraine. You may also experience dizziness or neck pain.
Consult your neurologist if you experience any additional symptoms to ensure they’re not due to a serious condition.
Speak to your doctor if you suffer from migraines with aura symptoms before beginning hormone-based birth control. You may require a different type of treatment from someone without aura symptoms.
Understanding the phases and symptoms will help you better prepare for any migraine attacks in future.
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