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From the tittle itself we understand, headache is the common feature of migraine. But there must be something which has made it so special than other types of head ache. Let’s start from the beginning. Migraine is derived from a Greek word “hemi- half, kranion/ crania- skull” so now we get its peculiar feature i.e. half sided head ache.
They are more than headaches-
Now the questions arise:
- What exactly is migraine?
- What might be the reason or triggers behind?
- How does living with migraine look like?
- Who is at the risk of having migraine?
- What to do & what not to?
- What can be done?
What exactly is migraine?
Migraine is generally confused with a normal headache, however the severity of the two are incomparable. Migraine is usually a moderate to severe headache felt as a throbbing pain or pulsing sensation on one side of the head. There are other draining symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to loud sounds and bright lights. The pain can be so severe that it interferes with your daily activities, causing general discomfort and people keep seeking remedies for headache relief.
It is a common health condition, affecting around 1 in every 5 women and around 1 in every 15 men.
Yes, women are absolutely competitive 😉
What might be the reason behind?
You may wonder that there is no clear cause to explain why does migraine attack occur. There are many triggering factors like hormonal changes, emotions, sleep changes, sensory stimulus, foods and additives.
- HORMONES – Some women experience migraine during, around or before menstruations. Because this is the time when there are many hormonal changes going in the body at a time. The same scenario occurs during pregnancy, postpartum also during menopause. hormonal fluctuation is always high during this time.
- EMOTIONS – Stress at work or at home. anxiety, tension, depression, shock are few emotional factors. There is a release of certain chemicals to overcome these stressful situations. Release of chemical can be a cause of migraine.
- SLEEP – Frequent changes in sleep pattern due to disrupted working Hours. can cause a migraine. E.g. – getting inadequate amount of sleep or too much sleep than normal can trigger migraine.
- SENSORY STIMULUS – Exposure to extreme light, loud sound or touch or extreme smell can trigger migraine.
- FOODS AND ADDITIVES – excess of caffeine, alcoholic beverages, certain types of cheese, yeast and its extracts, fishes can cause trigger of tyramine secretion leading in migraine attack. Certain food additives also show same effect.
How does living with migraine look alike?
A migraine attack can be painful and tiring. It starts with pain on one side of your head, which may last from 4 to 72 hours. One may also have nausea, vomiting, feeling of avoiding sounds, bright light.
There may be extreme conditions where there might be-
Cognitive impairment, Trouble making decisions, Extreme fatigue, Numbness and tingling, Loss of words, Ringing in ears
Who is at the risk of migraine?
Women are more likely to have migraine. If you are already suffering from any mental ailment like depression, then you are more likely to have migraine. If somebody in the family suffers with migraine, then one is at risk because genetics plays its own role.
What to do and what not to?
| DO’S | DON’TS |
| √ Maintain a diet at punctual time & portion. Have fresh and warm food. | × Avoid stale, unhealthy junk food. Irregular food timings. Avoid excess caffeine, cheese, triggering food items. |
| √ Adequate quality and quantity of sleep is the best headache remedy | × Irregular sleep timings. |
| √ proper exercise routine, meditation, gentle foot and head massage | × Having sedentary Life |
| √ Calm and relax is great for headache relief | × Avoid stress and anxiety. |
Note : triggering food item might be different for different persons. One should understand and avoid it
What can be done?
Ayurveda has herbs like Pippali, Shunthi, Tulsi having analgesic property which help in headache relief, congestion, calms down mind, gives soothing effect & eases breathing. Certain herbs have immunity enhancing properties, relieves stress induced migraine and provide relief from headache.
Cephagraine Tablets and Cephagraine drops, formulated by Charak pharma are one such good option to combat migraine. Its best to trust nature for chronic health issues and find relief.
