Manage Migraines to Improve Your Quality of Life
If you suffer from migraines, you know how debilitating these headaches and their associated symptoms can be.
Migraine affects more than 10 percent of people worldwide. Roughly one-third of migraine sufferers expe-rience what is known as an “aura,” a visual disturbance that appears as flashing lights, zigzag lines, or a temporary loss of vision. Along with a headache, which may last up to 72 hours, some migraine suf-ferers experience nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, blurred vision, and/or lightheadedness.
“Migraine is a complicated neurological condition, often under-diagnosed and undertreated,” says Louise Klebanoff, MD, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medical Center. “While we have some under-standing of the pathophysiology of migraine, the exact mechanism is not well understood.”
The pain of a migraine headache is often described as an intense pulsing or throbbing pain in one area of the head.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
Supplements that may help prevent and/or treat migraine include:
➤ Butterbur
➤ Feverfew
➤ Riboflavin (vitamin B2)
➤ Magnesium
➤ Coenzyme Q-10
People with migraine tend to have recurring attacks that may be triggered by a number of different factors, including stress, anxiety, hormonal changes, bright or flashing lights, lack of food or sleep, and intake of dietary substances such as chocolate, aged cheese, processed meats, monosodium glutamate, and alcohol.
Migraine in some women may be related to changes in hormones and hormonal levels during their menstrual cycles. “Migraine is more common in women, often begins when girls first start menstruating, and can vary with the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and menopause, sometimes resolving after menopause,” says Dr. Klebanoff. “That said, men also get migraine, and not all women with migraine note changes with their menstrual cycle. One important issue is the increased risk of stroke in patients with classic migraine (migraine with aura) who take oral contraceptives.”
Migraine-stroke link
The link between stroke and migraine remains a mystery. Strokes and migraines share many of the same symptoms and are sometimes mistaken for each other. But research has not confirmed that migraines actually cause strokes. What is known is that people who have migraines with aura have an increased risk of having a stroke. In addition to oral contraceptives, being younger than 45 and smoking cigarettes also appear to increase the risk of stroke in migraine sufferers.
Migraine prevention
According to Dr. Klebanoff, there are many ways of helping to prevent migraine. “Lifestyle changes and the use of supplements are sometimes recommended to start, but patients with frequent migraines often need daily medication to help to reduce the frequency and severity of their migraines. Some of the medi-cations used for migraine prevention also work to reduce blood pressure and/or heart rate, but lowering cardio-vascular risk factors per se is not how we manage migraine. There are also many medications used for acute treatment.”
Drugs that may help prevent migraines include beta blockers (Lopressor, Inderal), tricyclic antidepressants (Elavil, Pamelor), anti-epileptics (Topamax), and calcium channel blockers (Covera, Calan, Nimotop, Cardizem).
NEW NON-DRUG OPTION TO PREVENT MIGRAINE
- Cefaly is a device designed to prevent migraines; it has recently been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Cefaly, which requires a prescription, is worn on the forehead and delivers electrical pulses.
- For more information, visit www.cefaly.us.
Migraine treatment
Milder migraine symptoms may respond to over-the-counter pain relievers (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen). Severe and/or frequent migraines may require prescription drugs, such as triptans (Imitrex, Axert).
Also, there’s a new, non-drug option: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Cefaly, a device designed to prevent migraine pain. Cefaly is a battery-operated, headband-like device that is positioned in the center of the forehead, just above the eyes.
Since Cefaly is a new device, more studies are needed to evaluate its efficacy, but doctors and migraine-sufferers alike are excited about its potential.
“Cefaly is a TENS [transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation] device,” says Dr. Klebanoff. “It delivers electrical pulses that stimulate muscles. It has shown to be effective in some clinical studies, and there are no known risks associated with the device.”
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