Living on the edge with migraine

Headache Issue

Beware! If frequent spells of headache on one side of the head and pulsating sensation aggravates from moderate to severe in a matter of split seconds… don’t take it lightly, you may be suffering from chronic migraine.

According to the World Health Organisation, 303 million people worldwide were ‘migraineurs’ or migraine sufferers (as per a 2003 study). And in today’s fast-paced, stress-filled life, it is uncommon to believe that no body has had a nasty headache at least once in their lifetime!

According to Dr. Rajshekhar Reddy, neurologist, Max Healthcare Hospital, “Migraine headaches result from a combination of blood vessel enlargement and the release of chemicals from nerves that causes the sympathetic nervous system to respond with feelings of nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.”

Chronic migraine sufferers are those whose ache last for several hours for up to 15 days a month and continue for a period of three months and beyond. “Headache and migraine are often overlooked compared to other serious diseases. Migraine attacks cause significant pain for hours to days and are so severe that all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down,” adds Rajshekhar.

The cause of migraine headache is unknown; the most supported theory is that it is related to hyperexcitability of the cerebral cortex, a part of the brain responsible for information processing and plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness or abnormal control of pain neurons in the trigeminal nucleus of the brainstem.

Preventive treatments of migraines usually include medication, migraine surgery, nutritional supplements, lifestyle alterations, such as increased exercise. Adding to way people deal with migraine, the doctor says, “Patients often find this tiresome and don’t stick to their schedule. For such people who have tried everything from pills to relaxation techniques in order to contain their chronic headaches and yet have not found any relief, OnaBotulinum toxin type A , popularly known as Botox could be a saviour.”

The wonder drug works by temporarily blocking nerve signals that release chemicals that cause inflammation and pain. Though chronic migraine cannot be cured permanently, it can significantly decrease the severity and frequency of migraine attacks. In ideal patients, the drug is administered in prescribed doses at specific sites on patient’s head and neck. The effect of this treatment may last upto three months subject to severity of migraine.