When More a Bad Headache

Migraines area unit way more than simply AN occasional unhealthy headache. If you discover your migraines frequently hijacking your kerfuffle list, going away you unable to play together with your youngsters, get to figure on time or socialize with friends a minimum of half of the month, you will have a condition referred to as chronic hemicrania.

Chronic hemicrania may be a debilitative downside that affects up to five % of the population, principally girls. Previously called “transformative migraine,” chronic migraine tends to worsen over time. Headaches could begin in childhood or adolescence then step by step strike a lot of usually and cause {increasingly|progressively|more and a lot of} more pain. People with chronic hemicrania alter headaches on fifteen or a lot of days a month. Women area unit 3 times a lot of seemingly than men to expertise migraines.

What are the symptoms of chronic migraine?

To be diagnosed with chronic migraine, you must meet the criteria established by the International Headache Society. These criteria include the following:

• Headaches— either migraine headaches, tension-type headaches, or both— that occur on 15 or more days a month for at least three months

In addition, you must also have two or more of the following symptoms on eight or more days a month for at least three months:

• Moderate to severe headaches
• Headaches on one side of your head only
• Pulsating headache pain
• Headaches aggravated by routine physical activity
• Headaches that cause nausea, vomiting or both
• Headaches coupled with sensitivity to light and sound

What’s the difference between a migraine and chronic migraine?

The biggest distinction between cephalalgia headaches and chronic cephalalgia is their frequency. People with episodic cephalalgia headaches have acute attacks that last between four and seventy-two hours and occur anyplace from many times a month to once every few years. People with chronic cephalalgia, on the opposite hand, expertise headaches a minimum of fifteen days a month and meet the extra criteria for the condition established by the International Headache Society.

What causes chronic migraines?

If you suffer from chronic headaches, sure you surprise what is behind them. Could it be your third daily latte? Is it fumes from the carpet in your bedroom? Or may or not it’s as a result of your mother suffered from migraines all her life? Researchers are currently looking into why occasional migraines progress to chronic migraines in some people. The transformation could also be because of physical conditions, environment, genetics, or a combination of all three.

Studies recommend that sure those that get migraines area unit in danger of obtaining them a lot of ofttimes. People who have suffered a closed head injury and individuals with a family history of migraine are likely to develop a chronic migraine.

Chronic headaches also can be brought on by overuse of acute medications that area unit designed to induce eliminate Associate in Nursing’s existing headache.

What should a woman do if she suspects she has chronic migraine?

In too several cases, folks with chronic headaches mistake their symptoms for tension headaches or sporadic migraines, and that they pop a quick-fix medication and persist with their lives. This only masks an escalating problem. If you notice your headaches turning into a lot of frequent, a lot of severe or each, see your health care skilled. The sooner you get treatment for chronic headaches, the better. Ideally, you must see a professional headache specialist; he or she is going to be able to give the simplest doable treatment choices.

How is chronic migraine treated?

The first goal in treating chronic megrim is to manage the items that trigger the headaches. These triggers might embrace sleep issues, changes in intake habits (such as skipping meals), physical activity, and various different factors. Alcohol, caffeine, smoke, and a few over-the-counter and prescription medications area unit thought-about triggers for migraines.

Keeping a headache diary, during which you write down however you felt, what you probably did, and what you Ate on a given day will assist you to pinpoint triggers. For instance, if you discover your afternoon diet soda or nightly vino area unit usually followed by a throbbing head, crop on these indulgences, or avoid them fully.

In addition to eliminating triggers, treatment aims to prevent migraines and ease head pain when they strike. There are two classes of medications for migraine headache:

• Pain-relieving medications, or abortive treatments, are taken during migraine attacks to stop symptoms that have already begun. They include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and migraine medications called triptans and ergotamines. These medications are used no more than two days per week; taking them more often can lead to rebound headache, a vicious headache cycle that occurs when the body adjusts to too much pain medication.
• Preventive medications are taken regularly to reduce the frequency or severity of migraines. They include antidepressants, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and anticonvulsants.

What are some lifestyle changes that can help ward off chronic migraines?

The two best things you can do to prevent chronic migraines are to seek early treatment for headaches from a qualified medical specialist and avoid lifestyle factors that may trigger the condition. In terms of lifestyle, consider the following:

• Keep your caffeine consumption to a minimum, only one cup of coffee or a caffeinated soda a day, if possible. And check caffeine contents— some popular brands contain three times as much caffeine as others, making even one cup too much. If you are super sensitive to caffeine, you may need to cut it out altogether.
• Sleep about six to eight hours per night. More or less sleep can trigger migraines. If you snore or have sleep apnea, see a health care professional for treatment.
• Maintain a healthy weight. Women with a body mass index of 30 or more or whose waists are larger than 35 inches in circumference are at an increased risk for chronic migraine.

• Practice relaxation techniques, such as meditation, yoga, or guided imagery, especially when facing stressful life events.
• Exercise regularly with an activity you enjoy, such as walking, swimming, or biking; be sure to check with your health care professional before starting any physical exercise.