A migraine is a grave form of headache that causes excruciating aching or an agonizing sensation, usually on one side of the head. Migraine headaches can be stern enough to lasts for some hours, extending to some days. The extreme pain that accompanies migraine can upset your activities.
Migraine headache is regularly linked with nausea and vomiting. It can be triggered by light and sound.
Symptoms of migraine headaches can differ from one person to another. Some people may experience a cautionary indicator described as an aura. This aura, which may come in form of flashes of light or blind spots, may occur before or with the headache. Apart from the visual disturbances associated with aura, it can also occur as a prickly sensation on one side of the face, an arm or leg.
Medications for migraines helps to relieve the painful symptoms and to prevent a reoccurrence of another episode.
In this article, we examined:
Signs and symptoms of migraine headaches
Foods that can prevent migraine headaches
Foods that causes migraine headaches
Can migraine headache lasts a week?
Is migraine headache curable?
Signs and Symptoms of Migraine headaches
Migraine headaches can begin in childhood, teenage years or early adulthood. The signs and symptoms of migraine headaches can be categorized in four stages. These four stages doesn’t necessarily affect anyone who experiences migraine headaches.
Prodrome
Aura
Attack
Post-drome
Prodrome
For the Prodrome stage, you may experience some changes that may caution you of an imminent migraine attack about one or two days before a migraine. These symptoms may include:
Food cravings
Constipation
Mood changes
Frequent yawning
Neck stiffness
Increased thirst and urination
Aura
A second phase of signs and symptoms of migraine headaches is Aura. Auras are usually triggered by visual disturbances, but can also include other. Auras may occur before or during a migraine headache. Auras are reversible signs of the nervous system. Auras may start steadily, and gradually increase over several minutes to one hour.
Examples of migraine aura include:
Vision loss
Visual phenomena (seeing various shapes, bright spots or flashes of light)
Hearing sounds
Weakness or numbness in the face or one side of the body
Difficulty speaking
Uncontrollable jerking
Sensations in an arm or leg
Attack
If left untreated, a migraine headache attack may last from 4 hours to 72 hours. Migraine attacks differs from person to person. Some persons may experience migraine attacks for several days in every 30 days, while some other may experience migraine symptom once in a long while.
During signs and symptoms of migraine headache, a person may experience:
Nausea and vomiting
Pain concentrated on one side of head, it can also occur on both sides
Throbbing or pulsating Pain
Sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell
Post-drome
This last stage of migraine headache is usually experienced after a migraine attack. A person who just had a migraine attack may feel drained and confused for about a day. The pain may come on suddenly again when a person makes a sudden head movement.
Foods that can Prevent Migraine Headaches
There are certain kinds of foods you eat that can help prevent migraine headaches. Conversely, eating some certain foods can trigger migraine attack. So, it is best to know the foods to prevent and foods to eat for migraine headache.
There is no sole diet that can help prevent migraine, however, consuming healthy foods consisting of whole grains, lean protein, vegetables, and fruits, may help prevent or cut down the frequency of migraine symptoms.
According to the Association of Migraine Disorders, this is the list of safe foods to eat if you have migraine headaches:
Bread, grains, and cereals to Eat for Migraines
cereals, but exempt those with aspartame, dried fruits, and nuts.
quick bread including pumpernickel or zucchini bread
unflavored crackers
plain or sesame seed bagels
white, wheat, rye, or pumpernickel bread
plain pretzels and potato chips
Meats, nuts, and seeds to Eat for Migraines[b]
[/b]sesame seeds
pumpkin seeds
fresh chicken, beef, turkey, fish, lamb, veal, or pork
poppy seeds
sunflower seeds without natural flavors
Salad dressings and sauces to Eat for Migraines
oil and distilled white vinegar salad dressings
homemade dips that is devoid of artificial flavorings
homemade ranch dressings
Vegetables and fruits to Eat for Migraine headaches
fresh fruits
fresh vegetables including cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, peppers, and fresh potatoes
bagged lettuce without preservatives
Foods that Causes Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches cannot be completely cured. However, you can manage the condition by avoiding some known foods that is believed to trigger migraine symptoms. Though the types of foods you consume isn’t basically the only cause for migraines, but it will help to avoid foods that causes migraine headaches
It is advisable to avoid foods that contains added preservatives including monosodium glutamate because preservatives are known to trigger migraines in most people with the condition. Other triggers to avoid include foods that contains flavorings, yeast, phenylalanide, and nitrates.
Now let’s look at foods that causes migraine headaches:
Salad dressings and sauces to Avoid for Migraines
bottled salad dressings
pre-packaged dips, including mustard dips, salsa, or alfredo sauce
Vegetables and fruits to avoid for migraines
sauerkraut
navy beans
boxed instant mashed potatoes
dried fruits containing sulfite preservatives
onions
citrus fruits
lima beans
Some fruits that can trigger migraine headache includes
raspberries
plums
grapefruits
oranges
bananas
Meats, nuts, and seeds that causes migraine headaches
marinated meats
beef and chicken livers
breaded meats
nut butters
flavored popcorn
Bread, grains, and cereals that causes migraine
soft pretzels
pizza
flavored crackers
fresh bread
flavored or seasoned chips
In a nutshell, foods that causes migraine headaches includes:
Alcoholic drinks
Dark chocolate
Aspartame
Aged cheese
Chinese foods and foods containing monosodium glutamate
Preserved meats containing nitrates such as hot dogs, sausages, pepperoni, bologna, and others
Preserved foods
Excess caffeine
Foods to eat during a Migraine Attack
Some over-the-counter drugs for treating headache contains caffeine because caffeine contains some substances that could help ease headaches and migraines. However, caffeine may exacerbate migraine symptoms when you consume it excessively. So, it is recommended by the AMF to limit your caffeine consumption to 100 milligrams (mg) per day. Another class of foods that you can eat during migraine headaches to reduce nauseous feelings are bland foods like saltine crackers, pears, and white bread.
Can a Migraine Lasts a Week?
A migraine headache can last from 5 days to one week or even longer, depending on several factors ranging from hormonal to severe fundamental cause. Long-lasting migraines can be so debilitating that it affects your daily activities and even nighttime sleep.
Migraine can be hereditary, such that people having family member(s) with the condition are more prone to developing migraines. Also, women are more susceptible to having migraine headaches compared to men due to differences in hormones. Migraines can differ in length and severity from person to person, according to neurologist Alexander Mauskop, MD, director of the New York Headache Center in Manhattan.
Migraine length varies, most migraines last from roughly 4 hours to 72 hours or even longer. However, migraines may be far shorter in some persons.
The type of migraine a person is experiencing depends on how long the migraine will last.
Optical migraine is characterized by visual disturbances including zigzags, blind spots or blurred vision. It can last for about 1 – 2 hours and isn’t accompanied with any headache.
Classic migraines usually begins with a warning sign or aura and can be rather painful. It can last a day or two.
Common migraines do not have auras at the initial period, and the associated pain may be concentrated on one side. It can last for about three to five days.
Migraines that lasts for 5 days and longer is called status migrainous. This type of migraine headache requires immediate medical attention as it heightens a person’s risk of developing stroke, according to Mauskop.
Causes of Migraine Headaches
The main causes of migraine headaches are still vague, however, experts believe genetics and environmental factors are responsible. Also, changes in the brainstem and its relations with the trigeminal nerve & imbalances in brain chemicals may also be among causes of migraine headaches.
Some known triggers of migraine headache includes:
Weather changes
Physical factors such as intense physical exertion
Drinks like excess coffee and alcohol, particularly wine can trigger migraine attack.
Stress
Sensory stimuli like bright lights, sun, paint thinner, secondhand smoke, loud sounds, can induce migraines are also triggers of migraine headaches
Sleep fluctuations including insufficient night sleep, excess sleep, and jet lag can trigger migraines
Medications like oral contraceptives can also trigger migraines.
Foods including processed foods, aged cheeses and salty, including all other listed above can trigger migraine attack.
Hormonal changes in women
Is Migraine Curable?
Migraine headache has no cure. However, there are medications that can help treat, prevent, or ease symptoms. Avoiding some known triggers of migraine can also help you manage the condition.
There are available over-the-counter medicines that can help ease migraine-related symptoms. These drugs are mostly composed with ingredients like aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and caffeine. Exercise caution when taking OTC pain relievers because taking them wrongly can lead to dependency and rebound headaches. Check in with your doctor if you use OTC pain relievers more than three times a week or on daily basis. Your doctor can recommend a stronger drug to treat migraine symptoms.
Source: https://healthdiary365.com/signs-and-symptoms-of-migraine-headache/
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