Migraines are persistent headaches. They are painful and can make the patient nauseous or overly sensitive to light and sound at times. It is estimated that about 25% of people will have a migraine at some point. An early diagnosis can help chalk out a treatment plan for this often chronic disease.
Diagnosis
There isn’t any single method to diagnose a migraine but there is a process that can be followed:
Medical history: Doctors will rely on medical history as well as a physical examination. A complete medical history will give the doctor information which will help to rule out other symptoms and diseases that could mimic a migraine.
Personal habits: Apart from medical history, you will also be questioned about personal habits along with what diet you follow and whether you exercise or not. During this step you will have to write down about:
- Every time you feel a headache or a pulsing sensation.
- Which side of the head is it on?
- Where does the pain begin?
- How severe is it on a scale?
- How long does it last?
Doctors generally look for four symptoms:
- Pounding
- Severity
- Pulsing quality
- One-sided pain
Medical exam: For the medical exam, the doctor may check your neck and head. You may have to do neurological exercises which will test:
- Sensation
- Strength
- Reflexes
- Alertness
- Coordination
- Short-term memory
Other questions: You might also be asked how you feel when you have the headaches:
- Whether you feel like vomiting or feel nauseous
- If you are sensitive to light and to what scale
- How helpless you feel when the headaches take place
The process of elimination: Through all the above questions the diagnosing doctor will rule out other types of headaches like sinus headaches. Apart from this, the information will also help them identify if something else is going on.
Tests: If after trying the above diagnosis methods, the doctor finds causes to worry, then blood tests or scans and imaging studies will be recommended to find out the issue.
Treatments:
Keeping track: It’s important to keep track of migraine by using a log or diary. This will help in identifying patterns as well as factors which cause a migraine. Things which should be kept track of include:
- Pain levels.
- Triggers.
- Symptoms
Lifestyle modifications: Once the factors and patterns are known, modifications can be made in the way you carry out your day-to-day activities so that the impact of migraine can be lessened:
- Maintaining a regular schedule for sleeping and eating.
- Avoiding foods like aged cheese, dairy products, artificial sweeteners, alcohol or salty foods which can cause migraines.
- Drinking water and keeping yourself hydrated since dehydration has been considered as a migraine trigger.
- Exercising regularly.
- Meditation and relaxation methods can prevent migraine or decrease the severity.
Exercise: Regular exercising can promote muscle relaxation and thus cause tiredness and eventually sleep, which can manage the severe pain of migraine. Some examples of exercises which can help are:
- Meditation
- Yoga
- Guided imagery
- Progressive muscle relaxation
It should be kept in mind that the better you understand your triggers, the better you can avoid the headaches and decrease the frequency of the attacks. This is because the causes differ from person to person even though it is generally seen to decrease with age.
