Pain occur suddenly and can be preceded or accompanied by visual symptoms ( vision ) , neurological or gastrointestinal tract .
Migraines can occur at any age , but usually starts between the ages of 10-30 years ; sometimes disappear after the age of 50 years .
More often strike women .
Migraine headaches are usually more severe than tension headaches .
CAUSE
More than half of patients have a close relative who also suffers from migraines , so supposedly there is a tendency that the disease is genetically inherited .
Migraines occur when an artery leading to the brain become narrow ( constrict , contract) and then widen (dilate ) , which will activate pain receptors nearby.
What causes the blood vessels to contract and expand , is unknown . But the levels of serotonin ( a chemical that plays a role in nerve cell communication / neurotransmitters ) can lead to abnormally low blood vessel constriction .
Sometimes migraine is caused by abnormal blood vessel formation ; in such cases , the headache is almost always felt on the same side of the head .
SYMPTOMS
Approximately 10-30 minutes before the headache starts ( a period called aura or prodroma ) , symptoms of depression , irritability , restlessness , nausea or loss of appetite appear in about 20 % of patients .
Other patients experience a loss of vision in certain areas ( blind spot or scotoma ) or see the light flickering .
There are also patients who experienced a change of picture , such as an object seem smaller or larger than actual .
Some people feel a tingling or weakness in the arms and legs .
Usually these symptoms disappear shortly before the headache starts , but sometimes arise with the appearance of headache .
Migraine pain can be felt on one side of the head or around the head .
Sometimes the hands and feet felt cold and seemed to turn blue .
In patients who have an aura , headache patterns and the location of each attack on migrants is the same .
Migraines can often occur over a long time but then disappear for a few weeks , months or even years .
Diagnosis
There are no laboratory tests that can help confirm the diagnosis of migraine .
Usually the diagnosis is made based on the pattern of a typical headache .
TREATMENT
If left untreated , a migraine attack can last for several hours or days .
In some patients , mild headaches and can be removed with medication -counter pain reliever .
But migraine sufferers often become great and make the helpless , especially if accompanied by nausea , vomiting and eye glare ( photophobia ) . In such cases , usually in addition to pain medication , patients also need rest and sleep to reduce the headache .
The most widely used drug is ergotamine ( a vasoconstrictor ) , which causes the blood vessels to be wrinkle thus helping to prevent the dilation of blood vessels and cause pain .
High doses of caffeine also helps prevent the widening of blood vessels and is often given in conjunction with analgesics or ergotamine .
New drugs ( eg, eletriptan , naratriptan , rizatriptan , sumatriptan and zolmitriptan ) works to increase the effects of serotonin .
These drugs are more effective than aspirin or asetamonofen , but are more expensive .
Ergotamine and new drugs can be dangerous and should not be used to exceed the prescribed .
PREVENTION
Some medications are taken daily to prevent migraine attacks .
Beta - blockers propranolol effect of long-term symptom -free .
It could also be given a calcium channel blocker verapamil .
Anti-seizure drugs divalproex has been shown to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks , when taken every day .
Methysergide is one of the most effective drugs in preventing migraines , but should not be used continuously, because it has peritonealis complications of fibrosis ( scar tissue formation in the stomach ) , which can block blood flow to vital organs . Because the use of these drugs should be under strict supervision
