In our everyday routine and plans, migraine can swoop in and cut the whole thing down. Patients mock migraine, "it is not just the HEADACHE it is a neurological exploding party in the brain that pain happens to be invited to."

Migraine is a type of primary headache that affects billions of people worldwide adding to the huge burden of disability. It is more common in women as compared to men.

Types of Migraine:

• Migraine with aura
• Migraine without aura
• Hemiplegic migraine
• Ocular migraine
• Chronic migraine
• Migraine with brainstem aura
• Vestibular migraine
• Abdominal migraine

When is a headache labeled as migraine?

• Headache lasting for 4-72 hours
• Headaches have 2 or more than 2 of the following characteristics
  1. Unilateral
  2. Pulsating
  3. Moderate to severe pain intensity
  4. Aggravated by routine physical activity
• A patient has 1 or more than 1 of the following
  1. Nausea or vomiting
  2. Photophobia and phonophobia

What is aura?

Aura refers to a neurological phenomenon that occurs before migraine, and lasts for 5-60 mins

Common auras

• Visual: black spots, zig-zag, flashing lights
  
• Sensory symptoms: numbness, tingling, and sensation of pins and needles.
• Speech and language disturbance: slurred speech, word-finding difficulty
• Motor symptoms: weakness, tremors, clumsiness

Effective Migraine Treatment Options

Lifestyle modification

Adopting a healthy lifestyle, managing stress, and avoiding known triggers can help reduce migraine frequency and severity.

Acute treatment of migraine

• Over-the-counter analgesics
• Ergotamines
• Triptans

Prophylactic (preventive) treatment of migraine

• Beta-blockers
• Antiepileptics
• Calcium channel blockers
• Tricyclic antidepressants etc

Innovative Migraine Therapies

BOTOX injection for migraine treatment

Eligible candidates are:

1. chronic migraine with > 14 episodes /months
2. At least tried three prophylactic medications and found them ineffective.
3. Patient must be more than 18 years old.

CGRP inhibitors

Eligible candidates are:

1. episodic migraine (14 or more episodes /month)
2. chronic migraine (15 headache days /month)
3. medication overuse headaches
4. other preventive therapy failed or not tolerated

What is status migrainosis?

A migraine lasting for more than 72 hrs is labeled as status migrainosis. It needs parental medical treatment.

Key Takeaways on Migraine Treatment

The advancements in migraine treatment offer renewed hope for those struggling with this debilitating condition. Explore options such as Botox injections, CGRP inhibitors, and lifestyle changes to take control of your migraine symptoms.