MIGRAINE MONSTER
A few simple lifestyle tweaks can help reduce the frequency of the dreaded attack
Headache, nausea, dizziness, cognitive issues, sensitivity to light, sound and scent – migraine attacks are debilitating. Those who get migraines know the reign of discomfort and terror that they bring. Suffering brought upon by migraine differs from person to person. Shirish M Hastak, regional director, neurology, at Global Hospital, Mumbai, says, “Migraine is a chronic syndrome where headache is one of the key features. Other symptoms associated with it are nausea, vomiting, photophobia (light sensitivity) and phonophobia (sound sensitivity).”
If you have ever felt that throbbing pain on one side of the head and intense pulsing, you have encountered the dreaded migraine.
Avoiding migraine attacks can be challenging, as experts still can’t put a finger on what makes migraine inducing neurons fire in the first place. But the pain can be managed with a thorough understanding of the triggers.
Sailee Modi, an Ayurveda consultant at Vedicure Healthcare and Wellness, says, “Migraine manifests in different ways. The emotional causes are stress, tension, shock, depression, anxiety and suppressing tears, whereas physical causes include controlling natural urges such as urination, flatulence, bowels, intense workout, excessive exercises or exertion.”
Excessive food intake, consuming meals when the previous meal is not digested, skipping meals, having acidic foods and indigestion are triggers, too. Exposure to bright light, loud sound, sudden changes in climatic conditions and humid climate can make symptoms worse. Most migraine attacks require some form of medication, and the earlier a migraine attack is treated, the better are the chances of improvement.