Definition of one-sided headaches or migraines
One-sided headache or what is known as a migraine is one type of headache that is often complained of. The pain that occurs during a migraine attack usually begins gradually, and increases in intensity over a few minutes to an hour or more, and fades away gradually at the end of the attack. Headaches can be mild to moderate in severity, and may be throbbing in severe cases and usually affect only one side of the head.
Migraine attacks can be experienced by adults and children, can last for several hours or several days. Migraine conditions can be categorized as chronic if a person experiences 15 days or more headaches per month.
Migraine Causes
Until now it is not known exactly what causes migraines, but it is known that environmental and genetic factors play a role in causing migraines which can make a person more sensitive to triggers that can cause migraines. Allegedly migraines occur due to an imbalance of chemical activity in the brain.
Migraine Symptoms
Migraine attacks are unique and can vary from person to person. There are several symptoms that usually occur a few days before a migraine strikes. The following are some common signs of a migraine attack that you should watch out for:
- The pain progresses gradually from mild to throbbing, and is made worse by light, sneezing, straining, constant movement, moving the head rapidly, or physical activity. In 60-70% of sufferers the pain only occurs on one side of the head
- Nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light or sound
- Experiencing a symptom called an aura. In 20% of people with migraines experience one or more aura symptoms in the form of flashing lights or bright spots, zigzag lines, changes in vision, or numbness or tingling in the fingers of one hand, lips, tongue, or lower face.
According to Robert Cowan, MD, a neurologist from Stanford University School of Medicine, the key to knowing the causes of migraines is paying attention to the surrounding environment and understanding what can trigger headaches.
Trigger factors that cause migraines
- Hormonal changes: Women can experience migraine symptoms during their periods, due to changing hormone levels. Many women experience migraines because they are influenced by menstruation, hormonal contraception, pregnancy, and menopause. After puberty, the frequency of migraines in women increases until age 40, and then begins to decrease thereafter. Women suffer from migraines three times more often than men.
- Emotional triggers: Stress, depression, anxiety, excitement, and shock can all trigger migraines.
- Physical condition: Tiredness and lack of sleep, shoulder or neck tension, poor posture, and physical exhaustion have all been linked to migraines. Low blood sugar and jet lag can also act as triggers.
- Triggers from food: Alcohol and caffeine can contribute to migraine triggers. Certain foods can also have this effect, including chocolate, cheese, citrus fruits, and foods containing tyramine Irregular eating times and dehydration have also been cited as potential triggers.
- Medications: Some sleeping pills, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and the combined contraceptive pill have all been named as possible triggers.
- Environmental triggers: movement on a TV/laptop monitor screen, strong odors, second-hand smoke, and loud noises can trigger migraines. Stuffy rooms, temperature changes, and bright lights can also be triggers.
How to diagnose migraines
If a patient has migraines or a family history of migraines, a doctor trained in treating headaches (neurologist/neurologist) will diagnose migraines based on:
- Anamnesis of the patient's medical history by taking into account the following information:
- Headache history (frequency, severity, symptoms)
- The effect of headaches on daily activities
- Family history of headaches.
- Thorough and complete physical examination and neurological assessment
If the patient has an unusual, complex or suddenly severe condition, the doctor will perform tests to rule out other causes of the patient's pain, which may include:
- An MRI scan will produce detailed images of the brain and blood vessels. An MRI scan helps doctors in diagnosing other conditions that occur in the brain such as tumors, strokes, bleeding in the brain, infections, and other conditions of the brain and nervous system (neurological).
- CT scans. A CT scan is useful for obtaining detailed cross-sectional images of the brain and this will assist doctors in diagnosing tumors, infections, brain damage, bleeding in the brain and other medical problems that may be causing headaches.
How to treat migraines
Migraine treatment aims to stop the symptoms and prevent future attacks. Many drugs produced to treat migraines are divided into two categories, namely pain relievers and drugs to prevent attacks.
- Pain Relief Medication:
- Painkiller. These over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers include aspirin or ibuprofen. Migraine relievers, which are a combination of caffeine, aspirin, and acetaminophen that can help fight mild migraine pain.
- These are prescription drugs that work by blocking pain pathways in the brain. These medications can be in the form of pills, injections or nasal sprays, and work to relieve many of the symptoms of migraines. Triptans are not safe for use by those who are at risk of having a stroke or heart attack.
- Dihydroergotamines Available as a nasal spray or injection, these drugs are most effective when used soon after the start of migraine symptoms, and are used for migraine conditions with a duration of more than 24 hours. This type of drug should be avoided by people with coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney and liver disease.
- Lasmiditan This drug is a new type and can be used to treat migraines with or without aura. In drug trials, the drug with the active ingredient lasmiditan significantly reduced pain and nausea and sensitivity to light and sound. This type of drug should not be taken with alcohol and other drugs that work to depress the central nervous system.
- Opioid drug. Opioid-type drugs are used for migraine sufferers who cannot use other migraine drugs. This type of goal drug can be addictive, so this drug is only used when other drugs are not effective.
- Anti-nausea medication. This drug is effective in migraine with aura accompanied by nausea and vomiting
- Drugs for Prevention.
- Blood pressure lowering medication
- Antidepressants
- Anti-seizure medication
- Botox injection
- Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) antagonists
How to prevent and relieve migraine symptoms
Seeing the conditions where anyone can be at risk of experiencing migraines, where people who have a family history of migraines or people who have medical conditions such as depression and anxiety tend to be at higher risk of migraines, there are several ways you can do to prevent or relieve the symptoms - migraine symptoms:
- Sport
Exercise can make the body release endorphins which can reduce pain. Endorphins can also help a person to manage stress better so that migraine triggers can be minimized. - Get enough sleep
Get used to going to bed and waking up at the same time every day with a sleep duration of about seven to eight hours per day. Sleep deprivation or excess can cause throbbing headaches and lower pain threshold. - yoga
Doing yoga every day is the best way to prevent migraines. Yoga not only provides benefits such as exercise but can also reduce other headache triggers such as anxiety to depression. Yoga can also calm the brain. - The room is silent and dark
When experiencing a migraine attack, calming down, lying down and making the body as relaxed as possible in a quiet and dark room will help relieve headache conditions.
Noises/noise, bright lights, and noise can trigger headaches. Consistent exposure to these things can make headaches worse.
- Cool head
When experiencing a migraine, one of the first things to look for is an ice cube or cold bottle that can be used to cool the aching head which is believed to reduce the pain. The cold sensation can numb the painful area and reduce blood flow to the painful area. - Caffeine
One cup of coffee or another caffeinated beverage can relieve migraine symptoms.
Those are some things that are important to know about one-sided headaches or migraines. The fact that this condition is often experienced by humans, it is important for us to always do prevention and know how to treat it. If you feel that a migraine is not going away, then you need further consultation with a doctor at the hospital.