Migraines

What is a migraine?

While most regular headaches cause pain that feels like someone stretched a rubber band around your head, migraines are different. Migraines are recurrent headaches with throbbing pain on one or both sides of your head. Feelings of dizziness and nausea, as well as a sensitivity to light, noise, and smells often accompany them.

Many men, women, and children with migraines report warning signs before the intense pain and other symptoms. If you have auras, that means you see flashes of light or blind spots. Tingling on one side of your face or in your arm or leg is also common.

What triggers a migraine?

The exact cause of migraines is unknown, but several factors increase the likelihood of one occurring, these include:

• Stress
• Menstruation and the associated hormone changes
• Skipping meals and dehydration
• Excessive caffeine intake
• Consuming certain foods
• Sudden changes in sleep patterns
• Weather changes

How are migraines diagnosed?

During your appointment for migraine pain at Carolina Medical Center, Dr. Michael Blubaugh and Dr. Sanjay Kumar start by reviewing your medical history and symptoms.

As part of your homework, they’re likely to request that you keep a headache diary to help determine what triggers your headaches. Understanding your triggers enables them to create a personalized treatment plan.

Blood tests and imaging of your brain can help rule out additional medical issues.

How is a migraine treated?

A variety of medications treat migraines. Oddly enough, many of the drugs prescribed to relieve or prevent migraines were created to address other conditions.

The treatment prescribed for your migraines depends on the other medications you take and the characteristics of your headaches, including:

• Severity
• Frequency
• Degree of resulting disability

The two most common types of medications for migraines are pain-relieving medications and preventive medications:

Pain-relieving medications

Also referred to as acute or abortive treatments, pain-relieving medicines are designed to stop your symptoms during your migraine attacks.

Preventive medications

You take preventative medicines every day to reduce the severity and frequency of your migraines.

For help for the debilitating pain of migraines, call or make an appointment online today with one of the doctors at Carolina Medical Center in Walterboro, South Carolina.