Almost everyone will experience a migraine in their lifetime. Those who managed to avoid such a state can rightfully be called lucky. This article will tell you about what to do with a migraine. You will learn what medications and folk recipes are allowed for use at home, as well as how to relieve a migraine attack without medication (with the help of gymnastics and the environment).
What is a migraine?
Before you learn what to do with a migraine and how to relieve an attack, it is worth saying a few words about the disease itself. This pathology belongs to the neurological class. Migraine differs from ordinary headaches in a special way. Most often it appears in one half of the head. The pain at the same time gradually increases, becomes pulsating and simply unbearable.
Many doctors believe that migraine is inherited only in women. If your mother or grandmother suffered from this disease, then there is a high probability that sooner or later it will manifest itself. Most often, the disease is gaining its activity at the age of the patient from30 to 35 years old. However, episodes at an earlier or later age are not excluded.
Disease symptoms
Very often migraine is accompanied by intolerance to bright light and loud sound. In addition, the pain may be accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. However, before it occurs, the patient often wants to use some particular (unusual) product.
Pain during an attack often occupies one half of the head. In this case, the spread can be on the neck, eye and shoulder area. Less commonly, pathology affects two hemispheres at once. At the same time, the migraine becomes simply unbearable. Such sensations can last from one hour to several days. If a person encounters an irritant (light, noise, strong smell), then the condition may worsen significantly.
How to cure a migraine or relieve pain quickly?
There are several ways to eliminate or prevent the development of pathology. Treatment can be medical, inpatient, folk, and so on. Many patients note that a variety of drugs taken orally have little or no effect. Everything is explained by the fact that during an attack the work of the stomach stops (this is what causes nausea and vomiting). As a result of this process, various drugs do not enter the intestine for further processing and absorption into the blood. So, if a migraine attack occurs, what to do and how to quickly relieve discomfort? Let's try to consider several treatment methods in detail.
Prevention is better than cure
If you feel that a migraine will develop soon, how to relieve pain in this case? Many doctors and scientists argue that an attack can be stopped at the very initial stages. Often, before the onset of a migraine, a person feels a fear of light, the appearance of pungent odors. An aura may appear within one hour before an attack. At the same time, the patient feels a slight clouding of consciousness, the appearance of white flies before the eyes, which are immediately replaced by black spots. You may also experience tinnitus and slowness of action.
To relieve a migraine headache already at this stage, you just need to fall asleep. For many patients, this method allows you to completely avoid discomfort. For other patients, migraine occurs in a milder form. However, it is not always possible to instantly disconnect from the outside world. If you feel that a migraine is coming, then you can use the following methods:
- drink a small cup of coffee (supplying the vasodilator will relieve the condition);
- take analgesics (this rule can only help if the pulsation in the temples has not yet begun);
- use a contrast shower (this method will help bring your blood vessels back to normal);
- take sedatives;
- Massage your feet (there are points on the legs that are responsible for pain impulses in the head).
Medication treatment
If youstruck by a migraine attack, pain treatment should be started as early as possible. Many doctors recommend the use of drugs to relieve discomfort. All of them can be divided into several groups.
Analgesics
These funds can be issued in different forms. The most common tablets. However, with nausea and vomiting, this form may simply be ineffective. There are also syrups, suspensions and effervescent (soluble) capsules. They act somewhat faster, but when inhibiting the functioning of the stomach, they may also not help. Rectal suppositories and injections in this case will be much more effective.
Among analgesics, the following drugs can be distinguished: Paracetamol, Solpadein, Mig, Aspirin, and so on. All of them have a similar effect. Once in the body, the drugs are absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed throughout the body. Means detect the source of the pain syndrome and eliminate it.
It is worth noting that with vasospasm, all these drugs will be ineffective. Migraine is often triggered precisely by the narrowing and expansion of the main arteries of the brain.
Anspasmodics
If the pain in the head is caused by vasospasm, then this group of medicinal substances can be used. Most often they are available in the form of capsules, injections and rectal suppositories. If possible, it is better to enter an intramuscular solution.
Among the antispasmodics, the following drugs can be distinguished: "No-Shpa","Papaverine", "Drotaverine" and many others. Once in the human body, the drug is rapidly absorbed and has a relaxing effect on smooth muscles.
Antidepressants and sedatives
If you often suffer from migraine, how to relieve pain before it gets worse? In this case, you can drink sedatives and antidepressants. Scientists have proven that pathology often occurs precisely because of stressful situations.
Among such drugs are the following: "Afobazol", "Persen", extracts of valerian, motherwort and so on. It is worth noting that during an attack, the use of exclusively these funds will not lead to anything. All of these medicines must be taken before the onset of pain.
Caffeinated products (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)
If traditional analgesics did not help you, how to relieve migraine (how to relieve pain)? In this case, you can take any drug containing caffeine, such as Citramon, Excedrin, or any other similar remedy.
These drugs not only relieve pain, but also gently affect the vessels of the brain, slightly expanding them.
Triptans
There are even stronger remedies for migraines. Treatment in this case is carried out with drugs from the triptan class. They interact with the main receptors of the human brain and stop discomfort.
Such means includethe following: Sumamigren, Amigrenin, Relpax, Sumatriptan, Zomig and many others. It is worth noting that all these drugs should be taken only as directed by a doctor after a correctly diagnosed diagnosis.
Drug-free methods
If you are struck by a migraine, how to relieve pain without the use of drugs? There are several effective ways. However, each person chooses his own individual approach to this disease. Try all the methods and choose the one that suits you best:
- Take a horizontal position in a dark room. If there is no way to block sounds and turn off the lights, use a special eye mask and insert earplugs. Stay like this until the pain is relieved.
- Take a hot bath. At the same time, immerse not only the body, but also the head in the liquid. The water must have fairly high temperatures. Remember that this method is not suitable for diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
- Get some sleep. Sleep should be short. 15-20 minutes is enough to alleviate the condition. After that, you can drink a cup of strong coffee and put a cold bandage on your forehead.
- Grate whiskey with menthol ointment or pencil. After that, tightly bandage your head with a bandage. Stay in this state until the symptoms are completely relieved.
- Make a cold hand bath. The liquid must contain pieces of ice. Only in this case you will achieve the desired effect. Place your hands in the bowl and remain in this position until the water is heated.
Gymnastics
How to get rid of discomfort?You can use simple gymnastics. The impact on the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle allows you to stop the pain and can be an excellent prevention of relapse.
Sit in a chair with your back straight. Tilt your chin to your chest as close as possible. In this case, you need to feel how the muscles and ligaments of the neck located behind are stretched. Tilt your head to the right. Then repeat the same movement on the other side. You need to do gymnastics slowly and with your eyes closed.
Massage the forehead area from the center to the temples. At the same time, make pressure movements. From the temples, draw similar lines to the back of the head. From the back of the neck, massage your head towards the top of your head.
After the gymnastics, you need to take a horizontal position and relax a bit.
Can migraines be prevented?
If you do not want to deal with the symptoms of the disease, then you should take care of prevention. Of course, you can cure a migraine. How to relieve pain (tablets and non-drug methods) is described above. However, there are a number of rules, following which, you can minimize the risk of pain:
- try to get at least 8 but no more than 10 hours of sleep a night;
- keep the daily routine (eat at the same time);
- avoid forbidden foods (cheese, chocolate, spirits, soda);
- get outdoors more often (move and walk more);
- drink vitamins (it is best to choose a complex of vitamins of group B, for example,"Neuromultivit", "Magnerot", "Magne B6");
- avoid stressful situations (use sedatives if necessary);
- monitor your vascular he alth (visit your doctor regularly and get an MRI if necessary).
Treatment reviews
You already know what a migraine is, how to relieve pain. Tablets with this pathology can have different strengths. Some patients are helped by the banal "Citramon" or "Aspirin". Other patients are forced to take more serious and potent drugs.
Medics say that treatment should always be carried out. You can't take that much pain. Some patients require inpatient treatment. There are situations when a person cannot cope with the disease on his own. In this case, it is worth visiting a doctor and getting an appropriate prescription.
Summing up
So now you know everything about this disease: remedies for migraine, migraine, how to relieve pain. If after treatment the symptoms persist for more than a day, then you should consult a doctor. In some cases, pain may be a sign of a more serious problem. Also, if the body temperature has risen, it is worth calling an emergency and taking a horizontal position.
Learn to recognize the signs of an imminent attack. In this case, you can cope with the pain symptom even before it appears, or you can translate the migraine into a milder form. Treat properly and always be he althy!
