Causes of migraines and how to deal with them

A migraine is a headache that can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, according to mayoclinic.org.

Some people might confuse them with tension headaches, but they are different.

Tension headaches feel like a steady ache, and discomfort in the head may be experienced. The difference between the two is the level of pain and symptoms experienced.

With tension headaches, the pain may be distracting but not infirm and weakening like with migraines. Another differentiating trait is, with tension headaches, the pain is dull and occurs on both sides of the head. One might also experience feelings of tightness or pressure in the head.

Migraines, on the other hand, are characterized by severe pulsing pain and are experienced on one side of the head. But in some cases, it can be on both sides, only that one side it will be more severe than the other.

According to clinician Nakate Janaat, some of the causes can be acute overuse of painkillers like Ibuprofen or aspirin, but sometimes it can also be genetic.

"Its causes are not fully understood and vary. But one of the most notable ones is overusing painkillers, they offer relief for occasional headaches, but if you take them weekly, they end up triggering rebound headaches which develop to migraines," she said in a phone interview.

She added that stress, overexertion and overuse of sleeping pills could cause migraines. However, they're also known to be hereditary.

Migraines can severely affect the quality of one's life and often stop one from carrying out normal daily activities.

Some people find they need to stay in bed in a dark quiet room for hours. 

Symptoms include:

• Seeing spots, lines, sparkles or episodes of vision loss
• Feeling needles, pins or numbing in your skin
• Ringing in your ears
• Nausea and or vomiting
• Irritability
• Dizziness
• At least five headache attacks lasting between 4 and 72 hours
• Sensitivity to light, movements, sound and sometimes touch and smell.

Triggers include:

• Hormonal changes
• Sensitivity to certain chemicals/ preservatives in foods and drinks
• stress
• Caffeine
• Light
• Sound
• Sleeping disorders
• Dehydration
• Exposure to strong odours
• Exercise

If you're unsure about your triggers, keep a migraine journal to document and track patterns to uncover your triggers to better manage them.

There is no specific cure for migraines as they're chronic but the triggers can be prevented, symptoms managed and possibly improved.

At-home remedies include:

• Applying a cold/hot compress to your forehead or behind your neck
• Resting in a cool dark room
• Work on adopting a healthy sleep pattern
• Hydrating
• Applying pressure to your temples in a circular motion
• Biofeedback (special equipment strapped to your head that measures the physical tension in your body and alerts you when you need to control your stress.)
• Dietary changes, eliminating trigger foods/drinks
• Learning relaxation and stress-management techniques
• Over the counter medication

However, one needs to be careful with over the counter medications for relieving the pain as overusing them may lead to a dependency problem or rebound headaches.

You can also book a doctors appointment and get a prescription of preventative drugs to help manage the migraines or hormone therapy if you're sure your migraines are linked to your menstrual cycle.

Alternatively, you can get a prescription of CGRP monoclonal anti-bodies, this injection was created specifically to help with migraines.

Note: Studies warn that people who experience auras with their migraines could be a marker for increased risks of stroke.

"Migraines can be an indication of a serious condition like hypertension, stroke, heart diseases or acute stress and depression," Jaanat adds.