Key Facts on Migraines and What You Can Do to Prevent Them

If you have ever experienced migraines or know someone who has, you will know the impact it can have on daily life. When a migraine strikes, you may just want to curl up into a ball in a dark room or hold your head in your hands in the hope it passes. It really is debilitating, and unfortunately many people struggle with them.

In fact, it is estimated that a whopping 10 million people aged between 15 and 69 suffer from migraines1 and a total of 43 million days are lost from work or education a year2. Those numbers really magnify the impact they have.

This week is ‘National Migraine Awareness Week’ so I will be sharing more on migraines along with things that could help if it is something you, or those around you struggle with. There are many different types of migraines, but for this blog I will be talking about ‘common migraines’ and ‘migraines with aura’.

So what is a migraine and why do we get them?

There are certain triggers that have been linked to migraines, and these can vary from person to person. A migraine itself is thought to occur due to overactivity in the brain which impacts the nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels temporarily3. The triggers that have been linked to migraines include:

• Strong smells and perfumes
• Change in weather
• Hormonal changes with menstruation and menopause
• Lack of sleep
• Stress
• Foods such as aged cheese, caffeinated drinks, chocolate, processed meats and canned foods
• Bright lights
• Lack of exercise, or strenuous exercise with poor hydration and nutrition
• Medication overuse

What are some of the symptoms of migraines?

Everyone’s experience of a migraine is individual so the symptoms can vary. For one person it might feel like their head is pounding, as if there is a child beating on a drum kit inside their skull, and for another it could feel like they have their head clamped in a vice. The pain can impact one or both sides of the head, face, or neck, and some people experience sensitivity to bright lights or sounds and they can feel nauseous. How long they last can vary too. For some, they can go on for hours, for others they may last days, which makes sense why those figures I shared at the start of the blog are so high.

Some people can experience an ‘aura’ which causes other symptoms, particularly with changes of vision, like flickering lights, spots, or complete loss of vision. People can also experience change of sensation such as pins and needles, numbness or problems speaking which can cause a real concern as they can often appear like a more serious health condition*.

So what can be done to manage migraines?

Similar to the type of symptoms that can be experienced, managing migraines when they are in progress is personal and unfortunately there is not a one size fits all approach, but there are things that can help prevent them which I share more about below:

1. Keep a diary
This may sound a little basic but keeping track of migraines and what happened around the time can be extremely helpful to identify triggers. Recording things like when a migraine started, finished, the type of symptoms, along with what you were doing beforehand (the amount of sleep, food, drink, stress levels etc), can highlight patterns over time, and with this information proactive changes can be made. It also forms a useful tool for health care providers like us to be able to understand your experiences and guide you appropriately.

2. Seek help
We hear it often from people struggling with migraines that they have been suffering in silence because they didn’t realise there were other avenues to explore that may help. The good news is there are several natural approaches that can help to prevent migraines, and chiropractic care is one of them. If you recall earlier in the blog, I mentioned that migraines are thought to start because of overactivity in the brain? Well, our aim as your chiropractor is to improve how well your spine works, and the chiropractic adjustments have a direct impact on your spine and nervous system, which includes your brain. It is amazing what can happen when the nervous system is firing on all cylinders.

I hope the information is helpful. When it comes to migraines they should be taken seriously and be assessed by a health care provider, especially if they start to become frequent (on more than 5 days a month), so please seek help if you struggle with them or give those around you a gentle nudge to do the same.

If we can be of any further help please do get in touch, we would be happy to guide you.

With love,
Sarah

*Whilst the majority of headaches are not sinister, there are some that need urgent attention. If you experience a headache which you have not experienced before such as an abrupt, severe headache (the most painful you have ever had), a headache with fever, stiff neck, confusion, seizures, double vision, numbness or weakness to your arm or leg, experience a headache after a head injury, or a chronic headache that is worse after coughing, sudden movement or straining, or you are over 50, then I would recommend that you seek medical attention immediately by calling 999 to rule out any serious conditions.

References:

1. NHS England. (2020). Improved NHS migraine care to save thousands of hospital stays. Retrieved from NHS England: https://www.england.nhs.uk/2020/01/improved-nhs-migraine-care/

2. The Migraine Trust. (2021). Impact of migraine. Retrieved from The Migraine Trust: https://migrainetrust.org/understand-migraine/impact-of-migraine/

3. NHS. (2019) Migraine. Retrieved from NHS: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/migraine/causes/

4. Migraine.Org. (2022). What is migraine? Retrieved from
https://migraine.org.uk/learn/what-is-migraine/