What is migraine?

Migraines are severe, recurring headaches that can cause pain, nausea and vomiting. They’re often accompanied by an aura, which is a visual disturbance that warns you of the oncoming headache. The pain from a migraine tends to be pulsing or throbbing and affects one side of the head.

There are two types of migraine: classic and common. Classic migraines usually occur on one side of the head and are associated with an aura. Common migraines occur on both sides of the head and have no aura.

Migraine symptoms can vary from person to person, but they generally include:

• Headache pain (usually on one side of the head)
• Nausea or vomiting
• Fatigue and drowsiness
• Blurred vision or sensitivity to light and sound

Treating Occasional Migraine Attacks

Treating occasional migraine attacks can be a challenge, but it’s possible to help reduce the severity or frequency of your symptoms.

Migraines are often treated with medications such as over-the-counter pain relievers, prescription pain relievers and triptans (medications that treat headaches). Some people find that certain foods trigger their migraines, so it may help to avoid these foods. Other lifestyle changes like getting enough sleep and reducing stress can also help control your migraines.

Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers

You can take over-the-counter pain relievers — such as ibuprofen (Advil) or naproxen (Aleve) — if you have mild headaches. These medicines aren’t effective for treating migraines, however, because they don’t stop the underlying causes of these headaches. They’re usually used for treating mild or moderate pain from muscle sprains or strains, toothaches and menstrual cramps. For example, if you get tension headaches often but you know they’re not related to stress or an illness, taking over-the-counter pain relievers may help relieve your headache symptoms until they go away on their own.

Treating Frequent or Disabling Migraine Attacks

Frequent or disabling migraine attacks are one of the most common reasons for seeking treatment from a neurologist. The first step in treating these headaches is to identify the type of headache and its cause.

Treatment options include:

Medication. Over-the-counter pain relievers can help with mild migraines, but they aren’t effective for most moderate or severe ones. Prescription medications such as triptans and ergotamines may provide relief, but they can cause side effects and rebound headaches if used too often. Also, some people can develop tolerance to these medications over time, meaning they don’t work as well as they did at first.

Pain relievers plus anti-nausea medication can help reduce nausea during a migraine attack.

Botulinum toxin injections are sometimes used for chronic migraine headaches that don’t respond to other treatments. These injections target specific muscles in the head or face that contract during a headache episode, temporarily blocking nerve impulses that trigger pain sensations.

What are the cause of migraine?

Migraine is a neurological disorder that causes moderate to severe headache on one side of the head. It may also cause nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound. The pain can be mild to severe and typically lasts from 4 to 72 hours. Migraines often occur with an aura—a warning sign that precedes the onset of the headache. Auras include visual disturbances such as flashing lights or zigzag lines in your field of vision, numbness or tingling on one side of your body, and speech difficulties.

There are many possible triggers for migraines, including changes in weather (such as barometric pressure), missing meals or skipping meals, stress, fatigue and hormonal changes during menstruation and menopause. Other factors include bright lights or glare; loud noises; strong odors; tobacco smoke; alcohol; certain foods like cheese; chocolate or caffeine; physical activity like exercise or sex; exposure to chemicals found in cleaners and perfumes; lack of sleep; dehydration (not drinking enough fluids); medications such as birth control pills (especially estrogen containing pills); infections such as colds or flu virus.

How to prevent migraine with exercise?

Exercise is a great way to help prevent migraines. In fact, research has shown that people who exercise regularly are less likely to get migraines than those who don’t. But what type of exercise should you be doing? And how much do you need to do?

The best kind of exercise for preventing migraines is aerobic exercise — it improves blood flow and helps reduce stress and depression. The most common types include biking, swimming, running or walking on a treadmill.

Aerobic activity is also helpful for reducing stress and depression, which can trigger migraines in some people.

If you have severe symptoms from your migraine attacks, try adding strength training to your routine as well. This can help improve muscle tone and increase bone strength — both important factors in preventing falls and fractures that could lead to more severe injuries down the road.

If you’re trying to decide which type of exercise is best for you, talk with your doctor about what options might be right for you based on your symptoms and injury history.