Migraine attacks have been known since ancient times. Such a misfortune tormented famous persons. And to this day, many people are faced with such an unpleasant state. And most often there are signs of migraine in women. So what is this pathology? What are her symptoms? And is it possible to fight it?
What is migraine?
Modern medicine gives a clear concept to this term. Migraine is a special paroxysmal state of severe headache, which is systematically repeated, manifesting itself in one hemisphere of the brain. The main pain center is fixed in the frontal part. As a result, pain is felt in the eyes and temple.
However, signs of migraine in women are manifested not only by unpleasant sensations. After all, this is not just a headache, but a disease. Therefore, it is accompanied by additional unpleasant symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting.
Migraine pain can increase in response to external stimuli. Bright light and loud sounds can cause not only irritation, but also strong sensations.
The attacks of migraine, as previously mentioned, are more susceptible to the fair sex. This disease manifests itself in young and middle-aged women. In adulthood, headache attacks may occur rarely or not occur at all.
Migraine as a phenomenon has a hereditary specificity. Often, it is transmitted along the female line. Also, a special exchange of serotonin can be inherited, which, in turn, has an analgesic effect. In addition, the specificity of the reactions of cerebral vessels to external factors can also be transmitted.
Causes of occurrence
Although migraine is similar to a regular headache, it is a neurological disease. It is important to understand what are the causes of migraine in women. Treatment will be effective if it is aimed at eliminating those sources that provoked discomfort.
A common headache is often triggered:
- drugs intended to increase or decrease blood pressure;
- overstrain of the muscles of the neck and head;
- osteochondrosis;
- intracranial pressure.
With migraine, the situation is somewhat different. Until today, all the causes of the pathology have not been studied. Not so long ago, the disease was perceived only as an imbalance of blood vessels. This was due to the fact that during an attack, a significant expansion of the vessels of the lining of the brain is observed. This is a good reason. After all, the expansion of blood vessels provokes pressure, as a result of which a headache appears.
Scientists have proven that migraines are inherited, from parents to children. The percentage of inheritance of this disease is high enough - 70%.
It can also be noted that there are signs of migraine in women who have impaired metabolic function or have diseases of the nervous system.
Theory of Serotonin
General concepts about the development of migraine, the causes of its occurrence and the mechanism of pain sensations are explained by this theory. Serotonin is a substance that causes vasoconstriction and spreads signals throughout the body. During attacks, a malfunction is observed. The amount of serotonin increases significantly, resulting in spasms in the head.
It is also interesting that pain occurs in that part of the head where vasospasm occurs. This theory allowed doctors to understand in more detail what signs of migraine are observed in women. Treatment of pathology also began to improve after such a discovery.
The relationship of pain with the hypothalamus
Quite recently, a connection was found between the occurrence of headache attacks during migraine with the part of the brain that is responsible for the functioning of the endocrine system, the hypothalamus. It is in it that the system bears responsibility for the general tone of the vessels. Signals from the hypothalamus come about the reaction of the body to external stimuli. This subsequently causes headaches.
Symptoms of migraine in women and the treatment of pathology are issues that are of great importance. Therefore, having determined that during the excessive activity of the hypothalamus there are unpleasant sensations, the doctors thought about creating an effective medication. After all, such a discovery can contribute to the development of a drug that helps get rid of migraines.
What triggers the occurrence of migraine?
A large number of environmental changes can cause an unpleasant state.
Migraines can cause:
- strong emotional experience, stress;
- change of climate, weather conditions;
- body tension;
- sharp unpleasant odors;
- bright and flickering light;
- physical hunger;
- hormonal disorders;
- lack of sleep;
- products
- chemical substances.
Indeed, there is a fairly large list of products that can cause a migraine attack. One of them is caffeine. The abuse of a drink contributes to the violation of the harmony of the body. Wine and beer can also trigger signs of migraine in women. The use of low-quality canned foods leads to a negative reaction of blood vessels.
Symptoms of pathology
The ailment has a rather specific feature. It does not occur suddenly. Often, migraine symptoms in women gradually appear. A treatment of a pathology that is started in a timely manner can even prevent an attack.
Pathology phases:
- The prodromal phase can signal the beginning. It is characterized by dizziness and discomfort in the body.
- The second phase is called the aura. She is a harbinger of migraine. Every person who systematically suffers from this disease knows what an aura is.
- Next are the attacks. They appear in the form of severe pain.
- Then comes the postdromal phase, which is considered the final moment. She is accompanied by nausea.
The course of these phases for each patient is purely individual.
Symptoms of the prodromal phase
It is characterized by mild signs that are precursors of migraine. Such symptoms can appear a few hours before the attack or a couple of days before it.
It is important to carefully consider such phenomena. After all, stopping the attack is much easier if you correctly recognize these symptoms of migraine in women. Treatment in this case will not be long.
The prodromal phase may occur:
- intense thirst;
- drowsiness, fatigue;
- a change in appetite (increase or decrease);
- emotional decline, depression, and anxiety.
Symptoms of aura
These signs are not observed in all patients with migraine.
There are 2 varieties of this state:
- Positive aura. It manifests itself in the form of flickering bright light. The propagation field can increase significantly. Also, during a positive aura, sometimes there are visions in the form of stars or lines.
- Negative aura. It is characterized by dark spots in the eyes. It can also manifest as a lack of lateral vision ability.
A person experiencing aura symptoms may have mixed feelings. Each patient describes an individual unusual picture that he observed.
There are other symptoms of migraine in women:
- memory impairment;
- speech disorder;
- discomfort in the limbs;
- distortion of space or size;
- impaired functioning of consciousness.
Symptoms of the acute phase
Unfortunately, modern pharmacology has not developed a single tool that can relieve an attack. Conventional analgesics do not help. Therefore, attacks can last a long time. Sometimes they drag out for 3 days.
Symptoms of a migraine attack:
- nausea and vomiting;
- throbbing pain;
- headache reaction to physical activity;
- pallor of the skin and chills;
- numbness of the face;
- sensitivity to light and sounds.
Pathology can be accompanied by swelling of the eyelids and runny nose. However, this is extremely rare.
Postdromal symptoms
After the pulsating pain caused by the migraine goes away, the next phase begins. Often it is characterized by a feeling of foggy consciousness.
Migraine treatment
Above it was examined in detail what are the signs of migraine in women. How to treat such a pathology?
Medicines designed to combat migraine:
- Painkillers They are mainly sold over the counter. Help with the first symptoms of migraine. For therapy, you can use Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Naproxen, Diclofenac.
- Triptans are one of the first drugs designed specifically to combat migraines. They control the level of serotonin in the brain, which provokes the occurrence of seizures. They are recommended for people prone to severe headaches. The drugs are effective, but have many unpleasant side effects. The best remedies are Zomig, Almotriptan, Risatriptan.
- Opiates. It is recommended to resort to their use only in extreme cases, when other medicines do not help. The problem is that the drugs are not approved for the treatment of this disease. They have significant contraindications. They can cause dangerous complications. These include Oxycodone, Codeine, Morphine.
- Ergotamines are considered one of the most useful substances that help to cope with migraines. The drug is Dihydroergotamine.
- Medications used to treat nausea. They are used in combination with other drugs for headaches. Effective drugs "Metoclopramide", "Raglan".
- Medicines that stop migraine attacks: Timolol, sodium valproate, topiramate, propanolol.
- Beta brokers are used to regulate blood pressure. The following medicines are effective: “Metoprolol”, “Lopressor”, “Tenormin”, “Nadolol”, “Korgard”.
- Antidepressants. They are often used to treat migraines. They also help with insomnia and depression.
Home therapy
Regardless of what the causes of migraine in women are, folk remedies can quite effectively deal with pathology.
Effective recipes:
- Mix spinach and carrot juice, add dandelion juice. Take the mixture in this ratio - 1: 3: 1. It is recommended to use 3 times a day, an hour before meals.
- An excellent tincture is also obtained from elderberry flowers. For cooking, pour 1 tablespoon a glass of boiling water. Then strain the infusion and cool. It is used with honey, 20 minutes before a meal.
For the treatment of migraines, hawthorn, mistletoe white, shepherd's bag are suitable. The use of folk methods is welcome. They are great at stopping attacks.
However, do not forget that, understanding the causes of migraine in women, folk remedies and medicines can prevent the onset of an attack. Be attentive to your health and learn to recognize the symptoms with which the body warns you of an illness.