Chronic Migraine - More Than Just A Headache

For those who suffer from migraine, they will know only too well the debilitating headache and other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances associated with it. Unfortunately for a proportion of migraine sufferers they will experience what is termed as chronic migraine.

Chronic migraine is an acute migraine that occurs on more than half the days in a month, for more than three months. For some people this may mean they experience a migraine every day.


A migraine is more than just an ordinary headache. 
It is distinguished by several different symptoms, which varies from person to person. There are several different types of migraine, each with their own specific symptoms.



Some migraine sufferers may experience visual disturbances such as an aura, which is a zigzag or flashing light in front of the eye. Or a blind spot and blurred vision.

This may be a migraine without a headache. Although most migraine sufferers have the throbbing headache, often on one side only. This may be accompanied with nausea or vomiting. Neck pain and a sensitivity to light and sound are also common.

Hemipleic migraine is a type of migraine which causes migraine numbness. It begins as a form of temporary paralysis on one side of the body. This can be very frightening if experiencing it for the first time, as the symptoms appear much like a stroke.

Women are three times more likely to suffer with migraines than men.
This is due to the fluctuating hormone levels in the body. These migraines are often refereed to as menstrual migraines. Since they often occur just before or just after a period, they can be as disruptive as chronic migraines.

Because chronic migraines occur so frequently, one of the best treatments is prevention. Start keeping a record of the chronic migraine attacks to identify any possible triggers.

The most common triggers are certain foods such as chocolate, cheese, citrus fruit, red wine, caffeine and foods containing monosodium glutamate, found predominantly in Chinese food.

Other triggers include stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, low blood sugar levels and certain types of light. Flickering indoor lights or very bright sun light can be triggers to a chronic migraine sufferer. Once you have identified your particular triggers, try to avoid them where possible.

There are many good migraine relief medications available over-the-counter. These include simple analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and ergotamines.



However, it is worth noting that headaches can actually worsen in severity and incidence if medication is taken too frequently.

While pain relief medications can be useful in the treatment of chronic migraine, if taken more than twice a week, they can cause additional headaches.

Rebound Effect
This is known as a rebound effect. Medication overuse headaches can start in as little time as two months. It is for this reason that they should be limited to 2 or fewer days per week.

For those seeking prescription medication, certain types of beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, anti-depressants and anti-seizure medications and botox have all been found to successfully reduce chronic migraine.

These act as preventative medications and often need time to build up in the body before they become effective and may take one or two months for full treatment effects to take place.

For patients with chronic migraine it is best to seek the advice of a migraine specialist. You may even be lucky enough to be referred to a migraine clinic.

A migraine specialist can refer you for tests such as an MRI scan to rule out any other conditions for your symptoms. They will also be able to suggest the best treatment and help in how to get rid of your migraine.

The impact of chronic migraine can be very disabling.
Suffering the symptoms of chronic migraine for over half the month can have a significant impact on daily life. It can make working very difficult.

Unfortunately, in many cases, current therapies are not enough to prevent or reduce the impact that chronic migraine has on  lives. As a consequence, some sufferers may also and understandably become depressed and unable to cope.

It is for this reason that if you are a chronic migraine sufferer, you need to take control of your migraines where possible.

Try to identify the triggers to your chronic migraine attacks and try using non-medicinal treatments to start with. This could include relaxation classes such as Yoga, massage, cold compresses to relieve the pain of a migraine headache.

Aromatherapy oils such as, peppermint, sandalwood and eucalyptus have been shown to reduce migraine symptoms.

It is important to recognize how often every day life is becoming disrupted by your chronic migraine. If this is more than half the month, seeing a neurologist may be able to offer you a wide range of treatments to help reduce your symptoms.