CLEVELAND, OH (CLEVELAND CLINIC) - June is Headache and Migraine Awareness Month. If you’ve ever had a migraine, you know how painful they can be. And for some, they happen on a regular basis.
“Migraines are very common. It’s a debilitating headache for those who get it. It can be episodic. It can be chronic in nature,” said Emad Estemalik, MD, headache specialist for Cleveland Clinic. “When we talk about migraines, it really relates to the frequency of headache days in any given month.”
Dr. Estemalik said symptoms of migraines typically include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
It’s unclear what causes migraines. However, they can be triggered by food, stress, hormonal changes, the weather, certain medications and disruptions in sleep.
The good news is there are treatment options available. Dr. Estemalik said they can range from lifestyle changes like altering a person’s diet to prescribing different types of medication. Botox may also be recommended. The injection works by helping to suppress the pain.
“The arsenal and the treatment modalities are huge at this point, and I always tell a lot of patients there is no domain within neuroscience that has seen and witnessed the magnitude or such the amount of new treatments as migraines has,” said Dr. Estemalik.
He said while over-the-counter pain relievers may be useful for the occasional migraine, you shouldn't take them regularly. That’s because overconsumption can cause a rebound effect, meaning once the medication wears off, the migraine just comes right back.
