Symptoms
Migraine is a chronic disease that manifests itself in attacks of pulsating unilateral headache (GB), lasting 4-72 hours, accompanied by
- nausea
- and/or vomiting,
- photophobia or phonophobia.
Forms
There are different forms of migraine:
- without aura (simple form)
- and with her.
Migraine without aura (most common)
Phases
- Prodromal – characterized by depressed mood, photophobia and phonophobia, and irritability.
- In the painful phase, the main complaints are predominantly unilateral craniology of a pulsating nature, which gradually increases. As a rule, nausea, vomiting, and intolerance to light and sound are also observed.
- The postdromal phase is characterized by drowsiness, apathy, severe general weakness, loss of appetite, and increased diuresis.
Criteria for diagnosis
A. At least 5 headache episodes, according to BD criteria
B. Episode duration from four hours to three days (without appropriate therapy or if it is ineffective).
C. The headache is characterized by at least 2 of the following features:
- One-sided;
- Pulsating;
- Medium or strong intensity;
- Habitual physical activity provokes its intensification or makes it stop.
D. Headache is accompanied by at least one of the following symptoms:
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Photophobia or phonophobia
E. Cranialgia is not the result of other causes
Migraine with aura
Headache accompanied by focal neurological symptoms that regress after the attack ends.
In this form of migraine, an additional aura phase is distinguished, which develops after the prodromal phase. It is characterized by visual and/or sensory and/or speech disorders that increase and regress within one hour.
Criteria for diagnosis
A. At least two episodes, according to the criteria for BD.
B. The aura is characterized by at least one of the following symptoms, which completely regress:
- visual disturbances (flickering before the eyes, flashes, stripes, impaired visual acuity),
- sensory disorders (numbness, tingling sensation),
- speech impairment,
- does not include movement disorders.
C. At least two of the following:
- The duration of each symptom is more than 5 minutes but less than an hour,
- At least one of the signs gradually increases over more than 5 minutes,
- Visual and/or sensory disturbances occurring on one side.
D. Headache, according to criteria B-D for migraine without aura, begins during the aura or within sixty minutes after its onset.
E. The headache is not due to other causes.
Patients may experience both attacks with and without aura, as well as aura symptoms without headache.
Risk factors
Risk factors for migraine include:
- high frequency of attacks,
- abuse of analgesics,
- depressive states,
- excess body weight,
- female gender.
Chronic migraine
If headaches occur more than fifteen days a month for 90 days (without medication abuse), we should talk about the development of chronic migraine.
Status migrainosus is a migraine attack lasting more than 3 days.
Treatment
One of the most effective methods of treating migraines is Botox blockade.
Diagnosis and treatment of migraine is carried out in the neurosurgical department.
