Migraines

What are migraines?

A migraine is a severe headache – often intense and debilitating. The ache can feel intense and steady, frequently starting mild and gradually becoming more severe. Migraines can last for hours to days depending on the individual and episode.

There are several types of migraines, but the two most common types are migraine with aura and migraine without aura. Patients who experience migraines either have episodic or chronic attacks, with varying stages and symptoms.

Migraines can have several triggers including hormonal changes in women, alcohol consumption, certain foods or food additives, stress, specific smells or lighting, sleep patterns, weather, or medications.

Migraine symptoms

There are four common migraine stages, though not everyone experiences all four: prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome.

The prodrome can occur a day or two before the migraine and may include subtle warning signs. These can include mood changes, food cravings, constipation, neck stiffness, fluid retention, and increased urination.

An aura sometimes occurs either before or during the migraine. These symptoms begin gradually and can last up to an hour. This includes visual phenomena, vision loss, tingling sensations in the arms or legs, or numbness or weakness in the face or body.

If untreated, a migraine attack can last from 4 to 72 hours. People often experience throbbing or pulsing pain on one or both sides of the head that is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch.

Finally, the postdrome phase can result in feeling tired or confused for up to a day or so after a migraine.

If you are experiencing migraine symptoms, keep a log of events and discuss them with your physician to help determine your specific triggers and strategies to minimize frequency of migraines.

Diagnosing migraines

Patients are diagnosed with migraines based on reported symptoms, clinical history, and by ruling out other potential sources. The cause of migraine headaches isn’t fully known, though they seem to be related to changes in the brain. A family history of migraines can increase individual risk.

Women have migraines approximately three times more often than men. Most people who experience migraines usually begin having them between ages 10 and 40, and many women find they lessen or disappear after age 50. Other medical conditions that may also increase the risk for migraines include depression, bipolar disorder, sleep disorders, and epilepsy.

How infusion therapy can help treat migraines

Because migraines vary so much from patient to patient, several types of medications are available to treat them. It may take some time to discover which treatments work best for you.

Infusion therapy is often an effective method to receive fast relief from pain and other symptoms associated with your migraines. The infusion medications to treat headaches target the proteins that cause migraines, and a routine maintenance schedule can help prevent attacks.

Get started with infusion therapy

If you have been diagnosed with migraines, your provider can easily send us a referral if infusion therapy is part of your treatment plan. Patient convenience and comfort are our top priorities, and we’d love to help you reduce the frequency or severity of migraine attacks. If you have any questions, you can also contact us directly.