More than 37 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Unfortunately, their migraine is often misdiagnosed as a common sinus or tension headache, which means they don’t get the treatment they need. If you suffer from migraines, or any severe headache, it’s important to consult a neurologist like Dr. Sujatha Borra who has the expertise to determine the exact cause of your pain and provide customized treatment. To schedule an appointment, call the office in Tampa, Florida.
There are more than 150 types of headaches, but the most common types include migraines, as well as:
Tension headaches usually last 30 minutes to a few hours, causing a dull, constant pain on both sides of your head. Stress, anxiety, dehydration, lack of sleep, and skipping meals are just a few tension-headache triggers.
These severe headaches are described as an intense piercing pain behind or near one eye. Cluster headaches often develop suddenly, last from 15 minutes to three hours, and recur in daily clusters that last for weeks or months.
Migraines appear to be caused by changes in the lower part of your brain (brainstem) and the way it interacts with the trigeminal nerve, which sends sensations from your face to your brain. The experts also believe you inherit a tendency to have migraines.
Migraine headaches are typically triggered by your emotional state or something in your environment. Each patient has different triggers, but some of the most common are:
Migraines cause symptoms that may begin before your headache and continue afterward. These stages are called:
You may develop subtle symptoms that signal an impending migraine in the day or two before the headache starts. Your symptoms may include mood changes, food cravings, increased thirst, and constipation.
About one in five people with migraines experience an aura right before their headache begins. Aura symptoms last 20-60 minutes and often involve vision changes, such as flashes of light or wavy vision.
You may also experience changes in touch, speech, and movement. For example, you could find it difficult to talk; you may hear noises or music, feel tingling sensations, or have uncontrollable movements.
Migraines typically begin as a dull ache that continues to build into intense pain concentrated near your temple. The pain lasts for at least four hours and may persist up to three days without treatment. Although they commonly develop on one side of your head, the pain may spread to the other side. During a migraine you may experience:
When the migraine finally subsides, some people feel fatigued, and others feel elated. During the 24-hour period after your headache, you may continue to experience ongoing moodiness, confusion, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Dr. Borra develops customized treatments that may include medications as well as lifestyle changes to eliminate triggers. Several medications are available to take early in your migraine attack to relieve or diminish your pain. Dr. Borra may also prescribe medications to prevent or diminish the frequency of migraines.
When you suffer from persistent headaches or migraines, call Dr. Borra or book an appointment online.
