A neurological condition causing intense, throbbing headaches often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
See a doctor if you have severe headaches that interfere with daily life, headaches that don't respond to over-the-counter medication, or if your headache pattern changes. Seek emergency care for sudden, severe headache ('worst headache of your life'), headache with fever, confusion, seizures, or vision changes.
Find a Specialist NowMigraine is not just a bad headache—it's a complex neurological condition that affects millions of people worldwide, including many Filipinos. With its debilitating symptoms that can last hours to days, migraine significantly impacts quality of life, work productivity, and personal relationships. Understanding migraine is the first step toward effective management.
Migraine is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of moderate to severe headache, typically affecting one side of the head, accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. These episodes, called migraine attacks, can last anywhere from 4 hours to 72 hours and can be completely disabling.
Unlike tension headaches, which produce a steady, pressing pain, migraines typically cause an intense, throbbing or pulsing sensation. Migraine is considered a primary headache disorder, meaning it's not caused by another medical condition.
A migraine attack typically progresses through four distinct phases, though not everyone experiences all phases:
1. Prodrome (Warning Phase): Hours to days before the headache, you might notice:
2. Aura: About 25-30% of migraine sufferers experience aura, usually lasting 20-60 minutes before the headache:
3. Attack (Headache Phase): The main event, lasting 4-72 hours without treatment:
4. Postdrome (Recovery Phase): After the headache subsides:
While comprehensive epidemiological data specific to the Philippines is limited, migraine is believed to affect a significant portion of the population. Several factors influence migraine in the Filipino context:
Climate and Weather: The tropical climate with sudden weather changes, high humidity, and intense sunlight can trigger migraines.
Dietary Triggers: Common Filipino food triggers include:
Lifestyle Factors:
Healthcare Access: Many Filipinos may not seek medical care for migraines, either due to cost, lack of awareness that effective treatments exist, or dismissal of headaches as "just stress."
Migraine Without Aura (Common Migraine): The most frequent type, occurring without the warning signs of aura.
Migraine With Aura (Classic Migraine): Includes visual, sensory, or speech disturbances before the headache.
Chronic Migraine: Headaches occurring 15 or more days per month for more than three months, with at least 8 days having migraine features.
Menstrual Migraine: Migraines that occur in relation to a woman's menstrual cycle, triggered by hormonal fluctuations.
Vestibular Migraine: Characterized by vertigo and balance problems.
Hemiplegic Migraine: A rare type causing temporary paralysis on one side of the body.
Keeping a migraine diary can help identify personal triggers:
Common Triggers:
Not everyone has the same triggers, and triggers may also change over time.
Acute Treatment (For when migraine strikes):
Mild to Moderate Attacks:
Moderate to Severe Attacks:
Important Considerations:
For those with frequent or severe migraines, preventive treatment can reduce attack frequency and severity:
Lifestyle Prevention:
Preventive Medications (taken daily to reduce migraine frequency):
Prevention is typically recommended if you have:
Several complementary approaches may help:
At Work:
In Daily Life:
During an Attack:
Some headaches require immediate medical attention:
Migraine research has accelerated in recent years, with new treatments specifically targeting migraine mechanisms. CGRP inhibitors, approved in recent years, represent the first migraine-specific preventive treatment class. More targeted and effective treatments continue to emerge.
If migraines are controlling your life, don't give up. Work with a healthcare provider—ideally a neurologist or headache specialist—to find the right combination of lifestyle changes and treatments for you. Effective management is possible, and you don't have to suffer in silence.
"Kahit mahirap, may solusyon." (Even if it's difficult, there is a solution.)
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