How to relieve a migraine?

Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
Updated on September 27, 2024
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Migraine is one of the most prevalent diseases among the population, mainly characterized by unilateral pulsating headaches, which can be accompanied by nausea and vomiting. The main ways to alleviate a migraine attack are: First, maintain a stable mood without too much emotional fluctuation, ensure bed rest, and rest in a quiet environment. Second, if the migraine is severe, you can take some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory painkillers for treatment, which mostly have good effects. If the results are unsatisfactory, some specific ergot pain relievers can be used for relief. Third, treat the symptoms accordingly. If there are obvious symptoms of nausea and vomiting, you can orally take or receive muscle injections of painkillers for treatment. Generally, after these treatments, there will be a significant relief from the migraine.

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Which area is moxibustion applied for migraines?

Migraines can be relieved through moxibustion by targeting specific acupoints to alleviate headache symptoms. Firstly, local acupoints can be selected; for migraines, you can use the Ah-Shi points, and also massage points such as the temples, Si Zhu Kong, Jiao Sun, Shuai Gu, and Feng Chi. Additionally, based on differential diagnosis, distant acupoints may be chosen. For instance, if the migraine is caused by external pathogens, add Feng Chi and Feng Fu points. If caused by phlegm and turbidity disturbances, add Feng Long and Zu San Li to clear phlegm and reduce turbidity. For migraines due to deficiency of qi and blood, add Qi Hai, Xue Hai, and Zu San Li to nourish yin and replenish qi, with the aim of treating deficiencies and alleviating pain.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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Symptoms of Migraine

Typical migraine attacks start with prodromal symptoms. Common prodromal symptoms include blurred vision, distorted vision, or the appearance of water-like patterns. Shortly after these symptoms disappear, headache symptoms on one side of the head appear, often accompanied by nausea and in a few cases, vomiting. These symptoms can subside completely within a few hours and can recur. The occurrence of migraines is greatly related to diet, such as pickled foods and leftovers that contain nitrates, which can trigger a migraine attack. It is best to avoid these, as well as cheese and red wine which can also trigger migraines. During a migraine attack, symptomatic oral pain relievers can be used for treatment. (Please use medication under the guidance of a professional physician.)

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Written by Feng Ying Shuai
Traditional Chinese Medicine
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Can migraines be massaged?

For some primary migraines clinically, we can alleviate clinical symptoms, reduce the intensity of pain, and decrease the frequency of pain through massage, which has certain clinical effects. How do we perform the massage? Generally, we select some massage areas according to the patient's clinical symptoms and characteristics, and also choose some acupoints based on differentiation. For example, for forehead pain, we usually start by selecting local acupoints, including Jingming, Sizhukong, Yangbai, and Touwei acupoints, then massage Baihui and Tongtian acupoints. For distant points, we choose to massage acupoints such as Houxi and others to alleviate the clinical symptoms of migraines.

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Written by Zhang Hui
Neurology
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Migraine vertigo symptoms

There is a special type of migraine called vestibular migraine, where the main symptoms during an attack are significant dizziness, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and unsteady walking. A headache may or may not occur. This type of migraine-induced dizziness is relatively common in clinical practice, and patients generally experience severe dizziness, along with pale complexion and cold sweats among other clinical symptoms. The treatment for the dizziness caused by this type of migraine primarily follows the treatment protocols for migraine attacks, and may include taking certain non-steroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications. Additionally, administering calcium channel blockers and antiemetic medications can also achieve very good results. Furthermore, some sedative medications can also be used and can improve the patient's symptoms.

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Written by Liu Yan Hao
Neurology
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What should I do if I have a migraine attack?

Migraine attacks do not pose a significant risk to one's health. Therefore, during an attack, it is appropriate to take symptomatic oral pain relief and antiemetic medications for treatment, such as ibuprofen sustained-release capsules and metoclopramide tablets. These medications provide symptomatic relief. However, it is essential to confirm that the symptoms are due to a migraine and not conditions like cerebral hemorrhage or subarachnoid hemorrhage, which are acute cerebrovascular diseases. If it is one of these acute cerebrovascular diseases, taking these pain relievers could delay the diagnosis and treatment of the condition. Migraines are often triggered by certain foods, so it is best to avoid preserved foods, such as pickled vegetables that contain nitrates, which can trigger migraines. Other foods like cheese and red wine can also trigger migraines and should be avoided as much as possible. Additionally, it is important to rest properly, avoid staying up late, and try to reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. (Please consult a professional physician before using any medication.)