The episodes of migraine associated with aura generally develop the risk of heart disease and stroke. According to healthcare experts, women are more likely to have this risk than men are. However, certain preventive measures, lifestyle adjustments, and medication can help reduce the possibility. People with this neurological disease already use medications to keep the symptoms under control and prevent worsening the condition.
The number of treatments may add on if your migraine comes along with aura symptoms like
- Viewing wavy lines, black dots, and often hallucinations
- Deadness in one side of the body
- Cannot see or speak clearly
- Ringing sounds in the ears
- Bulky sensation in the legs and arms
It is also possible that your doctor prescribes the same medications and lifestyle adjustments to reduce the risk of stroke and heart diseases used for migraines.
What is the link between migraine headaches and stroke?
Migraines associated with aura symptoms increase your possibility to have a stroke during the headache attack. In such people, the blood vessels get narrowed for a short period and lead to shape blood clots; it may cause a stroke. Moreover, it is also true that people who develop pulsating headaches very often are more likely to hit by a stroke than people who have fewer episodes of headaches.
Can lifestyle adjustments help reduce the risk?
Although treatments work effectively in keeping the symptoms under control, it is better to prevent than to cure. The best way to reduce the risk of stroke out of migraine is to prevent or decrease the frequency of headaches.
The fewer episodes of headache you have, the less the risk of stroke becomes. The preventive measures may include medications and lifestyle adjustments. Following are some of the things you can consider-
- Maintain a healthy weight because obesity is one of the risk factors for stroke
- Quit smoking
- Control the symptoms of hypertension if you have the condition
- Don’t use birth control pills containing oestrogen
What are the warning signs?
Identifying the warning signs can also help recognize the development of stroke from migraine headaches. Symptoms like weakness or deadness in one side of the body, vision loss, and indistinct speech can indicate a stroke. Healthcare providers suggest people remain more cautious with their symptoms if their headaches are associated with aura.
You can consult with your doctor for more warning signs, which can help recognize a stroke and prevent developing it. Whenever you experience these symptoms, take your migraine tablets or consult with your doctor if they don’t work.
What kind of medication can be used to treat migraine headaches?
Migraine is a severe headache that can disturb your life. It causes throbbing pain in one or both sides of your head and can stay for certain hours to even days. There can be numerous symptoms of this neurological disease. Deadness in one or both sides of the body, nausea, loss of appetite, unhappiness, depression, visual changes, and sensitivity to lights, sounds, and smell are some of them. Family history, certain foods and beverages, stress, poor sleep, and strong smells are other common triggers. Effective migraine headache treatment can help ease off the symptoms and get you relief.
Two kinds of medications are used for migraines. The first type is the acute treatment that treats the condition and eases off the symptoms. The second one is the preventive treatment that works to decrease the occurrence of severe headaches.
Doctors often prescribe both types of medicines to the patients. However, in some cases, only one kind of medicine is prescribed. Preventive medications are used if your headache stays for more than 12 hours and you have 3 or more migraine attacks in a month. Moreover, preventive treatment is also given if acute ones don’t bring satisfactory results.
Some of the acute treatments are as follows-
Triptans
These are the most recommended medications for migraines headaches. Triptans stabilize the brain chemicals and relieve the blood vessels.
Zolmitriptan
Sumatriptan
Analgesics
They help relieve the pain. Analgesics comprise both prescription and OTC medications.
Ergots
Ergots can help with your treatment. They work in the same way triptans do; however, they are less recommended than triptans are.
Some of the preventive remedies for migraine headaches are-
Beta-blockers
Drugs belonging to the drug class of beta-blockers generally help with dizziness, hypertension, and exhaustion.
Monoclonal antibody CGRP blockers
They are specifically designed to put off migraine headaches. CGRP blockers are injected into the skin and obstruct the molecule, which triggers the headache and makes the pain critical.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are one of the effective medications for headaches. They stabilize brain chemicals and help in your treatment.
Botulinum toxins
These medicines are given to patients who have a headache more than 15 times or more in a month. Botulinum toxins are directly injected into the body.
Your doctor may supervise the effect of the treatment given to you. Generally, the acute treatment brings you relief in less than four hours after you have taken them. However, if they don’t work, consult with your doctor. He or she may look for other helpful healing procedures.
Among the classes, some medications are commonly prescribed for the treatment of headaches. They are as follows-
- Eletriptan (Relpax), a triptan
- Propranolol extended-release (Inderal, Inderal LA, Inderal XL), a beta-blocker
- Sumatriptan (Imitrex), a triptan.
- OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox), a botulinum toxin
- Amitriptyline (Elavil), an antidepressant
- Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL), a beta-blocker
- Venlafaxine (Effexor, Effexor XR), an antidepressant
- Erenumab (Aimovig), a CGRP blocker
- Rizatriptan (Maxalt), a triptan
- Zolmitriptan (Zomig), a triptan
Tell your doctor how the medications are affecting you. If you are using the acute treatment for more than 3 months and are seeing successful results, share it with your doctor. He or she may prescribe other light medication for further treatment.
Also, discuss the potential benefits and risks involved. Your doctor may also tell you helpful lifestyle adjustments that can support your migraine headache treatment.
