Migraine headaches are characterized by intense throbbing pain on either one or both sides of the head. They can come with a long list of other symptoms like nausea, blurred vision and sensitivity to light and sound. While migraine headaches still have an unknown cause, researchers now believe that they can possibly cause brain damage. This is big news since previously migraines were thought to be harmless, unless they were a symptom of something larger.
A recent study suggests that frequent migraines are associated with a higher likelihood of brain lesions. However, researchers are still uncertain if the lesions on the brain cause further health problems. After the results of this study, many doctors say that migraine headaches should be treated as a chronic condition instead. They are currently treated as simple, episodic headaches.
This study also suggests that treatment of migraine headaches needs to be shifted to a more preventative approach. The theory is that if doctors are able to limit the number of migraine headaches a patient experiences then they can limit the amount of damage that occurs to the brain. So while the patient maybe would be happy to just reduce the number of migraine headaches each week, it is in their best interest to stop the migraine headaches all together.
Unusual Brains
Migraine headache sufferers typically have abnormal results on tests such as MRIs. They are also at an increased risk for stroke. Many researchers believe that these abnormal test results are caused by the white matter lesions and blockages of blood to the brain.
However, migraine headaches that occur with an aura are much more likely to see these unusual results. Migraine headaches without an aura are seven times more likely to have these lesions on their brain, while migraine headaches with an aura are 14 times more likely than the standard control group.
While this is new information, only one study has been run so far. Researchers believe that before a change in patient care can be made, a lot more information needs to become available. This could mean several additional studies which will be followed by drug trials.
Tags: headaches, migraine attacks, migraine treatment, Migraines, side effects, symptoms, treating migraines, vascular headachce
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