The Risks Of Untreated Migraines

Migraines are serious business, in more ways than one. First they create havoc within the individuals who suffer from them on a re-occurring basis, and second they can create complications or lead to other conditions if left not properly given the correct form of migraine treatment. By definition a Migraine is not really a “headache” but rather a neurological condition that occurs along with other symptoms, many misconceptions about Migraines have come about because of the term “migraine headache” when in reality it should be referred to as either a “migraine attack” or “migraine episode”. The term headache confuses many individuals who might experience the common headache that can be cured with a simple over the counter medication and then moved on from, on the other hand a true migraine occurrence is one that takes place with extreme head pain and other symptoms that can often times leave the migraine sufferer completely incapacitated for hours up to days at a time.

A Diagnosis
The first phase in understanding more about actual migraines and how to achieve migraine treatment is to understand the diagnosis of the condition of migraines. Migraines are diagnosed once other conditions have been ruled out. This is why many physicians or neurologists will order tests such as the MRI or CT scan in order to rule out any tumors, brain abnormalities, or blood vessel problems. Once these other conditions have been ruled out and the health history of the patient is taken into consideration then the term “migraines” can come into play. Once a diagnosis of migraine attacks has been given it is extremely important that proper migraine treatment be administered to both relive the migraine sufferer but also to prevent further damage or cause for other conditions to arise.

Risks when Migraine Treatment is Not Taken Seriously
Migraines are not like “normal” headaches. Migraines can often times affect only one side of the head and/or face and not unlike occurrences that appear in stroke victims migraine sufferers can experience temporary facial paralysis, extreme head pain, tingling, numbness, the appearance of auras, and of course the addition of dreaded symptoms such as dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and many others. When migraine treatment is not properly given it can lead to the risk of other serious conditions. Therefore those who do experience migraines should always seek to achieve migraine treatment in order to reduce their symptoms and preferably complete prevention whenever possible. If migraine treatment isn’t properly achieved studies show that the migraine sufferers are at a higher risk to experience the following conditions:

• Cardiovascular Disease –Studies show that those who suffer from re-occurring migraines are at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease. In fact among male migraine sufferers this accounts for a 25% increase in the chance to developing cardiovascular disease. This higher risk of cardiovascular disease is especially true for those individuals who suffer from migraines with auras.

• Stroke – Research states that the average risk of stroke for those who suffer from chronic migraines is about 2.16 times more likely than those who do not suffer from regularly occurring migraines. Of course for individuals who suffer from migraines and also smoke or take oral contraceptives that risk only increases which will in turn mean double trouble.

• Depression – Many individuals who do not seek proper migraine treatment can often develop depression as the overwhelming sense of loss of hope can take place. The symptoms of migraines, when migraine treatment doesn’t help relieve these symptoms, can completely overtake a person and send them into a deep depression which can be avoided if of course migraine treatment is properly given.

• Interference with Daily Life – not only does improper migraine treatment lead to the unnecessary suffering for the patient but migraines can interfere with all aspects of a person’s life. Relationships such as family, friends, and even marriages as well as employment and finances have been ruined because of the lack of proper migraine treatment when the symptoms invaded life and took over.

Migraine treatment is vital to not only reduce symptoms of the migraine, but also to reduce the risk of developing other conditions such as those listed above. The good news is that are many different ways to achieve migraine treatment that will both decrease the symptoms and in many cases lessen the frequency and occurrence of migraines all together. Some of the options for migraine treatment include prescription medications, supplements, chiropractic care, massage therapy, biofeedback, acupuncture, and stress management techniques.

Tags: Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol), migraine pain, migraine relief, Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), over the counter medication, treating migraines