Migraine Stages, Treatment, and Management in Maumee, OH

Everyone gets headaches occasionally, but migraines are in a different category. Caused by a neurological disorder, migraine headaches have debilitating symptoms that can last for several days. Some people get migraine relief at home, but many need to visit a doctor for treatment. Review the migraine symptoms and treatment options and determine when to visit a health care professional.

Migraine Progression: What To Expect

A migraine may feel like it comes suddenly, but usually, people experience symptoms leading up to the headache. Understanding how a migraine progresses can help you prepare yourself for intense symptoms.

Many people report feeling "off" several hours or days before the migraine headache hits. This is a sign that they've entered the prodrome stage of a migraine episode. Mood changes, nausea, food cravings and concentration issues can occur during this stage, and some people also have neck pain and stiffness. You might even start feeling sensitive to light, sounds and smells before the headache begins.

If you're among the 25-30% of people with migraines with aura, you'll notice visual, sensory, motor or speech/language disturbances next. The disturbance should only last up to an hour. If your aura lasts longer or you've never had a migraine with aura before, go to the emergency room to rule out other conditions.

The migraine headache follows the prodrome or aura stage, depending on the type of migraine you have. It can take up to 72 hours for the pain to stop, and then you'll enter the postdrome phase. The post-headache stage can last for two days, and you might feel tired, have a low mood and experience concentration issues. It's essential to engage in self-care and avoid migraine triggers during this stage since you can develop a migraine headache again.

Migraine Relief at Home

At-home remedies won't eliminate a migraine attack but can lessen the symptoms. Try these at-home remedies at the start of an episode for the best results.

• Apply a cold compress to your temple or neck.
• Dim or turn off the lights.
• Gently massage your scalp.
• Promote blood flow with walking or yoga.
• Stay hydrated throughout the episode.

If your symptoms are intense, it will be hard to get migraine relief at home. At that point, you can seek medical attention.

Acute Migraine Treatments vs. Migraine Management

Over 1.2 million people visit the emergency room for migraine treatments each year in the United States. While some visit to rule out other conditions, others visit the ER for acute symptom relief. Both urgent care and ER doctors can provide medications to address pain, nausea and other debilitating symptoms. These medications are selected based on your specific symptoms.

If you regularly get migraine headaches, you may also want to schedule a visit with a specialist for long-term care. A specialist can help you with lifestyle changes to reduce the severity and frequency of migraine attacks and prescribe medication. Migraine treatments often include preventative and acute medications. Preventative medications make you less likely to get a migraine, while acute medications can stop migraine episodes in the early stages.

Migraine Emergency Symptoms: When to Go to the ER

Intense head pain, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to lights, sounds and odors are common migraine symptoms. While those symptoms don't indicate a medical emergency, go directly to the emergency room or call 911 if you experience:

• Confusion.
• Intense headache that comes on suddenly.
• Migraine headache symptoms that last longer than three days.
• Most painful headache of your life.
• Numbness.
• Unexplained neck stiffness.
• Vision or speech issues unless these symptoms usually occur when you have a migraine.
• Weakness.

Also, if your migraine symptoms are different from what you usually experience, it's a good idea to get checked out at the emergency room. Strokes, brain aneurysms and other conditions mimic some of the same symptoms of migraine attacks.

Migraine Treatments and Relief in Maumee

ProMedica Toledo Hospital Emergency and Urgent Care provides patients with quality care and services. Staff are ER-trained to determine patient conditions, and patients only pay for the level of service they receive - either ER or urgent care. The emergency department is open 24/7 and the urgent care clinic is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. You don't need an appointment. All walk-ins are welcome.

ProMedica Toledo Hospital Emergency and Urgent Care is located at 1075 Medical Center Parkway, Maumee, OH 43537.