Chronic Migraine: Understanding the Condition and Its Impact!

What is Chronic Migraine, and Why is it Important to Learn About?

Chronic migraine is a devastating neurological condition that affects tens of millions of people everywhere. (As with all of the headaches, chronic migraines develop often, but unlike the migraines, chronic headaches can begin daily.) And that’s not even all; the pain that accompanies the ordeal of frequent migraines is incredibly intense — nearly unbearable — and includes other symptoms, such as nausea and sensitivity to light. The component of mental health has typically been ignored when treating physical symptoms, and with this point being established, people with chronic migraine have both cognitive and emotional side effects, which put them at risk of acquiring stress, anxiety, and depression.

What is Chronic Migraine?

Chronic migraine can best be described by having to cope with painful headaches for 15 days or more in a month, of which eight should be sore, searing migraines, before seeking out any management for at least 3 months …or even longer. This is unlike episodic migraines, which occur much less frequently. The quality of life is significantly diminished by chronic migraine, leading to adverse effects on productivity and difficulties in interrelations and self-esteem.

Chronic Migraine Symptoms and Signs

Incapacitating headaches accompany chronic migraines. Individuals with chronic migraines tend to experience:

• Pulsating, incapacitating Headaches: The sensation in the head feels as though it is lashing out on one side, but it can also happen on both. It is generally multifactorial, but it is very often highly incapacitating.
• Aura: Some people who suffer from chronic migraines will witness flashes of light or blind spots, particularly as the headache becomes more intense, which is also known as aura. Not everyone who has migraines will experience an aura.
• Nausea and vomiting: Most persons have some degree of nausea and may vomit during the attack.
• Agonizing intolerance of illuminated areas: Distressing even the softest stimulation, including dim light, may agitate migraines.
• Acute sensitivity and tenderness in the neck area: Symptoms may include tightness in the neck and shoulder girdle muscles.
• Exhaustion and dizziness: This tiredness accompanies chronic migraines; it feels heavy and dizzy between migraines.

Symptoms of varying durations, anywhere from a few hours to a few days to continuous, have been reported worldwide. What all this underlying “chronic daily headache” pain can do is become so smooth that there seems to be no beginning or end.

Causes and Risk Factors

The exact mechanism(s) responsible for chronic migraines remains unknown. However, several factors are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of this condition.

• Genetics: There is a strong element of family history and familial connections. People whose closest relative (a parent or sibling) has migraines are at increased risk for chronic migraines.
• Environmental triggers: Environmental factors, such as stress, weather, hormonal changes, certain foods, and poor sleep, may increase the severity and duration of a migraine.
• Medication overuse: Also called “rebound headaches,” excessive use of painkillers to treat migraines contributes to chronic migraines.
• Hormones: This is especially true for women; migraines occur more in women than in men due to a variety of hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, from pregnancy, and around  menopause.
• Neurovascular hypothesis: According to this hypothesis, a chemical imbalance in the brain involving serotonin and blood vessel problems contributes to migraines.

The impact of chronic migraines on mental and emotional health

For one, chronic migraine is not just physical; it is emotionally devastating. Chronic pain, in particular, can prompt emotions of anger, frustration, and helplessness, and a person can feel as though they are caught in a never-ending cycle that is not just physically damaging but emotionally debilitating. These people will have more critical emotional and psychological issues, for example:

• Depression and Anxiety: Chronic pain often leaves people feeling hopeless and with severe anxiety, particularly if there is light at the end of the tunnel to bring some relief. Additionally, the uncertainty of migraines increases anxiety about work, social anxiety, and ordinary daily activities, resulting in avoidant and socially isolating behavior.
• Stress and frustration: There is frustration and anger that chronic pain causes, not being able to predict when/if migraines will occur, so motivation is further wasted. This low state of motivation initiates further emotional difficulties of being befuddled and overwhelmed as well as intense stress; these latter will finally converge in a loss of life control.
• Lack of social interaction: Migraines cumulatively come with persistent, ongoing pain that causes a person to avoid socializing and makes them feel immensely withdrawn from others. This absence of social interactions creates loneliness as soon as people realize that their friends and others cannot go outside because they know this will make them have a migraine.
• Cognitive Dysfunction (“Brain Fog”): People with chronic migraines often experience trouble paying attention, remembering things, or making even the smallest decisions. This is called “brain impairment,” a form of cognitive Impairment. It could also have an unfortunate impact on your job, school, and even personal relationships, resulting in stress and anxiety.

Methods of Treatment for Chronic Migraine

While there is no cure for chronic migraines, treatment options can help reduce symptoms, decrease the number of migraines, and improve quality of life.

• Preventive Medicines: These are pills you take daily to help reduce how often you get headaches and how bad they are. Such drugs may include
  • Antidepressants (these are for people, not dogs), such as amitriptyline.
  • Anticonvulsants, such as topiramate.
  • Beta-blockers like propranolol.
  • Therefore, inhibitors of CGRP, such as erenumab, may not increase the risk of cardiovascular events, but this remains unknown.
• Abortive Medications: These are drugs that are ingested at the first sign of a migraine to either halt or help lessen the severity of the attack. [NOTE: you can use triptans (e.g., sumatriptan) or NSAIDs (e.g. ibuprofen) as standard treatments.]
• Lifestyle Changes: Other things can aid in managing migraines, such as managing stress, getting adequate sleep, exercising regularly, and having a good diet. You can also teach yourself how to keep stress at bay through meditation, yoga, and relaxation practices.
• And though lifestyle changes can reduce migraine frequency and intensity, managing emotional responses to chronic migraines can also make a difference for the patient, for example, through therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). CBT helps to replace negative thoughts and to adopt better coping mechanisms for people with chronic pain.
• Botox Injections: Some individuals with chronic migraine disorder are managed prophylactically through Botox injection therapy.
• Occipital Nerve Stimulation: In this trial, a stimulatory device is implanted to stimulate the occipital nerve, which researchers believe is involved in headaches.

Living with the Emotional Effects of Chronic Migraine

There’s so much more to dealing with chronic migraines than just simply finding the proper medical treatment—it’s equally essential that the patient’s mental health is a part of the plan. Here are some ways to manage the emotional stakes:

• Developing A Support System: Connecting with friends and family and attending support groups can be a source of practical and emotional support. Talking with others who know firsthand the challenges of chronic migraines can help reduce feelings of helplessness and increase feelings of connection.
• Self-Care: Make time for rest and other enjoyable pursuits, such as listening to music, reading, or trying relaxation exercises that reduce stress.
• Getting Professional Help: Coping with chronic migraines can take an emotional toll. Talking to a mental health specialist, such as a therapist or counselor, can help ease feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress.
• Establishing Realistic Goals: It is essential to understand that chronic migraines are long-term. Emotionally, this helps keep expectations low around small personal milestones that the patient would like to see happen, like having attacks less often.

Conclusion

Chronic migraines impact a person’s physiology and emotional and psychological health. These can cause depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal. However, individuals who suffer from migraines every now and then can learn to deal with them and maintain their mental health with treatments and coping methods. So, if you or someone you know is suffering from chronic migraines, it is essential to get medical help as well as to seek emotional support to better cope with this condition.