Acute recurring headaches that last 2-4 hours and occur periodically are called migraine headaches. With the growing civilization, the incidence of migraine cases is increasing and unfortunately, adolescent boys and girls are also victims. Dealing with these adolescent migraine cases is not easy, as they also involve many emotional and psychological issues. Especially cases involving inability to perform daily activities need significant attention.
Impact- Cases of childhood migraine are found more in boys than in girls; however, as they reach the adolescent age group, more girls are affected than boys. The same trend continues into adulthood. More than 70% of migraine cases have a positive family history and one or more direct relatives usually suffer from the same. Although migraine is a very debilitating disease, it usually does not lead to any significant bodily problems, nor are strokes or brain tumors related to migraine.
Causes of Migraine- In any age group, until recently the vascular system was blamed for the onset of migraine. It was primarily thought to be due to the constriction and expansion of blood vessels in the brain. However, it is now considered more of a CNS disorder primarily due to a disturbance in the brain and nerves, and secondarily due to the blood vessels. Changes in the level of circulating neurotransmitters are thought to be among the main causes.
Types of migraine in adolescence-
1) classic migraine– This is an episodic migraine with aura. In the adolescent age group, the migraine attack usually starts early or late in the morning. An aura can be said to be a warning sign before a migraine attack which can start 10-30 minutes before the onset of the headache. Blurred vision, spots before vision, dizziness, sudden nausea, etc. are the common auras experienced by migraine sufferers.
two) common migraine– This is the most common form of migraine that occurs without any aura. Some forms of complicated migraines can also occur in some people, those associated with ophthalmic problems, confusion and/or hemiplegia, etc.; however, such complications are rare during adolescence.
Important Migraine Triggers in Adolescence-
1) Stress– In any age group, stress can be considered as the main factor that leads to the onset of migraine. Especially the teenage age group suffers from a lot of mental and emotional turmoil due to social, academic and family stresses. Stress management, psychotherapy to better manage stress, getting involved in some enjoyable hobby, etc. are some of the strategies that help overcome this type of migraine.
two) Menstruation– Menstrual migraines are quite common in teenage girls, which may be due to hormonal influences.
3) abnormal eating patterns– With increasing stress and modern lifestyle, many teenage boys and girls have irregular and junk eating habits. Certain types of food like coffee, chocolates, etc. act as triggers in certain youngsters. Staying on an empty stomach beyond the normal gastric emptying time (4 hours) can also trigger a migraine attack.
4) Medicines– Certain medications such as oral contraceptive pills, medications used for asthma, stimulants, etc. can cause recurrent migraines. Understanding the negative effects of drugs and taking the proper precautions to stop those drugs needs expert advice.
5) Alcohol– more and more adolescents become addicted to alcohol, the main trigger of migraine. The expansion of the arteries of the brain is the cause. Identifying triggers is one of the main steps in migraine treatment. Take the proper steps to prevent these triggers and this will help prolong your headache-free periods and even reduce the intensity of the attacks.
Treatment of migraine in adolescence- Drug therapy can always be started at any time for any age group. But one must strive initially and during the course of medication to reduce triggers and improve lifestyle and diet. Here is the checklist-
— Keeping a headache diary helps understand headache-free periods between attacks
— Avoid over-the-counter medications as much as possible. Increasing the use of such medications can actually increase the intensity of headaches.
— Never skip meals, especially breakfast in the morning.
— Drink plenty of water (at least 8 to 10 glasses)
— Take steps to reduce stress; Relaxation techniques can help a lot.
— Exercise regularly
— Reschedule your sleep; you should sleep at least 8 hours in a row
— Take medications correctly according to guidelines and follow up appropriately.
Homeopathic treatment of migraine in adolescence–
Homeopathy, as we know, is a holistic method of treating patients. The same approach holds (or should hold) when it comes to treating migraines in any age group. You can’t just take the diagnosis of migraine into account when homeopathically treating these kinds of episodic headaches. Importance should be given to the complete physical, mental and emotional aspects of patients and a remedy should be found after careful evaluation. The symptomatic approach is the most appropriate in any case of migraine and I have rarely come across a case of migraine that does not respond to efficient homeopathic therapy. In the adolescent age group, proper psychological counseling and stress management are important ancillary regimens that should be advised by an expert in homeopathy.