Migraine Headaches

What Is a Migraine?

Migraines are classified as a primary headache type. Beyond throbbing or pulsing pain in the head, they are often accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea and sensitivity to sound and light. The pain associated with these occurrences may last for a few hours to several days at a time.

Migraines are often triggered by factors such as:

• Hormonal changes
• Medications
• Sensory stimuli
• Environmental changes
• Physical and emotional stress
• Sleep schedule changes
• Skipping meals
• Consuming processed or salty foods or foods containing certain additives
• Drinking alcohol or caffeinated beverages

Migraines can occur multiple times a month and worsen with certain activities and other environmental factors. Migraines affect a significant portion of the population and are ranked as one of the most debilitating health conditions worldwide.

How Does BOTOX Help With Migraines?

The specific details of how BOTOX works to prevent migraines are unclear. It is theorized that pain receptors in the nerves of the injected muscles take up the injected neuromodulator. The BOTOX then deactivates those pain receptors and blocks pain signals that the nerves send to the brain.

The therapeutic use of BOTOX has been demonstrated to help prevent migraines. Migraine patients who have tried other solutions should consider BOTOX as a treatment option. It is most effective with muscle-related migraines.

BOTOX is Health Canada-approved for individuals suffering from chronic migraines. Patients can enjoy relief from the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches for up to six months.

Stages of a Migraine

Migraines can involve three stages: prodrome, headache, and postdrome. A migraine does not always include all these stages.

In the prodrome stage, which occurs a day or two before the migraine, patients may notice the following symptoms: neck stiffness, hyperactivity, uncontrollable yawning, depression, constipation, irritability, and food cravings.

Occasionally, patients may also have the sensation of a temporary aura (lasting up to an hour), a nervous system disturbance that affects vision, speech, or movement. The potential symptoms include speech or language issues, a pins-and-needles sensation, seeing flashes of light, and vision loss. These symptoms can last for 20 minutes to an hour.

In the headache stage, patients experience the migraine itself. Symptoms include throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head, nausea, lightheadedness, blurred vision, vomiting, fainting, and sensitivity to sound, light, and smells. Migraines can affect the patient anywhere from four to 72 hours.

In the postdrome stage, after the headache, patients often report feeling drained of energy.

Why Do I Have Migraine Headaches?

Research is ongoing regarding the causes of migraine headaches. Various environmental factors may be partially responsible. Many cite brain chemical imbalances such as irregular serotonin levels as a potential factor, and one’s genes may also be a cause. If a close family member has migraines, then it is highly likely that you will have migraines, too.

Patients are more likely to have migraines if they have had one by age 40 or if they have a family history of migraines. Young boys are more headache-prone than girls. After puberty, however, women become more headache-prone than men.

Your BOTOX Migraine Treatment at Heights Laser Centre

The treatment is administered through a series of fine-needle injections to the head and neck areas once every 12 weeks to help prevent the onset of migraines. Patients typically experience minimal discomfort during the procedure and can enjoy a significant reduction in migraine frequency. Treatment can reduce the occurrence and intensity of your migraines for up to six months.

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