Regular Nutrition and Exercise Help Relieve Migraines

Migraine, affecting daily life and making daytime activities difficult, is one of the common causes of headaches. Women experience migraine 3 times more frequently than men, and genetic predisposition plays an important role in the condition. Specialist Doctor Nuran Burcu Arkalı from DoktorTakvimi.com states that regular nutrition and exercise are beneficial for migraine. Migraine, usually characterized by throbbing pain on one side lasting between 4 and 72 hours, is frequently seen in the 30-45 age group but can also begin in children. While light and sound sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and increased pain with movement are common findings during attacks, migraine can present differently in each patient. Therefore, taking a patient history is important in migraine diagnosis. While regular sleep, proper nutrition, and exercise are said to be beneficial for migraine, avoiding alcohol and limiting caffeine are also among the factors that prevent migraine triggers. Specialist Doctor Nuran Burcu Arkalı from DoktorTakvimi.com, noting that migraine triggers vary from person to person and that not every headache means migraine, provided clarification on many aspects of migraine from diagnosis to treatment.

Varies in each individual

Migraine pain can originate from triggers such as fasting or skipping meals, chocolate (phenylethylamine), citrus fruits, milk, cheese (tyramine), tomatoes, tyrosine, monosodium glutamate, aspartame, sulfites, nitrates (in processed meats—sausage, salami), histamine (beer–wine), alcohol, excessive caffeine or caffeine withdrawal, smoking, menstrual period in women, emotional stress, physical stress: Travel, excessive exercise, physical or mental fatigue, changes in routine lifestyle, too much or too little sleep, changes in sleep timing, and neck pain. However, it is not limited to these alone; external stimuli such as weather changes, southerly winds, high altitude, bathing, air conditioning, excessive heat or cold, radiation, poorly ventilated spaces, strong odors, and dazzling lights are also listed among migraine trigger factors. Specialist Doctor Nuran Burcu Arkalı comments on the variation of migraine pain from person to person: "Sometimes before or during the pain, visual flashes, loss of visual field, restricted eye movement, numbness, speech disturbance, pupil dilation, dizziness, lightheadedness, concentration problems, blurred vision, double vision, or inability to see on one side may occur. However, symptoms completely different from these complaints may also develop. For this reason, taking a patient history is a priority. Neurological examinations, imaging, and laboratory investigations are standard procedures in diagnosis and also help in ruling out causes of other clinical diseases."

New treatment method: Migraine vaccine

Addressing rumors about surgical treatment of migraine, Arkalı stated that there is no scientific evidence and that, considering the mechanism of migraine development, the possibility of benefit from surgical intervention is not feasible. Emphasizing that avoiding trigger factors is initially important in treatment, Specialist Doctor Arkalı drew attention to the importance of exercise, nutrition, and sleep, while noting the need to avoid alcohol, limit caffeine, and not overuse painkillers.

Specialist Doctor Nuran Burcu Arkalı provided the following explanations regarding treatment methods:

"In migraine treatment, treatments applied during pain attacks to resolve the pain are called 'acute treatment.' Chronic migraine can be referred to in patients with migraine-level headaches for at least 8 days per month and lasting 15 days overall. In this case, prophylactic treatment aimed at reducing pain severity and frequency is applied. When difficulties with long-term medication use, possible side effects, and non-response to treatment occur, botulinum toxin application can be utilized in chronic migraine treatment. The newest treatment in migraine is the injection application, also known as migraine vaccine. With an injection administered monthly, migraine attacks can be resolved by preventing pain triggering and progression."