Don't Let Chronic Migraine Take Over Your Life

Migraine is known as a widespread condition that negatively impacts daily life and nearly deprives patients of their joy of living. Unlike ordinary headaches, migraines typically begin unilaterally in the neck, temple, or around the eye. The throbbing pain is accompanied by sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. Pain that intensifies with physical activity reduces a person's productivity and comfort in work and social life. Associate Professor Nilgül Yardımcı provided information on botox treatment in chronic migraine therapy. The frequency of migraine attacks varies among individuals. Migraines occurring at intervals are called "episodic migraines." "Chronic migraines," on the other hand, are defined as pain meeting migraine criteria on a minimum of 8 days out of at least 15 headache days per month, sustained for at least 3 months.

You Don't Have to Tolerate Headaches by Saying "It Will Pass Anyway"

Chronic migraines, which cause prolonged and severe headaches, occur in 1-3% of the population. People with chronic migraines have lower quality of life compared to those with episodic migraines and visit hospitals more frequently. They use more medication and have reduced daily work and life productivity. Managing chronic migraines, which essentially turn patients' lives into nightmares, may not be as straightforward as thought. Avoiding stress and not relying solely on painkillers is important. If a person experiences migraine attacks regularly and frequently, or thinks the frequency and severity of attacks are changing, they should definitely consult a neurology specialist.

Depression May Come Knocking

Medications used in migraine treatment aim to eliminate pain during headache attacks and stop accompanying symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, or to control the frequency of headache attacks. Some medications used in treating other diseases such as epilepsy, hypertension, and depression are also used in migraine treatment. However, despite treatment diversity, treatment efficacy is low in chronic migraine patients, and they face risks of excessive painkiller use, depression, anxiety disorders, and sleep problems as comorbid conditions.

Botox Treatment Improves Quality of Life

Chronic migraine treatment with botox draws considerable attention among new treatment methods due to its effectiveness. Research shows that botox has high reliability and tolerability in migraine patients and is effective in reducing the number of headache days and the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Botox treatment is specifically indicated as preventive therapy for chronic migraines in adults. Botox application blocks chemical neurotransmitters originating from nerve endings that trigger pain in people with chronic migraines, and as a result of this blockade, pain pathways extending from nerve endings to the nervous system cannot be activated, allowing pain to be controlled before it reaches the brain.

Treatment Planning Is Individualized

According to the injection scheme recommended in studies, botox is applied as intramuscular injections to 31 predetermined points in the forehead, temple, and neck regions in the patient. Treatment is planned individually, and there are at least 2 treatment cycles with 12-week intervals. While some patients require repeated injections for treatment effectiveness, in others the effect persists for several years. Under the decision of a specialist neurologist, additional doses of botox injections can be applied to required areas based on the location of pain, and with successful results, patients bid farewell to chronic migraines.