Headaches are one of the most common medical conditions, affecting nearly everyone at some point in life. Most headaches are simply annoying, but that’s not the case with migraines, which can sometimes be disabling.
A migraine is a specific type of headache that causes intense pain on one side of the head that’s often described as pulsating or throbbing. Along with head pain, migraines can also cause nausea, vomiting and an increased sensitivity to surroundings, including light, noise and smells.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, at least 39 million people in the United States experience migraines, including both children and adults. If you’ve been diagnosed with migraine headaches or believe you’re experiencing them, should you see a neurologist? Keep reading to learn more.
Understanding what a migraine is
Headaches have a number of underlying causes. Tension headaches, for example, are often triggered by physical or mental stress. While migraines have a number of triggers, migraine pain is caused by abnormal brain activity.
Specifically, a migraine occurs when nerve fibers inside of blood vessels in the meninges of the brain are activated. The meninges are three layers of membranes that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord.
The activation of those nerves causes the intense pain and disruptive symptoms of a migraine, which may last for hours or even days. Many different factors can trigger those nerves to activate, including:
- Alcohol consumption
- Caffeine withdrawal
- Certain foods
- Emotion
- Hormonal changes
- Loud or sudden noises
- Low blood sugar
- Motion sickness
- Overexertion
- Smoking or exposure to smoke
- Stress
- Strong odors
- Too much or not enough sleep
- Weather or environment changes
Identifying what triggers a person’s migraines is often the first step in helping to prevent migraines or at least reduce their frequency.
When to seek medical attention for migraines
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to seeking medical care for migraines. Because migraines can vary in frequency, intensity and symptoms, they may not always be disruptive or feel like a priority.
Check in with your primary care provider or another medical provider if your headaches become disruptive, getting to a point where you can’t continue your normal daily activities when you have one. You should also let a provider know what you’re experiencing if you have a chronic health condition, such as depression, a sleep disorder or epilepsy, and are experiencing new or changing headaches.
It’s also important to check in with a medical provider if you begin experiencing symptoms that are outside your norm. If your headaches begin occurring more frequently, for example, or if they seem more severe, schedule an appointment with your provider.
Beyond these reasons for talking with a medical provider, there are some symptoms and situations that are a sign that more urgent medical care is needed. Seek prompt medical attention if:
- You experience the most severe headache you’ve ever had.
- You have a headache accompanied by vision changes.
- You have a headache that lasts for longer than a day or two.
- You have a seizure along with a headache.
- Your headache comes on suddenly or is accompanied by potential stroke symptoms, such as slurred speech, clumsiness, weakness in the face or extremities, droopiness in the face and confusion.
You should also seek emergency medical attention if you’re experiencing sudden, severe or unrelenting vomiting. Prolonged vomiting and an inability to keep down liquids can quickly lead to dehydration.
How a neurologist can help
Because migraines are a medical condition affecting the brain, they fall under the purview of neurologists, who specialize in diagnosing and treating conditions of the brain, spinal cord or nervous system.
Could you benefit from seeing a neurologist for your headaches? Quite possibly! If you’re experiencing headaches that are intense or regularly disrupt your life, it’s probably worth asking your primary care provider for a referral to a neurologist, who can explore the underlying causes of your pain.
You can benefit from seeing a neurologist if your headaches have already been diagnosed as migraines or if you are experiencing symptoms that may be caused by migraines.
During your initial appointment about head pain, a neurologist will talk with you about your symptoms and conduct a thorough physical examination. Based on those findings, additional tests may be used to determine the underlying cause of your pain and make a diagnosis. This can include different types of imaging scans, such as X-rays, CT scans and MRIs.
Your provider may also recommend other testing, including blood tests, eye exams and an EEG, or electroencephalogram, which looks at brain activity. These tests can rule out more serious causes of head pain and help determine whether a person is experiencing migraines or another type of headache.
If you’re diagnosed with migraines, a neurologist will recommend a treatment plan that’s personalized based on your specific needs. This treatment plan may include techniques for avoiding triggers and preventing migraines, as well as how to treat a migraine when one occurs.
Medications may be used for both prevention and treatment. Preventive medications are taken daily to reduce the severity of migraines or to keep them from occurring. Multiple types of medication may be used to treat a migraine, including over-the-counter or prescription anti-inflammatories and pain relievers.
A class of medications known as triptans are now the preferred method of treating moderate to severe migraine pain. These medications work by increasing serotonin in the brain, which lowers the pain threshold.
Along with medications that target pain, a neurologist may also prescribe medications to treat the symptoms that accompany your migraines, such as anti-nausea drugs to alleviate nausea and vomiting.
Depending on the severity of your migraines and the other symptoms you experience, your provider may also recommend simple treatment options, such as napping in a quiet, dark room, placing a cool cloth on your forehead, drinking a small amount of caffeine or staying hydrated.
Because migraines are often triggered by lifestyle habits or foods, a neurologist can also help you uncover your specific triggers and determine a strategy for avoiding those triggers. Trigger avoidance can be quite helpful for reducing the number of migraines in many cases.
Next steps
Neurologists with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group offer care for a full range of neurological conditions, including migraines. Call 770-219-6520 or visit NGPG Neurology for more information.