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Primary Headaches - Menstrual Migraines: Complications And Consequences And Diagnosis

Thursday, April 5, 2012 14:29

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Home of Kyle J. Norton for The Better of Living & Living Health C.1. Complications
Complications of migraine headaches can be divided into the following, according to the International Headache Society’s classification of headaches.
1. Chronic migraine
Chronic migraines is defined as headaches in the absence of medication overuse, occurring on ≥15 days per month for ≥3 months, of which headaches on ≥8 days must fulfill the criteria for migraine is that they continue over a long period of time. It is also known as transformed migraine, as chronic migraines can evolve (or transform) from episodic to almost daily headaches with mild symptoms (C.1.1)

2. Status migrainosus
Status migrainosus is defined as a condition of migraine episodes that persist for less than 3 days, but in most case, there are periods of relative relief, but these generally last no longer than four hours. With symptoms similar general migraine. Dihydroergotamine and the triptans, has found to reduce the number of headache episodes that persist after initial treatment or fail to respond to self-administered therapy(C.1.2)

3. Persistent aura without infarction (PAWI)
Persistent aura without infarction (PAWI) is a rare complications of migraines with neurological and ophthalmological examinations. The visual symptoms is a result of decreased left fronto-parieto-occipital and right occipital blood perfusion.(C.1.3.)

4. Migrainous infarction
Migrainous infarction is a rare complication after usual attacks of migraine with aura. Some studies suggested that “possible” cases of migrainous infarction should undergo an extended diagnostic workup to rule out symptomatic migraine due to extra/intra-cranial vascular pathology (artery dissection/malformations, venous thrombosis) and to exclude a causal role for other conditions(C.1.4.)

5. Migraine seizures
A migraine seizure is an epileptic seizure that follows a migraine with aura, meeting the definition for a migraine with aura, and an epileptic seizure must occur within one hour of the migraine aura. Some researchers suggested thatthe occurrence of common susceptibility loci for epilepsy and migraine on chromosomes 14q12-q23 and 12q24.2-q24.3, implicating a shared genetic etiology for these 2 diseases(C.1.5). Other suggested the hypothesis of modification in threshold of cortical hyperexcitability from migraine to epilepsy.(C.1.6.). Symptoms of the complication include some sort of visual change or loss, zigzagging lines, bright flashes, etc.

C.2. Medical consequences
1. Stroke
Migraine migraine with aura headache can increase the risk of ischemic stroke in women of childbearing age, according to “Duration, frequency, recency, and type of migraine and the risk of ischaemic stroke in women of childbearing age” by Donaghy M, Chang CL, Poulter N; European Collaborators of The World Health Organisation Collaborative Study of Cardiovascular Disease and Steroid Hormone Contraception.(C.2.1)

2. Epilepsy
There is a link associated between headache/migraine and epilepsy by using the PubMed data base, according to “Links between headaches and epilepsy: current knowledge and terminology.[Article in English, Spanish]” by Caminero A, Manso-Calderón R.(C.2.2)

3. Vascular diseases
Some researchers suggested that women who use hormonal contraceptives and hormone replacement treatment may increase the risk of migraine occurrence and administration of exogenous hormones may cause worsening of migraine as may expose migrainous women to an increased risk of vascular disease(C.2.3)

4. Erectile dysfunction
There are indication that ED is associated with having been previously diagnosed with migraines, particularly in younger populations in 5763 patients with ED as in the cases study of randomly selected 17,289 patients as the controls conducted by National Taiwan University, and Taipei Medical University(C.2.4)

5. Celiac disease
Celiac disease is defined as a digestive disease that damages the small intestine as a result of an immune-mediated toxic reaction of which interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People with Celiac disease cannot tolerate gluten and 28% of the patient found to be association with migraine(C.2.5)

6. Etc.

D. Diagnosis
Depending to the differentiate of symptoms of which are similar but difference than others with a complete medical history and physical exam.
1. Attacks last from 4 to 72 hours
2. Patients are usually symptom-free between attacks
3. Headache is at least two of the following
a. Unilateral (on one side)
b. Pulsating
c. Moderate to severe
d. Aggravated by routine activities
4. Accompanying symptoms may include
a. Photophobia (more sensitive to light)
b. Phonophobia (more sensitive to noise)
c. Nausea and Vomiting
5. Etc.

Types of diagnosis
The aim of the diagnosis is to rule other causes of the diseases
1. CT scan
CT scan can dive your doctor a three-dimensional view of your bladder and the rest of your urinary tract to look for masses and other abnormalities that cause migraine headache

2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
By using radio waves and magnetic fields to take pictures, MRI scan provides very high quality of a cross-sectional slice and lengthwise slices of the brain and thus providing the better and detail image of location of tumor and the surrounding structures. It is one of most likely early test ordered by a doctor to diagnose tumors, strokes, aneurysms, neurological diseases and other brain abnormalities and the blood vessels around the brain.

3. Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)
A spinal tap is a procedure performed when a doctor needs to look at the cerebrospinal fluid (also known as spinal fluid), by inserting a thin needle between two vertebrae in your lower back to extract a sample. If your doctor suspects the onset of migraine headache is caused by inflammation of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid surrounding your brain and spinal cord

4. Etc.

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For the series of Headaches, please visit http://diseases-researches.blogspot.com/2012/01/series-of-article-of-headache.html
For other health article, please visit my home page at http://medicaladvisorjournals.blogspot.com/