When it comes, you will feel worse than death. Be careful with this kind of headache! Just these 5 tips to deal with it →

Anyone who has experienced a migraine knows that although it doesn't sound like a serious illness, when it strikes, there is only one word to describe it: worse than death. Eyewitnesses all describe it like this: "Today is a waste," "I want to bang my head against the wall," "Please chop my head off."

What we are going to talk about today is not ordinary migraine, but a special type of migraine - vestibular migraine .

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Mr. Liu (pseudonym), 40 years old, is a surgeon. He is very busy at work and often has to work overtime and perform surgery until late at night.

Last Saturday, when Dr. Liu got up, he suddenly felt dizzy and his vision was spinning. It lasted for 5 minutes before gradually getting better. He didn't take it seriously at the time and even ran a marathon on Sunday.

As a result, when he got up on Monday morning, his dizziness symptoms worsened, his vision was spinning more and more, he also had nausea and vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia, and he was even unable to get out of bed and walk, so he was hospitalized.

The neurologist asked Mr. Liu about his medical history in detail. This was the first time he had dizziness. He usually had mild hypertension and had a history of migraine since he was a teenager. He did not smoke, but occasionally drank alcohol. He would drink some coffee during the day to stay awake. He had not slept much in recent days.

The doctor found that Mr. Liu had obvious nystagmus , but the vestibular examination, cranial MRI, hearing assessment, and vascular assessment were all normal. Combined with his medical history, the doctor considered that he might have "vestibular migraine." After a day of active treatment, Mr. Liu's dizziness improved quickly, and he was able to get out of bed and move around independently the next day, and his nystagmus disappeared.

01

Migraine

Migraine is a common primary headache, the mechanism of which is not yet fully understood. It often recurs, is more common in women, and many have a family history.

Main symptoms of migraine:

1. Throbbing pain in the forehead and temples, usually on one side, but may also be on both sides;

2. The pain is severe and recurring;

3. Often accompanied by nausea and vomiting;

4. Very sensitive to light and noise;

5. Generally, it will not exceed 72 hours and will improve after taking painkillers and resting;

6. Some people experience precursor symptoms: visual abnormalities, sensory abnormalities, etc.

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02

Vestibular migraine

Vestibular migraine is a type of migraine that is more common in women but can occur at any age, including men and children.

Vestibular migraine symptoms:

Dizziness and headaches sometimes "double hit" and sometimes "single hit". Dizziness may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, photophobia and phonophobia, tinnitus and deafness . Usually the symptoms last for a few minutes to a few hours to get better, but some symptoms last for a few seconds or a few days.

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Although vestibular migraine is a benign disease, if it is not treated and controlled in time, it may seriously affect the patient's life and health, resulting in inability to work, study and social activities normally, and even psychological problems such as depression and anxiety . If you suddenly feel dizzy while driving or operating machinery, it will also increase the risk of accidents and injuries.

03

When vertigo occurs

How should we respond?

1. Stay calm

Don't panic too much and use relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.

2. Avoid falls and injuries

Immediately find a safe place to sit or lie down to avoid falling and injury. Avoid driving, operating machinery, swimming, climbing, etc. during dizziness.

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3. Seek medical attention as soon as possible

Go to the hospital as soon as possible and observe changes in symptoms, duration, and severity.

4. Evaluate the cause

To evaluate the cause of vertigo, it is recommended to complete cranial imaging, vestibular function examination, audiological evaluation, etc.

5. Follow your doctor’s advice

Actively treat according to the doctor's advice.

It is very important to note that for some vertigo diseases that tend to recur (such as vestibular migraine, Meniere's disease, etc.), it is important to find out the triggering factors of the disease (such as keeping a diary of the attacks) and take preventive measures. Even doctors should manage their own health.

04

Pay attention to these 5 points

● Regular life: Have a regular work and rest schedule, avoid overwork and staying up late, and ensure adequate sleep, but not too much. Even on weekends and holidays, try to go to bed and get up on time.

● Healthy diet: Maintain a balanced diet, avoid drinking alcohol and coffee, and try to avoid eating foods such as chocolate and cheese.

● Appropriate exercise: Strengthen physical fitness, increase body coordination and sense of balance, especially exercises that focus on breathing training and breathing regulation (such as yoga), which can help patients relieve symptoms such as anxiety and muscle tension.

● Relax: Avoid excessive stress and regulate tension and anxiety.

● Regular physical examinations: monitor blood pressure, blood sugar, blood lipids, and manage chronic diseases.

Source: Run Run Shaw Hospital

Author: Yang Yi, deputy chief physician of Run Run Shaw Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine

Review: Li Nannan Director of Hunan Science Writers Association Deputy Director of Research and Publicity Department of Hunan Science and Technology Association Second-level Researcher Chinese Science Writer (Medical)

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