Migraine
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Migraine
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Nervous system pathology review
Adult brain tumors: Pathology review
Central nervous system infections: Pathology review
Cerebral vascular disease: Pathology review
Congenital neurological disorders: Pathology review
Dementia: Pathology review
Demyelinating disorders: Pathology review
Headaches: Pathology review
Movement disorders: Pathology review
Neurocutaneous disorders: Pathology review
Neuromuscular junction disorders: Pathology review
Pediatric brain tumors: Pathology review
Seizures: Pathology review
Spinal cord disorders: Pathology review
Traumatic brain injury: Pathology review
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Migraine
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0 / 8 complete
USMLE® Step 1 questions
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6 pages
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Migraine
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USMLE® Step 1 style questions USMLE
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External References
First Aid
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
Amitriptyline p. 599
migraine headaches p. 536
β -blockers p. 247
migraine headaches p. 536
Calcium channel blockers p. 325
migraine headaches p. 536
Migraine headache
TCAs as, prophylaxis p. 599
Migraine headaches p. 536
butorphanol for p. 572
hormonal contraception contraindication p. 681
triptans for p. 567
Nausea
migraine headaches p. 536
Topiramate
migraine headaches p. 536
Trigeminal nerve (CN V) p. 523
migraine headaches p. 536
Triptans p. 567
for migraine headaches p. 536
Valproate
migraine headaches p. 536
Transcript
Content Reviewers
Contributors
Headaches are a type of terrible pain in the head and neck, and there are two main types.
The first are called primary headaches, and they’re more common. These are chronic or recurrent headaches, that account for over 90% of all headaches.
Some examples, are migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches.
The second type are called secondary headaches, and these are acute headaches from a specific underlying cause like a serious head injury or a brain tumor.
So normally, throughout the body, there are special neurons that act as pain receptors.
These neurons convert a painful stimulus into an electrical signal that conveys the feeling of “pain” to the brain.
The brain itself does not have pain receptors, but nearby tissues in the head and neck like the blood vessels, meninges, and muscles do have pain receptors.
These pain receptors might be stimulated by a variety of things such as blood vessel spasm like in vasculitis, increased pressure like from a tumor, inflammation like in meningitis, or increased muscle tension like in temporomandibular disorder.
That helps explain the pain in secondary headaches.
Now, in primary headaches the exact mechanisms are unknown.
Tension headaches are the most common primary headache.
It’s called a tension headache because it feels like a band squeezing down on the head applying constant pressure or tension on it.
The pain is mild to moderate, can last a few hours, and usually there are no associated symptoms.
Tension headaches are usually triggered by stress, lack of sleep, and dehydration - imagine being late to work after a night of drinking heavily and not sleeping much.
Summary
A migraine is a type of headache that presents with recurrent episodes of (usually) unilateral, throbbing headaches. It may be accompanied by sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting, and a preference for a quiet environment.
Sometimes there can be an aura where people experience strange smells, lights, visual disturbances, or even hallucinations before the onset of the migraine. The cause of migraine is not yet known, but it is believed to have a genetic predisposition, and risk factors such as alcohol, hormonal changes in women, fasting, disorganized sleeping patterns, etc.
Sources
- "Robbins Basic Pathology" Elsevier (2017)
- "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, Twentieth Edition (Vol.1 & Vol.2)" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "Pathophysiology of Disease: An Introduction to Clinical Medicine 8E" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2018)
- "CURRENT Medical Diagnosis and Treatment 2020" McGraw-Hill Education / Medical (2019)
- "Caffeine and Primary (Migraine) Headaches—Friend or Foe?" Frontiers in Neurology (2019)
- "Primary headaches during lifespan" The Journal of Headache and Pain (2019)
- "Migraine Treatment: Current Acute Medications and Their Potential Mechanisms of Action" Neurotherapeutics (2017)
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