Chronic migraine is a type of migraine in which the patient experiences headache for more than 15 days in a month. It is unilateral in nature and can be quite agonizing. The exact cause of this disorder is still unknown. But this type of migraine is not caused by excessive intake of painkillers. Patients suffering from chronic migraine experience severe headache for about 8 days accompanied by vomiting and nausea.

Symptoms of chronic migraine:

The four primary symptoms are:

The prodrome: This is known as the initial phase of a migraine attack and can begin a few hours or days in advance of a full blast migraine attack. Almost 40-60% of patients suffering from migraine experience prodrome symptoms that include excessive sleepiness, changes in mood, irritability, depression, fatigue, euphoria and craving for specific foods.

The aura: This phase occurs just before the migraine peaks. It usually lasts for about 5 to 20 minutes before the onset of a full blast headache and subsides once the headache begins. Aura symptoms comprise of visual distortions, sensation of pins and needles pricking the hands and arms or nose area, lips and tongue.

The headache phase: This comes after the aura phase. Migraine headache is unilateral in nature with a pounding sensation and ranges from moderate to severe in intensity. It can get worse if the patient indulges in any sort of physical activity or does strenuous work. After its onset the headache can become bilateral and branch out. The pain peaks and then subsides gradually. The duration of this can last from 4 to 72 hours in adults. Headache is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting in about 90% of patients. Other symptoms accompanying a migraine headache are blurred vision, nasal congestion, edema of the face or scalp, stomach upset, neck stiffness and excessive sweating.

The postdrome: This phase begins once the headache has subsided in which the patient tends to feel irritable, fatigued and may have mood swings.

Precipitating factors of chronic migraine:

A migraine attack can be triggered by various factors. These include the following:

Excessive stress and emotional tension can trigger a migraine attack.

Consumption of alcohol can also contribute to a migraine.

Exposure to environmental toxins such as petroleum or petroleum products, allergens, strong perfumes and exhaust fumes can also trigger a migraine.

Lack of sleep, prolonged hours of work and sitting or sleeping in an odd posture can also contribute to a migraine attack.

Other factors such as hormone changes in women during menstruation, menopause, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), postpartum period etc. can also lead to a migraine.

Intake of foods and beverages such as strong cheese, nuts, wine, chocolate, colas and caffeine withdrawal can also trigger a migraine.

Weather changes such as increase in atmospheric pressure, drop in the level of oxygen at high altitudes, increase in humidity etc. can also cause migraine.