Migraine Treatment in Howrah: Causes, Symptoms and Complete Care Guide

Table of Contents

• What Is Migraine?
• Migraine vs Ordinary Headache vs Tension Headache
• Types of Migraine
  • 1. Migraine Without Aura
  • 2. Migraine With Aura
  • 3. Chronic Migraine
• What Causes Migraine?
• Symptoms of Migraine
• How Is Migraine Diagnosed?
• Migraine Treatment Options
  • 1. Acute Medicines: Stopping an Attack
  • 2. Preventive Medicines: Reducing Attacks
  • 3. What NOT to Do With Painkillers
• Lifestyle and Trigger Management
• Red Flags: When to See a Doctor Urgently
• Why Choose Lords Health Care for Migraine Treatment?
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Get Relief From Migraine Today

Does your headache come again and again, always on one side of the head, with a throbbing pain that makes light and sound unbearable? Do you feel sick in your stomach, and have to lie down in a dark, quiet room until it passes? If this sounds familiar, you may not have an ordinary headache. You may have migraine.

Migraine affects roughly one in seven people in the world, and women are affected about three times more often than men. This guide explains migraine treatment in Howrah in simple words: what migraine really is, how it is different from an ordinary headache, the types, the causes and triggers, the symptoms, how a neurologist diagnoses it, the medicines that stop an attack and the medicines that prevent attacks, and the daily habits that reduce them.

What Is Migraine?

Migraine is a neurological condition, which means it comes from the brain and the nerves, not from a problem in the head muscles or the sinuses. During a migraine attack, the brain becomes over-sensitive. Blood vessels around the brain widen, nerves send pain signals, and the brain reacts strongly to light, sound, and smell.

An ordinary headache is usually mild, feels like a tight band around the head, and goes away with rest or one painkiller. A migraine attack usually lasts from 4 hours to 3 days, and it can stop a person from working, studying, or doing any normal activity.

Migraine is not a sign of weakness, and it is not "just in the head". It is a real medical condition, and it runs in families. The good news is that migraine can be controlled very well. Most patients who get the right diagnosis and the right treatment have far fewer attacks, and the attacks they do get are milder and shorter.

Migraine vs Ordinary Headache vs Tension Headache

Many people call every headache a migraine. The difference matters, because the treatment is different.

Ordinary headache (tension-type headache): The most common headache. The pain is mild to moderate, feels like pressure or a tight band on both sides of the head, and does not throb. There is no nausea, no vomiting, and no sensitivity to light or sound. It does not get worse when you walk or climb stairs, and it usually goes away with rest, water, or a single painkiller.

Migraine: The pain is moderate to severe and usually throbs on one side of the head, though it can switch sides or affect both sides. It gets worse with normal physical activity, like walking or bending down. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, and smell. Some people see flashing lights or zigzag lines before the pain starts. The attack lasts 4 hours to 3 days, and it forces the person to rest in a dark, quiet place.

Sinus headache: This is often confused with migraine. It causes pain and pressure around the forehead, cheeks, and nose, and it comes with a blocked or runny nose, especially during a cold. Unlike migraine, it does not usually cause nausea or sensitivity to light, and it does not throb.

Types of Migraine

There are three main types, and knowing which one you have helps the doctor choose the right treatment.

1. Migraine Without Aura

This is the most common type, affecting about 7 out of 10 migraine patients. The attack starts with a headache that builds up over an hour or two. The pain is usually on one side of the head, throbbing, and moderate to severe. It is accompanied by nausea, sometimes vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. There is no warning sign before the pain begins. The attack lasts 4 to 72 hours if untreated.

2. Migraine With Aura

About 3 out of 10 migraine patients have aura, a warning sign that appears 5 to 60 minutes before the headache. The most common aura is visual: flashing lights, zigzag lines, blind spots, or blurred vision. Some people feel tingling or numbness in one hand or one side of the face. The aura goes away completely, and then the headache begins. Aura is not dangerous by itself, but it must be checked by a doctor, because similar symptoms can occur in a stroke.

3. Chronic Migraine

Migraine is called chronic when a person has headaches on 15 or more days a month, and at least 8 of those days are migraine attacks, for more than 3 months. It often develops slowly, as attacks become more frequent over months or years. Chronic migraine needs preventive treatment and a proper plan, not just painkillers. With the right care, many chronic migraine patients return to episodic migraine, with far fewer headache days.

What Causes Migraine?

The exact cause of migraine is not fully known. Migraine runs in families, which means genes play a role. In a person with migraine, the brain is more sensitive than normal, and certain triggers can set off an attack, like a switch. The triggers are different for every person, and finding your own triggers is a big part of treatment.

Common migraine triggers include:

• Stress and tension: The most common trigger. Attacks often begin during a stressful period, or just after the stress ends, for example on a Sunday or during a holiday.
• Lack of sleep or too much sleep: Both can trigger an attack. Irregular sleep, staying up late, or sleeping in on weekends are common triggers.
• Missed meals and fasting: Skipping breakfast or going many hours without food can bring on an attack. Low blood sugar is a trigger for many people.
• Certain foods and drinks: Aged cheese, chocolate, processed meats, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and alcohol, especially red wine, are common triggers. A small amount of caffeine can help a headache, but too much caffeine, or stopping caffeine suddenly, can trigger one.
• Hormonal changes: Many women get migraine around their periods, because of the fall in oestrogen before menstruation. Pregnancy, menopause, and hormonal medicines can also change the pattern.
• Weather changes: Heat, humidity, bright sunlight, and sudden changes in weather trigger attacks in many people.
• Strong smells and bright lights: Perfume, petrol, cigarette smoke, and flickering or very bright light can trigger an attack in sensitive people.
• Dehydration: Not drinking enough water, especially in summer, is a simple and common trigger.
• Overuse of painkillers: Taking painkillers too often can itself cause headaches. This is called medication-overuse headache, and it is one of the most common reasons migraine becomes chronic.

No one has all of these triggers. Most people have two or three.

Symptoms of Migraine

A migraine attack usually passes through four stages, though not everyone experiences all of them.

Stage 1, warning (prodrome): One or two days before the headache, some people feel tired, irritable, or low in mood. Others yawn a lot or crave certain foods. These small signs are easy to miss, but they are part of the attack.

Stage 2, aura: About one in three patients has aura, as described above: visual disturbances, tingling, or difficulty speaking, lasting 5 to 60 minutes.

Stage 3, headache: The main attack. The pain is usually on one side of the head, throbbing or pulsing, and moderate to severe. It gets worse with movement. It is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, sound, and smell. The attack lasts 4 to 72 hours if untreated.

Stage 4, after the attack (postdrome): After the pain goes, many people feel drained, confused, or dull for up to a day. This is sometimes called the "migraine hangover".

Migraine is also more than a headache. It can affect the whole body: the stomach (nausea, vomiting), the senses (light and sound sensitivity), and the mood (irritability, anxiety, low mood).

How Is Migraine Diagnosed?

Migraine is diagnosed mainly from your history, not from a test. There is no blood test for migraine. The neurologist will ask detailed questions: how often the headaches come, how long they last, where the pain is, what it feels like, what other symptoms come with it, what triggers it, and whether anyone in your family has migraine. A headache diary is extremely helpful.

The doctor will also do a neurological examination: checking your vision, your reflexes, the strength and feeling in your arms and legs, and your balance. In most people with migraine, the examination is completely normal between attacks.

Scans like MRI or CT of the brain are NOT needed for every migraine patient. They are needed only when there are warning signs: a sudden severe headache unlike any before, weakness or numbness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, loss of vision, headache after a head injury, fever with a stiff neck, or a headache that keeps getting worse over weeks. At Lords Health Care, CT scan facilities are available in-house when the neurologist advises a scan.

Migraine Treatment Options

Migraine treatment has two parts: stopping an attack when it starts, and preventing attacks from happening so often.

1. Acute Medicines: Stopping an Attack

Acute medicines are taken at the start of an attack to stop it or make it milder. The earlier you take them, the better they work. Simple painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen work for mild to moderate attacks, especially if taken early. Triptans are medicines made specially for migraine: they narrow the blood vessels around the brain and block the pain signals, and they are the most effective acute treatment for moderate to severe migraine. They are prescription medicines, and your doctor will check whether they are safe for you, especially if you have heart disease or high blood pressure. Anti-sickness medicines are often given along with painkillers, because nausea can stop the painkiller from being absorbed properly.

During an attack, take your medicine early, rest in a dark, quiet, cool room, put a cool cloth on your forehead, and drink water in small sips. Do not try to push through the attack with work or driving.

2. Preventive Medicines: Reducing Attacks

Preventive medicines are taken every day, even when you have no headache, to reduce how often attacks come and how severe they are. Your doctor may suggest them if you have more than 4 migraine days a month, if attacks last a long time, if acute medicines do not work well, or if the attacks are disabling your work or studies.

Preventive options include beta-blockers (medicines also used for blood pressure), certain anti-epileptic medicines, calcium channel blockers, and some antidepressants in low doses. The choice depends on your other health conditions. You can read our guides on hypertension treatment in Howrah and diabetes treatment in Howrah to understand how these conditions are managed alongside migraine.

Newer options include CGRP medicines, injections given once a month or once in three months, for patients whose migraine does not improve with regular preventive medicines. Botox injections are another option for chronic migraine. Preventive medicines take time to work: most need 4 to 8 weeks before you can judge whether they are helping. Keep taking them as prescribed, keep your headache diary, and review the progress with your doctor after 2 to 3 months.

3. What NOT to Do With Painkillers

Taking painkillers too often can itself cause headaches. If you take simple painkillers on 15 or more days a month, or triptans on 10 or more days a month, for more than 3 months, you can develop medication-overuse headache. The headache becomes daily, the painkillers stop working, and the migraine gets worse. The only cure is to stop the overused medicine under your doctor's guidance, which is difficult for a few weeks, but it is the only way to break the cycle.

Never take someone else's migraine medicine or increase the dose yourself. If you find yourself taking painkillers almost every day, that is a clear sign you need preventive treatment and a neurologist's review, not more painkillers.

Lifestyle and Trigger Management

Medicines are important, but daily habits make a real difference. No medicine can fully control migraine if the triggers are ignored.

• Keep a regular sleep routine. Sleep and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends. Aim for 7 to 8 hours.
• Eat on time. Do not skip meals, especially breakfast. Eat small, regular meals and drink at least 2 to 3 litres of water a day, more in summer.
• Keep a headache diary. Note the date, time, duration, pain level, what you ate, how you slept, and what you were doing before each attack. After a few weeks, your triggers will become clear.
• Manage stress. A daily walk, deep breathing, yoga, or meditation helps many people. A fixed daily routine is better than a chaotic one.
• Limit caffeine. One or two cups of tea or coffee a day is fine for most people. More than that, or sudden changes in your caffeine habit, can trigger attacks.
• Exercise regularly. Gentle, regular exercise like walking, swimming, or yoga reduces migraine frequency over time. Start slowly, and avoid sudden intense exercise, which can itself trigger an attack.
• Avoid known triggers. Once your diary shows your triggers, avoid them where you can. If bright sunlight triggers your attacks, wear sunglasses outdoors. If strong smells trigger them, avoid perfumes and smoke.
• Check for other problems. Migraine is often worse when you also have poor sleep, anxiety, low mood, or acidity. A full body checkup in Shibpur can find related problems like low vitamin D, anaemia, or high blood pressure that make headaches worse.

Red Flags: When to See a Doctor Urgently

Most migraine attacks are not dangerous, but a sudden severe headache can sometimes be a sign of a stroke, a brain bleed, or meningitis. Go to the emergency department at once if you notice any of these:

• A sudden, worst-ever headache that reaches its peak within seconds or minutes
• Headache with weakness or numbness on one side of the body or face
• Headache with difficulty speaking, slurred speech, or confusion
• Headache with loss of vision, double vision, or a drooping eyelid
• Headache after a head injury
• Headache with fever, stiff neck, and vomiting
• Headache that keeps getting worse over days or weeks, or that wakes you from sleep every night
• A new headache pattern after the age of 50
• Headache in a person with cancer, a weak immune system, or a known blood clotting problem

A sudden severe headache with weakness on one side of the body can be a stroke, a medical emergency where every minute counts. You can read about it in our guide on stroke treatment in Howrah. If you are unsure whether your headache is migraine or something more serious, get checked at once.

Why Choose Lords Health Care for Migraine Treatment?

Migraine needs a neurologist, not just painkillers. At Lords Health Care in Shibpur, Howrah, the neurology department is led by Dr. Ankur Banik, Consultant Neurologist, who manages migraine, stroke, and other neurological conditions.

The hospital offers complete care under one roof. CT scan facilities are available in-house when a scan is needed to rule out serious causes. The medicine department, led by Dr. Sudip Banerjee, manages related conditions like diabetes and hypertension that often occur alongside migraine.

Lords Health Care is ISO 9001:2015 and NABH certified, which means its systems for patient safety and quality of care are independently checked. You can read about the neurology team in our guide on the best neurologist in Howrah.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can migraine be cured completely?

There is no permanent cure for migraine yet, but it can be controlled very well. Most patients who get the right diagnosis and follow their treatment plan have far fewer attacks, and the attacks they do get are milder and shorter. Many people find their migraine improves with age, and some women find it improves after menopause.

How long does a migraine attack last?

An untreated migraine attack usually lasts from 4 hours to 3 days. With the right acute medicine taken early, it can be much shorter, often 1 to 2 hours. If your headache lasts longer than 3 days, or if it never fully goes away, see a doctor, because it may be a different type of headache or a complication that needs treatment.

When should I see a neurologist for headache?

See a neurologist if your headaches come again and again, if they are severe enough to stop you from working or studying, if ordinary painkillers do not help, if you need painkillers more than 2 to 3 days a week, if the pattern of your headaches has changed, or if you have any of the red flag symptoms listed above.

Are migraine medicines safe to take often?

Acute medicines like triptans are safe when used as prescribed, but they should not be taken too often. Taking triptans on 10 or more days a month, or simple painkillers on 15 or more days a month, can cause medication-overuse headache and make the migraine worse. If you need acute medicines that often, you need preventive treatment instead. Preventive medicines are taken daily and are safe for long-term use under your doctor's supervision, with regular follow-up.

Can migraine cause a stroke?

Migraine itself does not usually cause a stroke, but the two are linked. People with migraine with aura have a slightly higher risk of stroke than people without migraine, especially if they also smoke, use certain hormonal contraceptives, or have high blood pressure. The risk is still small, and it can be reduced by controlling blood pressure, not smoking, and getting proper migraine treatment. The important thing is to know the difference: a migraine aura goes away completely within an hour, while stroke symptoms do not go away and need emergency care. If you are unsure, get checked at once.

Get Relief From Migraine Today

A headache that comes again and again, always on one side, with nausea and sensitivity to light, is not just a part of life. It is migraine, and it is treatable. A correct diagnosis, the right acute medicine, a preventive plan, and a few daily habits can change your life.

If you are in Howrah and your headaches keep coming back, visit the neurology department at Lords Health Care. Dr. Ankur Banik, Consultant Neurologist, will listen to your history, examine you, explain your diagnosis in simple words, and build a treatment plan that fits you.

Lords Health Care
13/3, Circular 2nd Bye Lane, Kona Expressway, Shibpur, Howrah - 711102 (Near Nabanna)
Phone: +91-8272904444 | Toll-Free: 18003090895
Website: www.lordshealthcare.org

Book your migraine consultation today and take the first step toward fewer headaches and a better life.