WhatsAppDiagnosis, Prevention and Treatment of Migraine
In Migraine Treatment, the Academic Hospital Neurology Outpatient Clinic aims to diagnose patients with recurrent migraine attacks accurately, to reduce the frequency and severity of their attacks and to improve their quality of life in a lasting way. Alongside acute treatment protocols, it brings together current medical and interventional approaches. It adopts a multidisciplinary approach to migraine research, diagnosis and treatment.
An individual treatment plan is drawn up for each patient by following a systematic process consisting of clinical diagnosis, neuroimaging, headache diary analysis and mapping of the attack profile. Attack frequency and the risk of the condition becoming chronic are kept under observation.
Contents
What Is Migraine? Types of Migraine
Migraine is a chronic neurological disease characterised by recurrent attacks of headache that last between 4 and 72 hours, are usually felt on one side of the head, and are throbbing in character and moderate to severe in intensity.
- Migraine without aura (the most common type; attacks accompanied by pain, nausea and sensitivity to light/sound)
- Migraine with aura (visual, sensory or motor neurological symptoms occur before the pain)
- Chronic migraine (headache on 15 or more days a month)
- Menstrual and hormone-related migraine
- Vestibular migraine (accompanied by dizziness and balance disturbance)
- Hemiplegic migraine (accompanied by temporary weakness of an arm or leg)
- Retinal migraine (temporary visual disturbance in one eye)
- Migraine that has become chronic due to medication overuse
- Management of anxiety and depression occurring together with migraine
When Should You Consult Us?
- If you have more than four migraine attacks a month
- If attacks last longer than 48 hours or seriously impair your ability to function
- If your response to treatment is gradually decreasing
- If you have to take painkillers on three or more days a week
- If episodes of dizziness or double vision come together with the headache
- If migraine cannot be controlled during pregnancy or is becoming more frequent
- If the attacks are accompanied by neurological signs
Situations requiring emergency care: If a headache starts more suddenly and severely than any you have experienced before, if the aura lasts longer than 60 minutes, or if weakness in an arm or leg, facial drooping or speech disturbance accompanies the headache, go to the emergency department immediately; these symptoms may indicate another serious condition.
Diagnostic Methods
The diagnosis of migraine is largely clinical; however, various diagnostic tools are used to rule out secondary causes and to clarify the attack profile.
| Method | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| The character and duration of the pain, the accompanying symptoms and the presence of aura are assessed through a detailed history; the type of migraine is determined according to the international classification. | |
| A diary kept for at least 4-6 weeks reveals the frequency and severity of attacks, the triggers and the pattern of medication use; it plays a central role in treatment planning. | |
| In new-onset, atypical or progressive headaches it assesses the structure of the brain and rules out secondary causes. It is repeated if necessary during the follow-up of chronic migraine. | |
| Allows the blood vessels of the brain to be imaged when vascular pathology is suspected. | |
| Performed at every visit to assess the presence of focal neurological deficits, the nature of the aura and possible differential diagnoses. | |
| Tests such as thyroid function, vitamin B12 and folate levels and a complete blood count may be requested to rule out underlying systemic causes. |
Treatment Approaches
Treatment is planned along two main axes, acute attack management and prophylaxis; biological agents and behavioural methods support these two axes.
- Acute (attack) treatment: Simple painkillers or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Prophylactic (preventive) treatment
- CGRP monoclonal antibody therapy
- Botulinum toxin injection: Significantly reduces the number of attack days and the severity of pain.
- Trigger management and lifestyle modification: Regular sleeping and waking times, not skipping meals, balancing caffeine intake, aerobic exercise and identifying individual triggers on the basis of the diary are applied together with prophylactic drug treatment.
- Behavioural and psychological approaches
- Management of medication overuse
Appointments for Migraine Treatment at the Academic Hospital Neurology Outpatient Clinic: 444 0 353
Book an AppointmentMigraine Treatment at Academic Hospital
At Academic Hospital, migraine treatment is provided within the Neurology Outpatient Clinic. The attack profile is established through clinical assessment, headache diary analysis and, where necessary, neuroimaging; acute attack treatment and preventive treatment are planned according to this profile and reviewed during follow-up. The clinic works routinely with the following departments:
- Neurology: neurological examination and assessment of the aura and of neurological signs accompanying the attacks
- Headache Treatment: differential diagnosis and treatment of headache types other than migraine
- Radiology: performing and reporting cranial MRI and MR angiography examinations
- Psychiatry: assessment of anxiety and depression occurring together with migraine
- Nutrition and Dietetics: identifying trigger foods and planning elimination diets under specialist supervision
- Gynecology and Obstetrics: joint assessment in the management of menstrual migraine and migraine during pregnancy
- Ear, Nose and Throat: differential diagnosis of dizziness and balance disturbance in vestibular migraine
Frequently Asked Questions
References
The general information given on this page about migraine types, diagnostic methods and treatment approaches is supported by the reliable health sources listed below.
- National Institutes of Health (PubMed Central), "Review: An Update on CGRP Monoclonal Antibodies for the Preventive Treatment of Episodic Migraine", ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Mayo Clinic, "Migraine: Diagnosis and Treatment", mayoclinic.org
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "Migraine Information Page", ninds.nih.gov
- NHS, "Migraine: Overview and Treatment Options", nhs.uk
The information on this page is for informational purposes only; it does not replace medical examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a healthcare institution regarding your complaints.
