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Migraineurs know how to self-isolate. With the threat of coronavirus literally in the air, the need for everyone to follow suit is essential. Also, you may be wondering if there is anything specific about the relationship between migraines and coronavirus.
You might not have realized it, but your first migraine may have sent a warning ahead that it was coming. Many migraineurs have identified certain signs and symptoms that tend to show up a day or two ahead of an attack.
A new study published in NeuroImage Clinical found a potential link between migraines and activity in an individual’s visual cortex. Chun Yuen Fong, Wai Him Crystal Law, Jason Braithwaite, and Ali Mazaheri, researchers from the University of Birmingham and Lancaster University in the UK, collaborated in the paper published earlier this year.
While the popularity of cannabidiol (CBD) continues to soar, there are still few studies available with data to support its use. Now that industrial hemp farming is legal, studies of hemp oil and CBD on migraines may become more available. Confounding some of the efforts is the fact that, while CBD is legal at the federal level, it is still illegal in some states. However, the trend appears to be toward the legalization of CBD in certain forms.
Up to 90% of migraineurs are sensitive to light, either before, during, or after a migraine attack. That light sensitivity can be enough to trigger a migraine, and most digital media is light-based. So it makes sense that the use of digital devices and consuming digital media could trigger migraines in susceptible people.
People suffering from acute migraines will soon have another rescue medication at their disposal - The FDA approved Reyvow (lasmiditan hemisuccinate). The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has 90 days to review the drug to determine if it will be classified as a controlled substance. Once that three-month period is complete, the maker, Eli Lilly, and Company expect it to be available at retail pharmacies.
When a migraine doesn't respond to any other treatment, ketamine may offer relief. Operating differently than opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and triptans, ketamine is increasingly available to treat chronic pain, migraine, and other health issues.
Within the past decade, electrical nerve stimulation has been introduced as a potential non-drug treatment for individuals suffering migraines or cluster headaches. The approach varies slightly between techniques, and depending on the method, can be invasive or non-invasive.
Migraines come in several flavors, but one of the primary classifications is that of episodic migraine. Episodic migraines differ from chronic migraine disorder and may respond better to some treatments than chronic migraines.
“Given the opioid epidemic in the U.S. and the high prevalence of opioid use in migraine patients shown in our study, especially those with chronic migraine, our results suggest that improved management of treatment is needed to optimize care.” - Justin S. Yu, PharmS, Allergan
