Migraines are not only excruciating headaches; they also raise your risk for brain damage. If you experience more than three migraines each month, in addition to chronic brain fog and fatigue, then you should ask your doctor for an MRI brain scan to check for possible brain damage.
Migraines are a brain disease
According to latest research, migraine patients are a high risk category for “progressive brain damage,” a silent type that shows no unusual symptoms.
Researchers from the Netherlands conducted a study on the risk of brain damage in migraine patients, and results showed a high correlation between migraine attack frequency and increased risk for brain abnormalities.
For the study, they gathered 56 test subjects, including 28 female migraine patients and 28 non-migraineurs for the control group.
Scientists conducted MRI scans, examining key targeted areas of the brain for possible brain damage, noting white matter hyperintensities in the cerebral matter of migraine patients that were absent in the control group brain scans.
Researchers confirmed an unusually high rate of brain damage in migraine patients, deformities in parts of the brain that control thinking skills, as well as autonomic functioning needed for respiration and blood pressure.
Migraine patients who experienced more than three migraine attacks each month exhibited more brain abnormalities than patients who had fewer than three migraine episodes each month.
Furthermore, Migraine patients with a 15+ year history of migraines had the most severe signs of brain damage, compared to patients who have been experiencing migraine attacks for fewer than 15 years, proving a direct correlation between severity of migraines and brain damage.
More migraine comorbidities
In addition to brain damage, other serious conditions linked with migraines include stroke, heart attack, and epilepsy. Additionally, migraine patients are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder.
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What does all this mean?
If you get more than three migraine attacks each month, and you’ve been experiencing migraine attacks for at least 15 years, then migraine prevention isn’t just a matter of finding relief from pain and nausea- it can also save your life.
If you’ve been procrastinating on trying a new approach to migraine therapy, then don’t wait any longer. Speak to your doctor, and ask him what other options are available that you haven’t tried, including natural preventive tools for migraines.
Some good ones to try:
•Restrictive dieting, such as gluten-free, dairy-free, or specific migraine target avoidance
•Keeping a migraine diary to track frequency
•Natural supplementation of vitamins, minerals, and herbs that help migraine patients, such as vitamin B2 (riboflavin), magnesium, coenzyme Q10, and butterbur extracts
•Gentle daily exercise, including yoga, stretching, and low-impact aerobics
•Acupuncture
•Meditation
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Sources:
Brain damage risk linked to migraine frequency
Migraines Linked to Brain Lesions in Women
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