Migraines

Migraines are well-known for causing such severe pain that you can’t move or function until the headache ends. The good news is that Marcie Merson, MD, at Palm Beach Pain Institute specializes in migraine treatments that significantly reduce pain and can prevent future migraines. If you’re ready to fight back against migraines, don’t wait to schedule an appointment. Call the office in Delray Beach, Florida, or request an appointment online today.

What causes migraines?

Migraines begin when something triggers excessive nerve activity and causes a surge of inflammatory substances. These are a few of the most common triggers:

• Stress
• Lack of sleep
• Drinking alcohol
• Dehydration
• Strong odors
• Hormone changes
• Bright or flashing lights
• Changes in the weather
• Certain foods

Foods containing preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and caffeine may cause a migraine. Processed meats, chocolate, and blue cheese are also common triggers.

What are the symptoms of a migraine?

You may feel tired or have food cravings or mood swings the day before your migraine pain begins. Some people experience aura shortly before a migraine.

Aura occurs when neurological changes cause unusual symptoms. Visual symptoms like seeing wavy lines, flashing lights, or bright shapes are the most common. You could also have sensations like tingling and numbness.

When your migraine begins, you have throbbing pain around one temple. The pain may stay on one side, include both sides, or affect your entire head.

Migraines cause bodywide symptoms, including:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Dizziness
• Blurred vision
• Vertigo (feeling like the room is spinning)
• Sensitivity to lights, sounds, or smells

Without treatment, migraines last four hours or longer, perhaps several days.

How are migraines treated?

Dr. Merson offers the full scope of migraine treatments, from helping you identify triggers to providing today’s most advanced therapies. She also specializes in osteopathic manipulative therapy (OMT), which can decrease the duration and frequency of migraines.

Several medications may reduce or shorten migraine symptoms and help prevent future attacks. For example, Dr. Merson may prescribe triptans, which block pain pathways to the brain, or ergots to help people with symptoms lasting longer than 24 hours.

She may recommend one of the latest medications, zavegepant. This nasal spray gives you pain relief within 15 minutes to two hours, prevents pain for up to two days, and may relieve nausea and sensitivity to lights and sounds.

You can also get effective migraine pain relief from cutting-edge treatments such as:

• CGRP monoclonal antibody injections (target substances causing migraine pain)
• Sphenopalatine ganglion block (blocks nerve signals)
• Neuromodulation (uses electrical impulses to regulate nerves)
• Botox® injections (for chronic migraines)

Dr. Merson is certified to inject Botox for chronic migraines (having a migraine 15 or more days a month).

If you suffer from migraines, call Palm Beach Pain Institute today to begin pain-relieving treatments. You can also request an appointment through online booking.