Millions suffer from migraines, with one in five women and one in ten men impacted by the painful, debilitating experience.
As we near the end of summer, and start of the fall, health care providers say they see an increase of people coming in for help.
Mara Scaramella is a nurse practitioner at foot hills neurology and she says there are a number of things they can do to treat symptoms.
"Well, there are treatments, excellent treatments to rescue a migraine so that you can continue with your day, as well as really incredible treatments to prevent migraines from happening," says Scaramella.
Migraine is not just a bad headache. It’s a disabling neurological disease with different symptoms and different treatment approaches compared to other headache disorders.
She says something that might sound unusual is helping. Botox is being used as a treatment.
"So, makes my job so satisfying is that patients come back and tell me that their treatments are life changing," Scaramella explains. "Botox is a preventative treatment. You get injected every three months and it can decrease your migraines up to 50%."
A big part of it, is being mindful. Scaramella says stay hydrated, and keep good eating habits, and be consistent with your sleep. She also stresses that food can be a problem, and sometimes skipping a meal can be a migraine trigger.
It's also the changing seasons, which can make it tougher for people who regularly suffer from migraines, with temperature fluctuations, drops or increases in humidity, and yes, those seasonal allergies as well.
The causes of migraine aren’t really clear, but genetics and environment do play a role.
Research has shown that behavioral treatment, such as stress management and biofeedback, can help reduce attack frequency and severity. Behavioral treatment is an important tool for managing the disease and can even work alongside other treatments to help patients achieve their treatment goals.
The American Migraine Foundation estimates that at least 40 million Americans live with migraine, but many people do not get a diagnosis. In Minnesota, there are as many as 800,000 people who have to deal with the condition.
