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Migraines and Auras
December 13, 2007
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Janice Sickels knows when a migraine headache is just minutes away. “I usually get
what doctors call the aura before a migraine. It looks like you’re staring into
a flash.” Auras come in different forms for different patients. Dr. Alan Tannenbaum
is a physician
with Lee Memorial Health System. He says, “Typically these people
will smell something like a burnt odor smell, a dark musty smell or
often times
they will see flashes of light.” He adds that the warning sign from the brain can
help you better treat your migraine. “An aura can be a good thing if you know it’s
on its way and you can take something either through a nasal spray or you can take
something under your tongue or a pill that you can swallow that will abort the headache.
Typically you have to have the pill within thirty minutes of the onset.” Janice
says she does consider the auras helpful warning signs that allow her to treat her
migraine quickly. “The aura is nice for me because it triggers me before it starts
and I can take my medicine and get it before it starts.” Physicians say even if
you don’t have an aura there are simple steps you can take to ensure quick treatment
when a migraine sets in. “The key to working with a migraine patient is to get the
medicine, have them keep some in their car, at work, in their purse, or in their
pocket. The faster you treat it, the simpler you treat it the better it is for the
individual,” says Dr. Tannenbaum. Talk with your physician to find out what medications
and migraine treatment options are right for you. Physicians say if you experience
painful headaches a few times a month that are accompanied by neck pain or nausea
you are likely developing a pattern for migraines.
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