Conditions

There is no cure for lupus. However, treatment options to control symptoms are available. Most people with lupus can lead active, healthy lives. Treatment plans should meet the individual patient's needs and may change over time. To develop a treatment plan, the doctor tries to: Prevent flares Treat flares when they do occur Minimise complications Mild forms of the disease may be treated with:  NSAIDs for joint symptoms, after talking with your doctor  Corticosteroid creams for…

What you can do to cope up with the disease It is vital that you take an active role in your treatment. One key to living with lupus is to know about the disease and its impact. Being able to spot the warning signs of a flare-up can help you prevent the flare or make the symptoms less severe. Many people with lupus have certain symptoms just before a flare, such as: Feeling more tired Pain Rash Fever Stomach ache Headache Dizziness You should see your doctor often, even when symptoms are not…

There is no known way to prevent Lupus since there is no known cause as yet. You can help manage flare-ups though: Avoid known triggers such as sunlight, stress, and lack of sleep Manage your diet Get adequate exercise  

Can migraines be prevented If you know what triggers your migraine, you can avoid it. Alternately, your doctor may prescribe preventive medications like beta blockers (propranalol, timadol, metoprolol, nadolol, atenolol), calcium channel blockers (nefidipine, diltiazem, verapamil). These drugs reduce the attack frequency in migraine patients. Other preventive medication are serotonin antagonists like methysergide, tricyclic antidepressants (amitriptyline, nortriptyline, doxepin).

Symptoms Migraine pain can vary from mild to severe. If mild, patient has a tight feeling in the head and neck. In a severe migraine attack, the patient experiences throbbing pulsatile (pulsating) pain, which spreads to the shoulder and neck, too. Pain in adults may last for 4 to 72 hours, whereas in children it lasts for 2 to 4 hours. There are 4 phases in a migraine attack. They are:   Premonitory phase: This phase is also called prodromal symptom, which includes physical and mental…

There are 2 main types of migraine:  Migraine with aura/ sense of warning – classic migraine Migraine without aura - common migraine Complications of migraine include: Status migrainosus - headaches occur for a period of 15 or more days per month for 3 or more months Persistent aura without infarction - aura for duration of more than 1 hour and less than 1 week with absence of cerebral infarction. Infarction means obstruction of blood supply, hence, blood supply is not obstructed in this…

Migraine cannot be diagnosed clearly by neuroimaging yet. Neuroimaging, like MRI, is done to exclude other conditions associated with headache, like a blood clot in the brain. Migraine diagnosis is based on history. The clinical criteria to confirm migraine are: Migraine without aura At least 5 headache attacks (in 15 days or more per month for more than 3 months) fulfilling 2 to 4 of the criteria given below. Headache lasting 4 to 72 hours The headache has at least 2 of the following…

Causes of Migraine Causes are multifactoral with various genetic and environmental factors playing important roles. The patient may have a history of migraine in the family. Mutations of the gene in chromosome 1 and 19 are responsible for positive family history. Disturbances in the release of certain brain chemicals called serotonin and dopamine may also cause migraine. Migraine has two parts: 1) the aura and 2) the headache. (Symptoms of aura are mentioned below.) Cerebral blood vessels…

Non pharmacological methods: Regular exercise, enough sleep and eating healthily at regular meal times help. Other non-pharmacological treatments include relaxation therapy and behavioural therapy, for instance biofeedback (where you learn to control your body’s functions), acupuncture, meditation, yoga and herbal treatments. Pharmacological methods: These include the following: Pain killers like aspirin, acetaminophen, Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Ergotamine derivatives -…