Bumisuka.com – Can Vomiting Help Relieve Migraines. If you’re living with migraines, you’re probably already familiar with the persistent pain of a typical migraine attack episode and the symptoms that go with it. Often, migraine pain is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. According to the news, vomiting can help relieve pain from migraine attacks, namely vomiting.
It has been shown that vomiting, in some cases, can reduce or stop the pain of migraines. In fact, some people with migraines induce vomiting to make the migraine headaches stop.
1. Why can vomiting help relieve migraines?
People who experience migraine headaches and nausea may find relief after vomiting. There is limited research on this phenomenon.
According to a 2013 paper in the journal Current Pain and Headache Reports, vomiting can help relieve migraine headache symptoms because:
- Changes blood flow to reduce pain or inflammation.
- Release chemicals that reduce pain, such as endorphins.
- Occurs towards the end of the migraine episode, leading to a reduction in symptoms.
Several studies support the above idea.
For example, a 1986 study in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine showed that vomiting triggers the release of endogenous opioids. These are endorphins that can relieve pain.
The vagus nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system that also plays a role in vomiting, according to a 2013 report in the European Journal of Pharmacology. Vomiting can interact with the vagus nerve in a way that reduces pain.
Stimulation of the vagus nerve can cause vomiting and can also relieve migraine headaches. Doctors are now using a vagus nerve stimulation implant for pain relief in people who have chronic migraine headaches.
2. Vomiting releases a neurotransmitter that can end some of the symptoms of a migraine attack
Our bodies are very complicated. Biological processes involve different genes, cells, hormones, and chemical messengers that play well together. Complex interaction theory looks at the body’s nervous system and how it interacts with the rest of the body.
A 2015 study in the Journal of Neuroscience described migraine as a multifactorial disorder. The authors are beginning to understand why during migraine attacks, people often feel nauseous and may vomit.
Our bodies have different nervous systems, including the autonomic nervous system which regulates body processes and the enteric nervous system which controls gastrointestinal function. The researchers found that the central nervous system interacts with other nervous systems during migraine episodes.
Because of the way the three components of the nervous system interact, migraines can trigger vomiting. We have a vomiting center, and this vomiting center collects information from various body systems. The vomiting center then decides to stimulate or stop the vomiting act at will.
The chemoreceptor trigger zone (CTZ) in the brain communicates with the vomiting center to initiate vomiting. CTZ also releases chemicals, including the neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin. Reported by Greatist, another 2013 review found that these vomiting-induced endorphins can help you feel better during migraine episodes.
In summary, in some situations of severe nausea, vomiting releases neurotransmitters that can end some of the symptoms of a migraine attack.
3. Vomiting sometimes causes vasoconstriction and this can relieve pain or some other migraine symptoms
While previous theories have limited to migraine episodes ending in vomiting, another idea involves the idea that the mechanism by which vomiting triggers migraine attacks.
During a migraine episode, the brain sends chemicals such as serotonin and noradrenaline throughout the brain. These chemicals cause inflammation and swelling in the blood vessels, allowing increased blood flow around the brain.
Some experts suspect that this increased blood flow causes the throbbing, stabbing pain that may be experienced during migraine episodes.
According to a 2018 review in the journal Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, vasoconstriction, which means blood vessels in the brain narrow, reduces pain because less blood flows into the vessels affected by migraines. Vomiting sometimes causes vasoconstriction, thereby relieving pain or some other symptoms.
Vomiting also causes an increase in the hormone arginine-vasopressin (AVP). AVP constricts blood vessels which in turn can relieve migraine pain.
4. The role of nausea in migraine
Nausea is a common symptom of migraines. According to an analysis in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility in 2013, more than 90 percent of people with migraines experience nausea and 70 percent also experience vomiting.
Research shows that nausea and vomiting accompanied by headaches is a sign that a person is at risk for migraine headaches.
However, it’s still not clear why migraine headaches cause nausea. According to Medical News Today, one possible explanation is that the brain activity responsible for headaches also triggers nausea.
Migraine episodes usually occur with an aura or are prodromal.
Prodromal is the phase that manifests with mood swings, food cravings, nausea, difficulty concentrating, and sensitivity to light and sound, among other health problems. Meanwhile, the aura phase is the period of symptoms, such as visual or auditory disturbances, before the onset of a migraine headache.
The main symptoms of migraines, including feelings of nausea, usually follow the aura. In some people, these episodes may end in vomiting or fatigue.
5. Relieves vomiting symptoms when experiencing migraine attacks
Lying down in a cool, dark room can help with nausea during migraine episodes. Some people may benefit from anti-nausea medications.
Keeping a symptom diary can help identify triggers. For example, tracking diet, exercise, and stress can help overcome the patterns that lead to migraine episodes.
The following treatments may help with migraine headaches:
- Over-the-counter pain medications can relieve symptoms during an episode.
- Anti-migraine drugs, which are useful for preventing migraine headaches.
- Medication for other conditions, such as antidepressants and beta-blockers.
- Supplement.
- Neuromodulation therapy, which uses nerve stimulation to alter brain activity and interfere with migraine headaches.
- Emotional support, including therapy, to help adjust to living with migraines.