Q My migraines are getting more frequent. If they become chronic migraine, will treatment be harder?
A When headaches persist on 15 or more days per month, they are classified as chronic migraine, which greatly lowers quality of life. Active early treatment can prevent chronification, so managing it now is important.
Detailed Answer
When migraine persists on 15 or more days per month for over 3 months, it is chronic migraine. Risk factors for chronification include medication overuse, sleep disorders, obesity, depression and anxiety, and increasing headache frequency. Chronic migraine has the highest treatment resistance among primary headaches, so preventive treatment (topiramate, propranolol, etc.) is combined with non-drug therapies.
Korean Medicine Clinic Perspective
Dongjedang holds that the more chronic a headache becomes, the longer blood stasis and phlegm-rheum that block the cerebral vessels have accumulated, making the pain fix to one area and worsen at night. So in the second stage, detoxification, we emphasize releasing these residues: we address blood stasis with brain-clearing herbal medicine and place needles on emergency acupuncture points during attacks to relieve the pain.
Related FAQs
-
Q
My MRI is normal, but my headache won't go away. Is it possible to fully recover, or do I have to live with it for life?
#Possibility / Realistic Goals
-
Q
I was diagnosed with a cervical disc and I have a headache along with it. How do you tell cervicogenic headache apart from migraine?
#Comorbidities
-
Q
I have frequent headaches, and my anxiety and depression are getting worse too. Are headaches and mental health connected?
#Comorbidities
-
Q
I've been told to keep a headache diary. How should I record it?
#Lifestyle Management
-
Q
Is it okay to exercise when I have a headache? I'm worried it might make things worse.
#Lifestyle Management