Adult abdominal migraines are rare and can be extremely difficult to diagnose. Migraines typically consist of at least three of four phases that include onset of symptoms, aura, attack, and recovery. Abdominal migraines can include a headache as part of the attack phase, but a headache is not required to diagnose an abdominal migraine.
Significance
The American Journal of Managed Care indicates that treating migraines costs more than $15 billion every year. Treatment includes diagnostics, medications and physician visits. Abdominal migraines contribute a significant proportion to the overall diagnostic costs of migraines since several diagnostic tests must be conducted to check for other gastro-intestinal illnesses.
Identification
Abdominal migraines can refer to any of the many subtypes that include intense stomach pain. The National Headache Foundation reports several general types of migraines. Migraines with or without auras are the two most abundant types of migraines. If abdominal pain is a symptom of migraine onset, accompanies the attack phase or describes the recovery period, the migraine can be referred to as an abdominal migraine. Secondary migraines types include silent migraines that lack a headache. Visual migraines that include ophthalmoplegic and optical migraines have severe eye pain as a primary symptom. Hemiplegic migraines include partial paralysis. Retinal migraines, along with basilar artery migraines, refer to the location of blood vessel constriction that produces the aura symptoms and intense pain.
Causes
Although blood vessel constriction instigates most migraine symptoms, the exact cause of abdominal pain has not been isolated. Typical migraine symptoms include nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Abdominal pain may be an over-reaction to the typical nausea symptoms. This is supported by evidence from the National Headache Foundation that indicates that traditional migraine preventatives work on abdominal migraines.
Home Remedies
The simplest home remedy is to avoid your migraine triggers. Keep a log of all activities before migraine onset to better identify your unique triggers. Flashing or bright lights are a common migraine trigger. Strong smells may also instigate a migraine. Record any odor that is strong enough for you to actually acknowledge. For instance, cleaning supplies, room deodorizers, perfumes or cooking food are possible triggers.
Sleep is the most common abortive migraine treatment. Also, relaxing in a quiet, dark room may end migraine symptoms.
Prescription Medication
The Mayo Clinic lists several types of prescription medication to treat migraines in adults. Beta blockers are one of the primary preventative medications. They act by inhibiting the body's response to epinephrine, which enhances circulation by lowering the heart's requirement for blood and oxygen. The Mayo Clinic also lists anti-seizure medication that modulates the body's neuronal response to blood vessel constriction. This raises the body's pain threshold to prevent migraines from being triggered. The National Migraine Association suggests anti-depressants as an effective migraine preventative. Anti-depressants normalize the body's serotonin levels to stop triggers from producing migraine symptoms. All prescriptions require daily use to prevent migraines.
Warnings
You should always consult a doctor to investigate the cause of severe abdominal pain; however, the risk of side effects with all prescription medications must be weighed against the pain experienced during an attack.
