Migraine
Migrane is demonstrated as a severe periodic, unilateral, pulsatile
headache associated with nausea, malaise, vomiting and photophobia.
Factors
that often precipitate attack are environmental stimuli such as
emotional stress, strenuous physical exercise, too much sleep or sleep
deprivation, some food (chocolate, aged cheese, nuts), alcohol
(especially red wine), medical conditions and medication
(antihypertensive drugs, contraceptive drugs, nitroglycerin).
In
pathogenesis of migraine, vascular and biochemical changes play
important role. First phase is vasospasm accompanied with reduction in
blood flow causing ischemia and edema of intracranial
vessels.
Second phase is vasodilatation (extracranial vessels) with
hyperemia (an increased amount of blood in a part or organ) and
platelet aggregation that impairs microcirculation leading to pain.
There are reports of successful experimental use of hyperbaric oxygen
therapy in migraine due to following HBO effects:
- HBO relieves pain by vasoconstriction of cerebral vessels
- HBO reduces hypoxia and increases oxygenation of brain
- HBO reduces swelling caused by inflammatory response in
ischemic vessels
- HBO improves microcirculation by decreasing platelet
aggregation
