A migraine is a painful condition that causes acute pain, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. This can negatively influence your quality of life, resulting in lost work, school days, and other essential life events.
Anybody who has experienced migraines knows how bad and painful they can get. The pain in one side of your head is so sharp, and you have difficulty with movement as it only makes you more nauseous.
But what most people do not know is that migraines can put you in the emergency room. Some people may be in such pain that they need to go to the hospital for treatment.
But when is it necessary to go to the emergency room for migraines? Today, we will share this information with you.
When To Go To The ER For A Migraine
Although migraines are severe, they are not emergency-room-type of severe most of the time. So, when should you visit the emergency room for a migraine?
The biggest reason to go to the ER is if you are experiencing strange symptoms that are unfamiliar to you. Patients with migraine who begin to develop severe and/or uncommon symptoms should seek treatment and relief from their symptoms at the ER.
If you have new and unexpected symptoms, seeking emergency medical attention may be a wise option. Some of the most alarming uncommon symptoms are fever, weakness, vision loss, double vision, or confusion.
Suppose you have a serious medical condition and are experiencing new migraine symptoms. In that case, if you have life-threatening medical conditions such as liver, heart, or kidney disease, or having an immune-related disorder such as HIV infection, an ER visit may be more necessary. Being pregnant and getting a migraine is another reason to get checked out sooner rather than later.
Another reason to go to the ER is if your headache does not respond to, or worsens with, your routine treatment. An ER visit for headaches or migraines occurs for many people after a prolonged duration of severe headaches lasting days or even weeks.
After a lengthy period of severe headaches, you may reach your “last straw” and cannot deal with the situation. Always go to the emergency room if a headache starts quickly and reaches its peak intensity within a minute or two.
When The ER May Not Be the Right Place To Go
However, because ER doctors do not specialize in headache management, the medication and therapy they administer may be less successful than a visit to a neurologist or headache specialist.
ER doctors are not headache and migraine specialists. Their priorities are to ensure no significant, life-threatening condition and help relieve suffering. Different ER doctors treat acute headaches and migraines differently, as there is no universal standard for emergency management of headache problems.
If you recognize your symptoms as those of a typical migraine attack, you may be better off treating yourself at home, according to the treatment plan you and your headache specialist devised together.
It is best to visit the ER if you are experiencing new and severe symptoms or if your migraine is so severe or lasts so long. If you have other conditions and a migraine, it is best to visit the ER.