Dealing with Migraine Hangover – Postdrome
As you all know Migraine is the intense headache that affects one side of the head. But are you aware of the fact that migraine occurs in phases? Yes, it occurs in 4 phases. Prodrome, aura, migraine attack and Postdrome make the four phases of Migraine. Not everyone goes through all four phases and each phase can differ in severity and length. While the first three phases are painful, the final Postdrome phase is distinct and begins once the pain has subsided. So, when the intense pain is over, migraine is not really over, Postdrome waits for some people. When you are likely to be feeling better, you end up feeling worse with Postdrome. Postdrome is commonly called as Migraine Hangover. In a much simpler text, the Postdrome is the period between the ending of the pain and returning to normal. During this Postdrome phase, you may feel drained out, though some people may feel mildly euphoric. Not everyone with migraine suffers from Postdrome. This is still a mysterious, unexamined phenomenon and the exact cause of it isn't clear. Postdrome is the least studied and the least understood of all other phases of the migraine.

Sometimes, the inconsistencies cause Postdrome to be mistaken for a different medical condition. So it is necessary to see a clear picture of the cause. Learning to be more aware of your health can help recognise and treat the condition early with better results.

Symptoms of Postdrome
This phase of Migraine has own pile of symptoms and warning signs. Understanding the symptoms can help the patients forecast their Postdrome attacks, and also prevent them from contributing to other causes. A few people expose all symptoms, few almost none. Some prominent symptoms include

• Extreme tiredness or fatigue
• Confusion
• Sluggishness 
• Head pain
• Inability to concentrate
• Lack of comprehension
• Nausea or vomiting
• Euphoric mood
• Stiffness in the neck and shoulders
• Tenderness in the scalp
• Dizziness

At the height of their episodes, some people also experience sensitivity to light, sound, and odour.

Tests and Diagnosis
It is quite tricky for doctors to diagnose Postdrome, as there is no headache. So, based on a persons medical history and symptoms, doctors do examinations like

• Blood tests
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)

Preventive measures
Fixes are different for different people. Keep a track of your migraine pattern and find out what works for you with unique experiments. Some preventive measures can be drinking plenty of water, good rest, relaxation methods like yoga, meditation and avoiding electronic devices. If you face light sensitivity as a red flag, then limit exposing yourself to bright lights of your television, tablet, computer or mobile screen as it may worsen the condition. For some people alcohol, caffeine, and certain other foods may aggravate the symptoms, so it is advised to avoid them. If your ears say loud noises are not allowed in the playlist, then don’t push yourself. Take a gentle walk and rest your mind for a while. The possibility of getting Postdrome directly depends on the possibility of getting Migraine itself. So better prevent migraine in the first place itself. To reduce the frequency of migraine occurrence, doctors may prescribe Cardiovascular drugs, Antidepressants, Anti-seizure drugs, OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) or Pain relievers.

Impacts of Postdrome
Anyone with Postdrome can explain to you the adverse effects it brings to every aspect of their life. Postdrome Migraines reduce your health score, disrupt normal daily activities and act as a huge dampener in your school, college or work life. While lowering the quality of life, Postdrome pushes you out of social meetings, commitments and relationships too. Some people anticipate Postdrome and tend to be cautious and never live their life to the fullest. In serious cases, the worry and fear may develop stress and sometimes depression too.

Helping yourself
Is there a way to ease yourself with a Postdrome cure? Though Postdrome is prevalent across the globe, medications and lifestyle changes can help manage them. Recognizing the triggers may help you better and avoiding them will reduce the possibility of Postdrome. Observing different symptoms by you during every migraine phase may help your doctor with diagnosis. By better understanding and managing the occurrence patterns, the time duration and severity of Postdrome can be reduced. Proper treatment while the migraine is onset can curtail the

Postdrome symptoms.
When you are wrestling with this condition, get support from your family members and friends to take care of your responsibilities at home or office. Most importantly a good rest and strong determination can help you walk through this phase with ease. Taking some time and talking with a medical professional is really one of the best ways to tackle this neurological condition. Visit Fortis Hospital, Bangalore to find a specialist who can help you walk through this process.