Guide to Headache Migraine Treatment

By Juliet Cohen

Migraine headaches are repeated or recurrent headaches, possibly caused by changes in the diameter of the blood vessels in the head. Migraine headaches are often classified in two main types — migraine with aura (formerly called classic migraine) and migraine without aura (formerly called common migraine). Most people with migraines do not have any warning before it occurs. However, in cases of "classic" migraine headache, a visual disturbance called an aura happens before the headache starts. Classic migraine is different from "common" migraines (which have no warning sign or aura) or "complicated" migraines (which occur with speech, movement, or other problems in the nervous system). Auras usually last less than an hour. The headache typically begins less than an hour after the aura ends. About two in 10 people who have migraines experience auras, which are sensory or motor disturbances that precede the actual headache. Most auras consist of visual disturbances, such as a blind spot or a flickering zigzag line or crescent in your field of vision. Another type of aura involves unusual sensations, such as numbness and tingling of the lips, lower face and fingers. A third type affects motor function, causing problems with movement or speech.

Migraine headaches are a common type of chronic headache. Migraine pain can be excruciating and may incapacitate you for hours or even days. Some people do experience a variety of vague symptoms before common migraines - mental fuzziness, mood changes, fatigue, and unusual retention of fluid. Migraines occur in women more than men, most often between the ages of 10 and 46 years. In some cases, they appear to run in families. Migraines without aura strike without the unmistakable warning sign of disturbed vision or sensation. Still, some people say more subtle symptoms, such as mood changes and loss of appetite, alert them to oncoming migraines. True migraine headaches are not a result of underlying brain tumors or other serious medical problems. The pain of a classic migraine headache is described as an intense throbbing or pounding felt in the forehead/temple, ear/jaw or around the eyes. Classic migraine starts on one side of the head, but may eventually spread to the other side. An attack may last one to two pain-racked days. Influences in a person's life that tend to overload the nervous system are risks. Once identified in your life, you can counteract the negative effects of risks with the positive results of protective activities.

Migraine headaches constantly accommodates changes in hormones, emotions, and thoughts as well as the many chemicals in our food and beverages. Migraines are the most studied of all headaches, and there are various competing theories about what may actually cause them.
Hormones seem to influence migraine development. Some women who take oral contraceptives or estrogen experience worsening headaches while others improve. Similarly, some women have an increasing headache pattern during pregnancy while others have diminished headache intensity. Other women develop migraines for the first time when they are pregnant. Headaches may increase in some women in the days before their menstrual period. Women who do not have migraines may develop migraines as a side effect to using Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP).

Many scientists now believe that migraines arise from problems within the central nervous system. These problems, which tend to run in families, affect the chemical messengers inside your brain — making you more sensitive to the types of triggers that can cause migraines. Many internal and external factors can trigger migraine such as ,Common foods — aged cheese, red wine, caffeine, chocolate, dairy products, pickled foods, lunchmeat, aspartame, MSG, peanuts, lima beans, bananas, raisins. Physical factors — fatigue, hormonal changes, missed meals, decreased sleep, oversleeping, stress

Guide to Headache Migraine Treatment Tips
1.Many medications can reduce the frequency of migraines such as ,Beta-blockers (e.g., propanolol) Anti-depressants (e.g., amitriptyline) Anti-convulsants (e.g., valproic acid) Calcium-channel blockers These medications are less useful and tolerable to patients with infrequent headaches.

2.Other medications are taken when there is the first sign of an impending migraine attack. In the case of classic migraine, Ergots (e.g., DHE-45) Serotonin agonists / triptans (e.g., sumatriptan) and Isometheptene.

3.Other medications are primarily given to treat the symptoms of migraine. Used alone or in combinations, these drugs can minimize pain, nausea, or emotional distress caused by the migraine.Anti-emetics (e.g., prochlorperazine) Sedatives (e.g., butalbital) Anti-inflammatories (e.g., ibuprofen) Acetaminophen Narcotic analgesics (e.g., meperidine)

4.Most patients with migraine can identify certain foods that are closely associated with their migraine headaches. To find out which foods are responsible, avoid all of the above-mentioned foods and then gradually work each food back into the diet.

5.Hormone therapy may help some women whose migraines seem to be linked to their menstrual cycle.

6.Stress management strategies, such as exercise, relaxation, biofeedback, and other therapies designed to help limit discomfort, may also reduce the occurrence and severity of migraine attacks.

Juliet Cohen writes health care articles for health doctor and health disorders.