Varieties of Migraine Treatment
Migraine treatment can involve trying to stop or mitigate the headache before it actually arrives, or if necessary, treatment can involve drugs or other types of medical actions to try to ease the headache when it can’t be prevented. One big thrust in treatment in recent years is to advise people to try to discern their own migraine triggers. Some of these are external factors that sufferers can’t control, but if they recognize that certain foods or avoidable conditions tend to bring on a headache, then they can take steps to eliminate those things.
But when the headache strikes, steps need to be taken to bring relief, which is where some migraine drugs enter the picture. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, can help to some degree, though they work only with mild migraines. A group of drugs known as triptans have a better effect as a treatment for migraines, although they too have some limitations and may not work as well with extreme headaches. When heavy duty treatment is needed, doctors may combine medications, such as barbiturates, acetylsalicylic acid (i.e. Aspirin) and caffeine. A Sumatriptan/Naproxen Sodium combination has recently been shown to be very effective.
Effective migraine treatment can sometimes come from unexpected things. For example, even though caffeine is supposed to be avoided as a potential trigger before the headache arrives, it is then often taken to try to remove the worst effects of the headache once it’s finally on the scene. Oddly enough, it actually helps the stomach process medications more quickly. And who knew that botox injections in the scalp might help with migraines as well? It’s not well known, but a tension headache can sometimes turn into a migraine, so whatever can help reduce that tension might work against the migraine.
Migraine disease can be treated in other than strictly medical ways as well. Supplements of Coenzyme Q10 have been demonstrated to have good results when used against migraines, and other herbal remedies like feverfew appear to work for other people. Even marijuana is known to be effective. There are so many sources of good migraine treatment that every avenue should be explored. After all, with headaches and other symptoms occasionally being quite severe, the migraine patient is not likely to worry too much about where the treatment comes from, as long as it comes from somewhere.
Beth Kaminski is the co-author of Curing Your Anxiety And Panic Attacks which detailed panic attacks help as well as tips on the various anxiety attack medications available at anxietydisordercure.com.
