Migraine...(Having Headache?).

What Is Headache?

Headache is the symptom of pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. Frequent headaches can affect relationships and employment. There is also an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches.

Headache occurs in  

• Migraines
• Tension-type headaches
• Cluster headaches           

Migraine is a primary headache disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that are moderate to severe. Typically, the headaches affect one half of the head, are pulsating in nature, and last from two to 72 hours. The pain is generally made worse by physical activity. Up to one-third of people have an aura.

Aura may occur before or during migraines. Most people experience migraines without aura. Auras are symptoms of the nervous system. They are usually visual disturbances,signals that the headache will soon occur,such as flashes of light or wavy, zigzag vision.

Occasionally, an aura can occur with little or no headache following it.

Symptoms may include 

• Confusion 
• Moodiness
• Dizziness 
• Weakness 
• Sensitivity to light and sound or smell

Causes: Though migraine causes aren't understood

Environmental and genetic factors, psychological conditions, including depression, anxiety, stress, Medications and bipolar disorder, biological events or triggers are associated causes.

Treatments: Migraine treatments can help stop symptoms and prevent future attacks.

• Pain-relieving medications
• Preventive medications

Pain-relieving medications: Also known as acute or abortive treatment, these types of drugs are taken during migraine attacks and are designed to stop symptoms.

Take pain-relieving drugs as soon as you experience signs or symptoms of a migraine for the best results. It may help if you rest or sleep in a dark room after taking them.

Medications include: 

• Aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may help relieve mild migraines. 
• Acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), also may help relieve mild migraines in some people. If taken too often or for long periods of time, these medications can lead to ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding and medication-overuse headaches.

The prescription pain reliever indomethacin(a pharmaceutical, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug commonly used to reduce fever, pain, stiffness, and swelling.)may help thwart a migraine and is available in suppository form, which may be helpful if you're nauseated.

• Triptans: these medications are often used in treating migraines. Triptans make blood vessels constrict and block pain pathways in the brain. 

• Triptans effectively relieve the pain and other symptoms that are associated with migraines. They are available in pill, nasal spray and injection form.
  Triptan medications include sumatriptan (Imitrex), rizatriptan (Maxalt), almotriptan (Axert), naratriptan (Amerge), zolmitriptan (Zomig), frovatriptan (Frova) and eletriptan (Relpax).
  
  Side effects of triptans include reactions at the injection site, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness and muscle weakness. They aren't recommended for people at risk of strokes and heart attacks.
  
  A single-tablet combination of sumatriptan and naproxen sodium (Treximet) has proved to be more effective in relieving migraine symptoms than either medication on its own.

Preventive medications: can reduce the frequency, severity and length of migraines and may increase the effectiveness of symptom-relieving medicines used during migraine attacks. It may take several weeks to see improvements in your symptoms.
Preventive medications don't always stop headaches completely, and some drugs cause serious side effects. If you have had good results from preventive medicine and your migraines are well-controlled, your doctor may recommend tapering off the medication to see if your migraines return without it.

The most common medications for migraine prevention include:

Cardiovascular drugs

Antidepressants

Anti-seizure drug

OnabotulinumtoxinA (Botox)

Pain relievers.

Alternative Medications For Migraine
Nontraditional therapies may be helpful if you have chronic migraine pain.

Acupuncture: Clinical trials have found that acupuncture may be helpful for headache pain. In this treatment, a practitioner inserts many thin, disposable needles into several areas of your skin at defined points.

Biofeedback: Biofeedback appears to be effective in relieving migraine pain. This relaxation technique uses special equipment to teach you how to monitor and control certain physical responses related to stress, such as muscle tension.

Massage therapy: Massage therapy may help reduce the frequency of migraines. Researchers continue to study the effectiveness of massage therapy in preventing migraines.

Cognitive behavioral therapy: Cognitive behavioral therapy may benefit some people with migraines. This type of psychotherapy teaches you how behaviors and thoughts affect how you perceive pain.

Herbs, vitamins and minerals:There is some evidence that the herbs feverfew and butterbur may prevent migraines or reduce their severity, though study results are mixed. Butterbur isn't recommended because of long-term safety concerns

Your treatment strategy depends on the frequency and severity of your headaches, the degree of disability your headaches cause, and your other medical conditions.

Some medications aren't recommended if you're pregnant or breast-feeding. Some medications aren't given to children. Your doctor can help find the right medication for you.