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Migraine Treatment

Fortunately, managing migraines have become possible in the last decade. Although there is still no cure, medications can help reduce the frequency of migraine and stop the pain once it has started. The right medicines combined with self-help remedies and changes in lifestyle can make a tremendous difference in migraine management.

A variety of drugs have been specifically designed to treat migraines. Migraine medications are broadly divided into:

Pain-relieving medications- these drugs are normally taken during migraine attacks and are designed to stop migraine symptoms that have already begun. Preventive medications: Taken regularly, often on a daily basis, these drugs reduce the severity or frequency of migraines.

Pain-relieving medications: These drugs must be taken as soon as the signs and symptoms of a migraine are experienced. They consist of:

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs): These medications help relieve mild migraines but aren’t effective for severe migraines. If taken too often or for long periods of time, these drugs can lead to ulcers, gastrointestinal bleeding and rebound headaches.

Triptans: For people with severe migraine attacks. They are effective in relieving migraine associated pain, nausea and sensitivity to light. Side effects of triptans include nausea, dizziness, muscle weakness and, rarely, stroke and heart attack.

Ergots: Ergotamine, a common prescription medication for more than 60 years now, was used before triptans were introduced. Ergotamine, however, is not as effective or as expensive as triptans. Dihydroergotamine is an ergot derivative that is more effective and has fewer side effects.

Anti-nausea medications: Since migraine attacks are often accompanied by nausea with or without vomiting, medication for treatment of these symptoms is usually combined with other medications like metoclopramide (oral) or prochlorperazine (oral or rectal suppository).

Butalbital combinations: Medications that combine the sedative Butalbital with aspirin or acetaminophen are sometimes used to treat migraine attacks. These medications, however, have a high risk of repeat headaches and withdrawal symptoms. It is for this reason that they should be used infrequently.

Opiates: Medications containing narcotics, particularly codeine, are sometimes prescribed to people who can’t take triptans or ergots. These drugs can be addictive and are usually used only as a last resort.

Preventive medications: These drugs can reduce the frequency, severity and length of migraines as well as increase the effectiveness of symptom-relieving medicines. These drugs include:

Cardiovascular drugs: Beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and antihypertensive medications, commonly used to treat high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, can reduce the frequency and severity of migraines. Considered among first-line treatment agents, these drugs can have side effects which include dizziness, drowsiness or lightheadedness.

Antidepressants: Certain antidepressants can positively prevent all types of headaches, including migraines. These medications may reduce migraines by affecting the level of serotonin and other brain chemicals.

Anti-seizure drugs: Although unclear, some anti-seizure drugs seem to prevent migraines. In high doses, however, these anti-seizure drugs may cause side effects, like nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, hair loss and dizziness.

Cyproheptadine: This antihistamine specifically affects serotonin activity. Doctors sometimes give it to children as a preventive measure.

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox): Some people receiving Botox injections for facial wrinkles have noted improvement in their headache. It is believed that the drug causes changes in the nervous system, modifying a person’s tendency to develop migraines.

Managing migraine

Whether or not you take a form of medication for migraine, small lifestyle changes and can help manage migraines better, both in terms of how often they occur and the severity of symptoms. Establishing a daily routine, eating and exercising regularly, waking and going to bed at the same time every day will undoubtedly help to manage migraines.

In addition, you must learn to things that may cause migraines. The challenge is to learn about your own independent triggers so that migraine management becomes easy. Moreover, keeping a written record of migraine attacks, including what you eat, drink, or do, can help you spot a particular trigger.

Limiting your caffeine intake, i.e. coffee, tea or cola drinks per day will prove to be beneficial because caffeine withdrawal is a potent headache trigger. Cutting out foods with migraine triggering ingredients is also a good idea.



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Whether you are a man, woman or child if you are constantly suffering from headaches or migraines, it is important for you to learn the difference between the two. Understanding what makes a headache different from a migraine and visa versa is essential for knowing how to treat them individually. Headaches and migraines are different bodily conditions and therefore need to be treated differently and understood in order to do so.

A migraine is a headache which initiates your blood vessels to dilate and constrict. This then releases the pain throughout your head which can last anywhere from 4hours to 72 hours. You may experience anything from mild to severe pain but the length of the pain is what can easily identify it as a migraine versus a headache. Take a look at the list of symptoms below that can aid in identifying a migraine from a headache.

Sensitivity to light Blurred vision Abdominal pain Vomiting Pale complexion Loss of appetite Dizziness Fever Feeling warm and then cold

A simple headache is not capable of creating these symptoms throughout your body. If you can relate to any combination of these symptoms, you are not merely suffering from an everyday headache.

An everyday headache is often referred to as a tension headache. This type of headache produces tightness in the neck as well as the muscles in the scalp and fascia. These headaches are often caused by lack of sleep or stress. A mere lifestyle change is all that is required to eliminate these tension headaches from your life permanently.

On the other hand migraine headaches deal more with the chemicals within your body, cells and energy production. Changing your lifestyle is often not enough to eliminate migraines from your life, especially if they are as frequent as a few times a month. With many more symptoms associated with migraine headaches than tension headaches it is important to understand that aspirin is not enough to correct this health problem.

By comparing the effects of headaches and migraines you will see that a simple headache, although it does cause a great deal of discomfort does not disrupt your daily activities. On the other side of the spectrum, migraines can be quite debilitating the longer they last and more the severe they become.

If you find that you are experiencing either a headaches or migraines on a regular basis it is time to consult with your physician regarding treatments. Over the counter products may be enough to temporarily heal your headache but if they come and go more than 3-4 times per month than you need to find out why. Migraines on the other hand are more common to be experienced several times a month and more intense forms of treatment need to be considered. Many people today are leaning towards natural vitamins and minerals they more and more studies prove their abilities to heal migraines without side effects.



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What Are Painless Migraine Episodes?

Most people think of a migraine as excruciating pain, but a migraine episode is far more than pain. Migraines typically have four stages: pre-headache, aura, headache, and post-headache. Millions of people globally suffer from these full-blown, 4-stage migraines – but a minority experience painless episodes. So what are painless migraine episodes?

Technically, there is no such thing as a painless migraine. That is, if you go by the International Headache Society’s (IHS) Guidelines for diagnosis and classification of headache disorders. Yet your physician may tell you that yours is a painless migraine. He or she may call it a painless, optical migraine.

What are painless migraine episodes?



The answer is in the question. A painless migraine is a migraine episode that begins with the typical pre-headache stage, progresses to the aura phase of a migraine attack, and then stops short. It skips the headache phase – the pain.

If you have a painless migraine, you have the visual symptoms of the aura and other symptoms of a migraine without the headache. Such a migraine would usually be termed a migraine with aura. A physician following the IHS guidelines would describe it as “acephalgic” – meaning “without headache.”

Pre-headache – Phase #1

The pre-headache phase is sometimes referred to as the prodrome. This is where your painless migraine episode begins. You may enter this stage hours or even days before what would normally be recognized as a migraine episode.

Recognizing the prodrome can be very helpful to you, since it is a warning. It is telling you that migraine changes are beginning to take place. How do you know? You may have some or all of the following symptoms.

* constipation

* diarrhea

* depression

* fatigue

* food cravings

* frequent urination

* irritability

* neck muscle stiffness

Aura – Phase #2

As your painless migraine progresses, you enter phase #2 – the aura. This familiar phase lasts less than an hour in most cases, but can be terrifying. Some of the bizarre symptoms and effects of the aura are believed to have influenced Lewis Carroll as he wrote “Alice in Wonderland.”

Most people think of aura as being only visual: zigzag lines, spots in front of your eyes, or flashing lights. They believe the aura phase affects only the eyes. This may explain the physician’s term, “painless, optical migraine.”

It is true that these are typical aura symptoms, but the aura phase has many symptoms, including:

* auditory hallucinations – you hear sounds that aren’t there

* confusion in thinking – things aren’t making sense

* decrease in your hearing ability

* difficult finding the words you want

* dizziness

* increased feel and touch – or reduced feel and touch

* olfactory hallucinations – you smell odors that aren’t there

* partial paralysis

* sight loss – partial or blurry vision

* tingling or numbness of your face

* visual hallucinations – you see sights that aren’t there: flashing bright lights, wavy lines, spots, or zigzag lines

If you have a painless migraine, your episode stops here. You do not go on to experience the throbbing pain.

Other terms used for a painless migraine include “migraine equivalent,” “silent migraine,” and “sans-migraine.” Even if you think yours is a painless migraine, consult with your health-care provider to be sure. Other serious conditions may be present.

Painless migraine episodes can be prevented in some cases, while others can be treated effectively. Turn your next painless migraine into a non-event.



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Headaches can do more than ruin your day – they can interfere with your life. There are many different types of headaches and in this article, we are going to discuss a few of them.

Migraine Headache

If you have a stable pattern of recurring headaches accompanied by nausea at least some of the time, you probably have migraine. Migraines may sometimes cause extreme nausea, vomiting and altered vision. Symptoms may include tiredness or moodiness as early as 12- 18 hours before onset of the headache.

Migraine tends to recur periodically but what really causes migraines is not well understood. Migraine headaches can do more than ruin your day – they can interfere with your life. Headaches are of different variations.

Migraine headaches are usually described as a one-sided, throbbing pain of the temple, forehead, or eye. Once the pain of a migraine sets in, it is sheer agony. How bad are your headaches? The most important symptom you will probably have with your migraine headache is pain, and as you know, the pain can be very severe and last many hours.

Migraine headache resulted from the expansion (or dilation) of blood vessels in the brain and scalp. It is possible for people to have migraine even when nobody in the family has it. Though it has been seen that migraine does run in families, it is not necessary that children of migraine patients will also have it. Stress is one of the major factors that can contribute to the onset of a migraine.

Tension headache

Tension headaches are also common in many people. Stress and anxiety are causes for tension headaches. Tension headaches often start in the middle of the day. Tension headaches usually begin slowly and gradually. Tension headaches commonly come on in the middle of the day. If you have tension headaches almost every day or over-the-counter medicines don’t help your pain, you should see a medical practitioner.

For a person who is prompt to tension headache, the moment the person gets tense about something, the person will develop a tension headache. People with tension headaches may also suffer from pain, throbbing or a sensation of tightness in the head. Contrary to popular belief, tension headache is not necessarily the result of emotional stress, but rather, like migraine, probably as a result of a neurochemical process inherent in the brain of the headache sufferer. Most tension-type headaches respond to simple analgesics like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but some can be somewhat disabling.

Tests are not usually required to diagnose a tension headache. If you only have tension headaches occasionally, an over-the-counter (available without a prescription) pain reliever can probably help. These headaches come on slowly, and gradually increase in intensity. Some people report that their tension headaches are worse than a migraine headache.

Common Headache Treatment Options

There are a lot of treatment options presently available for your migraine and tension headaches. Some of you will get spectacular results with one or more of these treatments and others will not. Sometimes a separate visit to your physician to discuss your headaches specifically may be necessary. Migraine can be triggered in susceptible individuals by tyramine-containing foods, some food additives and sugar substitutes, as well as by skipping meals.

Selective serotonin-agonist drugs like sumatriptan have revolutionized treatment of migraines and dramatically changed the lives of millions of people. Most commonly used drugs for migraine headaches are regular analgesics available over the counter like Tylenol, Aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil). There are several natural solutions that can help you fight headaches, but the first thing you need to do is work out what sort of headaches you’re actually suffering from.

There are many natural remedies for tension headaches. These include stress and tension reduction, ice therapy (used at the base of the skull), eliminating food triggers, getting the proper amount of rest, biofeedback, headache pillows or cushions, exercise and many others. Sunglasses can often even prevent the headaches.

All treatments for migraine and tension headaches have the same treatment goals in common. They are designed to take away your headache symptoms. There is no need to endure the pain when you really have an option. Follow the tips given here and you will be amazed to find that the prevention is actually in your hands.



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“A migraine is like a tornado; it attacks fast without any warning and wreaks havoc.”

Migraines usually start during the teenage years or early in adult life, affecting more women than men with a ratio of three to one. Migraines are caused from constricted (tightening) arteries that supply blood flow to the brain. When the arteries constrict, blood flow to the brain is reduced as well as the brains oxygen supply. The brain reacts by dilating (enlarging) arteries to meet the brain’s need for energy. The dilation spreads to the arteries in the neck and scalp and is the culprit of the pain in migraines.

If you live with migraines, make sure to have your Doctor rule out an underlying illness or other medical conditions that mimic migraines with the appropriate tests: for example, x-rays determining sinus infection, EEG for seizure activity or a CAT scan to detect blood clots or a brain tumor. Your Dr. may determine a drug to help ease your pain.

Eight Migraine Triggers

1. Cerviogentic Headache:

Some people who have a tender neck and suffer from sore bone and joint problems are diagnosed with this type

2. Temporomandibular Migraine:

Triggered by teeth grinding

3. Sinus Migraine:

Triggered by allergies and caused by excessive mucous and often accompanied by a fever. If you have this type of migraine, you may experience pain around both eyes and also may feel nauseated and sensitive to light.

4. Genetic Migraines:

Studies have lined a gene to people affected with migraines. Often when the gene for migraines is passed on to the next generation, the recipient will also experience headaches around the same age as the person who passed on the migraine.

5. Stress Migraine:

Stress can be a major contributing factor to the onset of a migraine. Type A personalities are more likely to experience migraines. Type A is ambitious, bright, perfectionist, emotionally repressed, cautious and has a decreased ability to manage stress. However, this is the easiest type of migraine to treat because a type A personality can acquire the skills necessary to manage stress.

6. Hormonal Migraine:

Fluctuating hormones in women are often the cause of migraines and can happen during menstrual cycles.

7. Cigarette Migraine

An equal opportunity source of migraines is because the nicotine alters blood vessels. High carbon monoxide levels in a person who smokes or even inhales second hand smoke can lead to a migraine.

8. Food Migraines Food allergies are another factor that leads to migraines. However, migraine sufferers are able to eat chocolate without falling prey to a migraine. Some patients actually report relief from eating chocolate.

Foods that Can Cause Migraines

1. Aged cheese such as Roquefort, Stilton and Sharp Cheddar

2. Fermented Dairy such as Sour Cream, Buttermilk and Yogurt

3. Citrus: Oranges or Grapefruit, including juice

4. Nuts: Peanuts, Walnuts or Pecans

5. Legumes: Peas, Beans and Soy product 6. Onions and Garlic

7. Bananas

8. Pickled foods: picked herring is the most common instigator

9. MSG found in Chinese food

10. Alcohol

Now that you know the common triggers, also note that skipping meals also causes migraines. Skipping meals causes your blood sugar to drop, which in turn causes a migraine.

Eight Ways to Kiss Your Migraine Goodbye

1. Medicine

Medicines have been used for centuries to treat migraines. Today Dr’s prescribe Beta Blockers to treat migraines by maintaining adequate dilation of blood vessels. Antidepressants: The brain chemical ‘serotonin’ plays a role in migraine attacks because the levels of serotonin may cause or relieve migraine and that’s why Drs sometimes prescribe antidepressants for migraines. Antidepressants reduce migraine frequency by regulating serotonin levels in the brain. Other drugs are triptans available as an injection or nasal spray. This type of drug shuts down the inflammation and transmission of migraine pain.

2. Surgical Treatment

Nerve stimulators have been used to control back and muscle pain and in 2003 a nerve stimulator was successfully used to treat chronic headaches. With nerve stimulation, one end of a wire is connected to a nerve that controls pain and the other is connected to a small battery powered generator. The patient controls the generator via a remote device. Once turned on, it disconnects the pain signal.

Not only do chronic migraine suffers face agonizing physical disabilities, they also have the psychological fear of not being able to earn a living or manage their home life because daily activities can suddenly become unbearable with the onset of a migraine.

3. Holistic Intervention

Rarely are people offered a non drug approach to treating migraines. Treating a migraine holistically not only can treat the migraine at onset but can also act as prevention.

Create a headache diary listing the 5 W’s.

A. Who were you with?

B. Where? Did someone irritate you? At work with glaring lights?

C. What? What medications were you on?

D. When? When did the headache start?

E. Why? Did some particular food or drink aggravate the situation? Did you get enough sleep?

4. Review your diary after 30 days and see if you can isolate the trigger.

5. Use heat to help dilate the blood vessels in the body. This must be done at direct onset of your migraine. Soak your hands in hot water for 20-30 minutes. As the migraine progresses and the blood vessels enlarge, apply ice to the back of the neck and forehead to help constrict capillaries that are pressing against the nerves.

6. Relaxation techniques

You can use relaxation techniques to manage stress. Research has found that people who consciously practice yoga daily for 30 – 45 minutes can learn to positively manipulate involuntary bodily responses like migraine pain. Studies have shown that relaxation practiced on a regular basis achieves a 45 to 80% reduction or elimination in both migraine severity and frequency. Yoga triggers a boost in the brain chemical serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is involved with your body’s anger, pain, sleep and migraine and can be a cure for headaches. Frequent headaches are a sign that you are stressed out and it’s your body’s way of saying slow down and take care of me. Especially if you are a type A personality. My type A patients often say they can’t sit still and have a difficult time with the relaxation/mediation part of yoga. My reply? What’s more difficult to live with. Meditating daily or living with a migraine, a stroke or a heart attack? These are very real situations that afflict people with constricted arteries and that’s why it’s vital that you make time for your health. Unfortunately for my patients, I often meet them after they’ve suffered from a condition of vascular abnormality. They are very motivated to participate because they have experienced what happens when blood flow to the heart or brain is compromised. Consequently they practice my techniques daily to reduce a recurrence. Why not make time now? There are 1440 minutes in a day. 45 minutes a day practicing yoga is a wise investment in your health that offers a positive life style with increased energy without the use of toxic drugs polluting your liver and fewer Doctor visits which equals fewer co-payments. Yoga Chi for Energy DVD includes medically engineered relaxation techniques with an 11 minute meditation by a crackling fireplace.



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Headache is a condition of pain in the head sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. Most people with headaches can feel much better by making lifestyle changes, learning ways to relax, and occasionally by taking medications. There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headache accounts for about 90% of all headaches. There are three types of primary headache: tension headache, cluster headache, and migraine. Tension headache is the most common type of primary headache. Episodes usually begin in middle age and are often associated with the stresses, anxiety, and depression. Cluster headaches occur daily over a period of weeks, sometimes months.

Migraine headaches are the second most common type of primary headache. An estimated 28 million people in the United States (about 12% of the population) will experience migraine headaches. Migraine is a neurological disease that can cause a wide range of symptoms during an attack. Attacks are often recurrent and tend to become less severe as the migraine sufferer ages. Secondary headaches are caused by associated disease. The associated disease may be minor or serious and life threatening. When headaches occur three or more times a month, preventive treatment is usually recommended. Regular exercise, such as swimming or vigorous walking, can also reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. Aromatherapy is an alternative treatment for reducing any type of headaches.

Essential oils such as Camomile, Rosemary, Peppermint and Lavender are used to treat symptoms of headaches. Use lavender and rosemary oils in a blend to relieve the stiff neck so often associated with a headache. Apply massage oil to the forehead, to the base of the skull and to the both sides of temples using circular pressure with fingertips. One must massage with rose oil in facial oil to lift the spirit, relieve from a headache and calm the nerves. The essential oil from ginger is useful in fighting the nausea of migraine headaches. Never rub the eyes after using any essential oils. If one gets essential oil in the eye, rinse them very well with cold water. Use rose oil in your next facial oil to calm your nerves, lift your spirit and relieve your headache.



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