If you think you’re experiencing migraines, then it’s a good idea to visit a specialist for a diagnosis. Most doctors will diagnose based on your past history, your symptoms, and any physical or neurological examinations you’ve had in the past
They may also run some test, included MRI scans. MRI scans can be used to diagnose brain and nerve system problems like tumours, strokes, brain haemorrhage, infections, and more, which can sometimes be useful for determining the cause of headaches. CT scans can also be used to look into the possible causes of headaches.
If you have been diagnosed with this, or believe you a suffering from them then you’re probably interested in finding out how to stop them in their tracks. There are many migraine headache treatment options out there that can provide relief, but some work better than others for certain people. If you’re looking for migraine headache treatment options to help alleviate your pain and discomfort, read on below.
Types of treatment options
Sufferers have a plethora of options when it comes to medications. Some medications are better for alleviate acute pain whilst others are better for alleviating chronic pain.
There are also preventative migraine headache treatment options which can lessen how often you have them and decrease the severity, when they’re used on a regular basis.
Preventive drugs may be prescribed by your doctor if you experience frequent, long-lasting, or severe headaches that don’t respond well to treatment.
Your treatment options will depend on how often you have headaches and how intense they are, how much they impact your daily life, whether they cause vomiting, whether or not your experience aura with them and whether or not you have other medical conditions.
Medications that provide temporary relief
At the onset of a migraine, medications are most effective if they are given as soon as it begins to come on.
Ibuprofen and other painkillers can usually be purchased at the counter or prescribed by your doctor and are often helpful in preventing headaches.
Sometimes, these are treated with prescription medications in pill, injection, or nasal spray form. People who are predisposed to things like heart attacks or strokes should avoid them. Dihydroergotamine should be avoided by people with heart illness, liver and kidney disease or issues with blood pressure.
Migraines, whether or not they are accompanied by aura, can now be treated successfully with some oral tablets.
Analgesic or opioid drugs may be an option for sufferers who are unable to use other treatments. Because of their potential for abuse, these drugs are typically reserved for last resorts for people who don’t respond well to other treatments.
Pregnant women should avoid using many of these medications because of the potential risk to the unborn child. Do not try any of these migraine headache treatment options if you’re attempting to conceive or if you are pregnant without speaking to a doctor.
Preventative treatment options
In order to lessen the frequency, severity, and duration of your attacks, preventive medicine is often prescribed, especially if other more traditional migraine headache treatment options haven’t worked. Among the choices are:
- Medication to reduce blood pressure can help auras and intense migraines.
- They can be prevented by using antidepressants.
- Chiropractic services can be effective.
- Anti-seizure medication can be helpful, but they might cause dizziness, weight gain or loss, nausea and other side effects.
- Botox injections are sometimes an effective treatment
- Monoclonal antibodies which are administered on a monthly or quarterly basis as an injection can sometimes help with managing severe and persistent headaches. A response at the injection site is the most prevalent side effect.