Migraine Headache Treatment

Typically, migraines affect one side of the head and cause throbbing pain or a pulsating sensation. It is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine episodes can last anywhere from hours to days, and the pain might be severe enough to affect your usual activities.

A warning sensation known as an aura arises before or with a headache for some people. Medications can reduce migraine pain and prevent some migraines. The correct medications, in combination with self-help treatments and lifestyle adjustments, may be beneficial.

At Padda Institute, our goal is to identify the root cause of migraines. We might order a diagnostic test after reviewing the clinical history of the patient and if the examination document does not reveal any neurologic findings, such as papilledema. Consult with our specialists today.

Auras can appear before or during migraines for certain people. Auras are reversible nervous system symptoms.

Examples of migraine auras include:

• Visual manifestations, such as seeing diverse forms, bright spots, or flashes of light
• Vision loss
• A pins-and-needles feeling in an arm or leg

If left untreated, a migraine can persist anywhere from 4 to 72 hours and frequency might vary from person to person. Migraines might hit once a month or numerous times a month.

You might experience the following symptoms during the migraine:

• Pain usually on one side of your head, but sometimes on both sides
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pain that throbs or pulses
• Light, sound, and occasionally smell or touch sensitivity

You may feel fatigued, mentally confused, and washed out for up to a day after a migraine episode. Some people feel unusually happy instead. A sudden head movement can briefly bring the pain back.

Migraines go undiagnosed and poorly treated far too often. Keep track of your migraine episodes and how you dealt with them if you experience them on a regular basis. Schedule a consultation with a specialist to address your headaches.

• Consult your doctor if the pattern of your headaches changes or if your headaches feel different.
• An intense, sudden headache, similar to a thunderclap.
• Fever, stiff neck, disorientation, seizures, double vision, numbness, or weakness in any region of the body, all of which might indicate a stroke.
• A persistent headache that becomes worse after coughing, exercise, straining, or an abrupt movement.
• New headache discomfort after 50 years of age.

There is no definitive cause of migraines; however, heredity and environmental factors may have an impact. There may be changes occurring in the brainstem that affect the trigeminal nerve, which is a major pain pathway. Imbalances in brain chemicals including serotonin, which helps your nervous system manage pain, might also play a role.
Common migraine triggers include:

• Hormonal changes in women: Many women get headaches when their estrogen levels fluctuate, such as before or during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, or menopause.
• Drinks: Alcohol, particularly wine, and too much caffeine, such as coffee, are examples.
• Stress: Migraines can be brought on by stress at work or at home.
• Changes in sleep: Sleep deprivation or excessive sleep can cause migraines in certain people.
• Changes in the weather: A migraine can be triggered by a change in weather or barometric pressure.
• Food additives: The artificial sweetener aspartame and the preservative monosodium glutamate (MSG), found in many foods, can trigger migraines in some people.

The goal of migraine headache therapy is to alleviate symptoms and avoid future occurrences. We don’t recommend taking any medication without your doctor’s prescription. There are two types of medications used to treat migraines:

• Analgesics (pain relievers): These medications, often known as acute or abortive therapy, are administered during migraine attacks and are intended to relieve symptoms.
• Medication for prevention: To minimize the severity or frequency of migraines, these medications are used on a regular basis, typically daily.

• Triptans: Prescribed drugs such as rizatriptan (Maxalt, Maxalt-MLT) and sumatriptan (Imitrex, Tosymra) are used to treat migraine because of their ability to block pain pathways in the brain. When taken in the form of pills, shots, or nasal sprays, they can relieve many migraine symptoms. People at risk of strokes or heart attacks should not use them.
• Dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal): This medication can be used as a nasal spray or injection, and it works best when taken shortly after symptoms start, for migraines that tend to last longer than 24 hours. Side effects might include migraine-related nausea and vomiting.
• Opioid Medications: Narcotic opioid medications might help people who can’t take other migraine medications. These are highly addictive and are usually used only when all other options have failed.
• Anti-nausea Medications: These help when migraine with aura is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Chlorpromazine, metoclopramide (Reglan), or prochlorperazine (Compro) come under the anti-nausea drugs and are usually taken along with pain medications.

Padda Institute has the most experienced migraine specialists working in St. Louis area. Specialists trained in nervous system disorders work together to bring the best possible migraine treatment.