How Does Migraine Medication Work?

What is a Migraine?

A migraine is a sever headaches that can cause pain, nausea, dizziness and a sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines can happen at any time and are quite often debilitating when they occur. Most migraines are caused by vascular, neural, or chemical problems. There are many medications that are available to help prevent and or manage migraine occurrences.

Abortive Medication

One type of migraine medications used are abortive medicines. These medications are taken at the first sign of a migraine and help to relieve or lighten the symptoms of a migraine. However, It does not always prevent a migraine, and does nothing unless a migraine has already started.

Preventive Medication

Preventive migraine medications are used to prevent a migraine from starting. These medications are used by chronic migraine sufferers and work by creating an environment within your body that does not promote migraines to occur in the first place.

Vascular

Some migraines may be caused by problems with the vascular system. When issues arise from the constriction and dilation of blood vessels, swelling can occur. As the swelling increases, the area becomes painfully sensitive to movement. This is why with many migraines you may feel throbbing pain. This is because each time your heart beats, the blood rushes through the sensitive vessels causing even greater pain. Certain migraine medication may help by reducing the swelling, as well as helping control the dilation and constriction of the blood vessels.

Chemical

One believed reason why migraines occurs is a chemical imbalance. This happens when the serotonin levels in the brain are unbalanced. Serotonin is partially responsible for the constriction and dilation of blood vessels around the brain. If this blood vessel process is not kept under control, the walls around the blood vessel can become weak and a small amount of blood is able to escape the vessel into the surrounding tissue. The pain receptors in the surrounding area sense the leakage and alert your body in the form of migraine pain. Migraine medications work by helping to regulate the serotonin levels, which in turn keeps the blood vessels under control.

Neural

Migraines may also be caused by neural problems. This occurs when an influx of different brain chemicals irritate the nerves and pain sensors around the brain. These chemicals can be released during stressful situations, or even as a result of food or alcohol intake. Substance P is one of the largest culprit causing chemicals for these types of migraines. A migraine medication works by balancing back out the chemicals that have been released in the brain, which then relieves the irritation off of the nerves and pain sensors.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a common ingredient found in many migraine medications. Though caffeine can also be a trigger for some migraine sufferers, when used in medication it helps the body absorb the medication quicker. It does so by acting as a mild stimulant which helps the body process the medication faster.

Triggers

You can help boost the power of your migraine medication by analyzing and avoiding life triggers that can cause migraines to occur. Keep a journal of what you were doing and what you were eating prior to a migraine. Keeping track of your foods will help identify chemical triggers, and keeping track of what you were doing will help identify stress related triggers. Once you have identified patterns in your daily life in relation to your migraines, you can then avoid those triggers.

Resources

• Additional Information on Migraines