How to Treat Migraines

Migraine is characterized as a throbbing and recurring headache that often occurs unilaterally. It is classified into two: migraine with aurora (classic migraine) and migraine without aurora (common migraine). Classic migraines usually appear with visual disturbances (aurora) that serve as a warning sign of an incoming migraine. The sign may appear within a few minutes to a period of 24 hours before migraine sets in. Individuals often complain seeing flashes of lights or zigzag lines. Common migraines don’t have visual changes although many are very sensitive to bright lights.General symptoms of both classic and common migraines include a pulsating headache that may become a severe pounding pain over time, increased sensitivity to scents and loud sounds, nausea and vomiting, tiredness, diarrhea, tender neck, cold feet and irritability. Migraines may run in the family (hereditary) or may be related to stress, food (such as chocolates), hormonal changes (such as menstruation), sensory reactions (such as loud sounds or bright lights), irregular eating and sleeping patterns, allergic reactions or excessively hot weather. Here are some useful tips to help treat debilitating migraines.

Things You'll Need

• Ice pack and towel
• Pain medications

Instructions

1. 

   Find a quiet and dimmed room for you to rest. Get some sleep in a noiseless, dark and comfortable room. A stress-free environment is an excellent way to promote overall relaxation that’s beneficial in easing up your headache. It would help if you lie in an inclined position rather than flat, to prevent you from feeling dizzy.

2. Apply cold compression on the achy part of your head. Get some ice cubes, place them in a zip lock bag, wrap it up with a towel and place it over the painful area. If you are using a gel type ice-pack, still wrap it up with a towel to prevent direct contact of ice onto the scalp that might cause ice burn. This method helps in providing temporary relief.

3. 

   Take some analgesics. Over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin) or aspirin help in providing symptomatic relief. These are often beneficial for migraines that occur less than three times a month. For individuals with severe migraines, Triptans is the drug of choice. Aside from alleviating the pain, this also helps in easing nausea and oversensitivity to light and sound.

4. Massage your head. You can execute massage in your own head or let somebody else do it for you. Using the pads of your thumb, index and middle finger, lightly massage the painful area of your head. Gradually sink the pads of your finger into the very spot where it hurts the most, and do a circular massage on that area--this will help relieve the pressure from it. You can also grab few strands of hair on the painful area, and slowly pull it upward until you hear a “tick” sound; this will also help in relieving pressure.

5. 

   Try holistic healing. Acupuncture is an excellent alternative treatment for migraine patients. As the fine stainless steel needles are carefully placed around its specific points, it stimulates good blood flow along the areas that become constricted during a migraine episode. It also helps in balancing the level of serotonin (body’s neurotransmitter) that is found to be low among individuals with migraines.

6. Visit your doctor. Ask your doctor about some drugs that may help in reducing the frequency and length of occurrence of your migraine. This is advisable if you are experiencing migraines more than three times in a month or if none of the treatments mentioned above are working for you. The doctor may prescribe some calcium channel blockers (verapamil), beta-blockers (propranolol), anti-convulsants (divalproex sodium), and magnesium or vitamin B2.

Tips & Warnings

• It will be of help if you avoid factors that may trigger your migraine. Learn how to manage your food intake, sleeping patterns or emotions. Try to write a diary about your migraine attacks to help you monitor occurrence and causes.

• You may want to improve your way of living. Be more active--do exercises and yoga to keep a healthy overall blood flow and a migraine-free head.

• If you are in the verge of throwing up during your migraine, never hold it up. Let it all out--this will help a lot in relieving the pressure and pain.

• Avoid continuous use of analgesics for this might lead to rebound headaches. Taking pain medications for more than three days a week may contribute to the severity of your migraine rather than relieving it (rebound headache). You should properly follow the exact instructions of the drug label or the number of tablets your doctor prescribed you to take.