Reduce Migraine Pain
We've all probably experienced a headache from time to time--but for nearly 30 million Americans, migraines are an affliction that can be so debilitating as to affect their ability to perform everyday activities. The problem is particularly troublesome for women, who are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men.
What is a Migraine?
A migraine is more than a really bad headache. Migraines are often characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head. They may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and/or sound. Migraines can last from several hours to several days if untreated. "If you find that headaches are keeping you from work or social activities, if you find that you're taking over-the-counter medications on a daily or near daily basis, make an appointment to specifically talk to your healthcare provider about these headaches," says Suzanne Simons, Executive Director of the National Headache Foundation.
Find the Right Treatment
There are two kinds of migraine treatment. Acute therapy treats the symptoms of the migraine at the start of an attack to reduce the severity or duration of the headache. Migraine sufferers take a prescribed treatment such as a triptan medication or an ergotamine preparation whenever they feel a headache beginning.
Preventive therapy requires migraine sufferers to take medication daily to stop the headaches from occurring. Preventive medications include propranolol, beta blockers and the most recently approved topiramate. Simons says preventive therapies can decrease the occurrence of migraines by 50 to 80 percent, as well as reduce the duration and severity of the pain. Yet the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) study, the largest study of migraine sufferers ever conducted, revealed that prevention is being underutilized. "We found that up to 40 percent of the people in the AMPP study would be appropriate candidates for prevention, but only one in five was receiving it," says Simons. "So one of the things we're trying to tell people is that you really should have the discussion with your healthcare provider to see it you are a candidate for migraine prevention."
For more information about headache causes and treatments, visit www.headaches.org or call 1-888-NHE-5552.
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