The physician will determine specific treatment for headache based on:
* Your age, overall health and medical history
* Type of migraine
* Intensity and frequency of migraines
* Your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
* Your opinion or preference
The ultimate goal of treatment is to prevent migraines from occurring. Proper management depends on accurate identification of the type of headache, and may include:
* Avoiding known triggers, such as certain foods and beverages, lack of sleep, and fasting
* Changing eating habits
* Exercise
* Rest in a quiet, dark environment
* Medications, as recommended by your doctor
* Stress management
Migraine headaches may require specific medication management including:
* Abortive medications – medications prescribed by your physician, that act on specific receptors in nerves and blood vessels in the head to stop a headache that has already begun.
* Rescue medications – medications purchased over the counter, such as analgesics (pain relievers), to stop the headache.
* Preventive medications – medications prescribed by your physician that are taken every day to reduce the number of times of severe migraine headaches begins.
Some headaches may require immediate medical attention including hospitalization for observation, diagnostic testing and even surgery. Treatment is individualized depending on the underlying condition causing the headache. Full recovery depends on the type of headache and other medical problems that might exist.
Tags: Headache, Medications, Migrain, Rest, Stress, Treatment
