Migraine Prevention
Migraine headaches affect huge numbers of people. While both men and women are afflicted by these headaches, they occur more frequently is in women than in men. The excruciating pain of a migraine is unmistakable, when you consider that these headaches can last for hours and even days, and they may be accompanied by miserable symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. While we have developed some strategies for treating the pain, there are also various approaches you can use in the hope of preventing migraines before they occur.
One of the most effective things you can do to assist your health care professional is to keep a migraine journal. Because most migraine is a chronic or recurring condition, you should be able to track when these headaches happen. In your journal it is very important write down the date and time of the onset, what you did or consumed prior to the headache, how you felt before, during and after the headache, how long the pain lasted, as well as anything you did have that helped alleviate the pain, and last of all, any other details you feel might be of importance. This journal can be used in the process of identifying your personal migraine triggers, with the hope that in the future they can be minimized or even avoided. In each individual there are also likely to be certain situations and foods which could trigger this type of headache. By building this kind of awareness through your journaling, you may begin to get information and see patterns which might be implicated in your headaches, thus giving you the tools so that you can prevent the headache from happening in the future.
Stress is a universal trigger for migraines for most individuals. In today's lives, most people experience some degree of stress, and if you are one of those who find it instigates a migraine then it is extremely essential for you to gain control of and reduce your stress level. There are many causes of stress, some large and some small. However, getting regular exercise and incorporating relaxing activities into your daily routine could help to ease your tension. Seeking behavior therapy for tension reduction can also be immensely helpful. In cases where therapy isn't sufficient, antidepressants may be used. Antidepressants are sometimes also used off-label as a migraine preventative. This is because an imbalance in serotonin is a factor in a migraine headache, and antidepressants are created to regulate serotonin balance.
There are other drugs that can be prescribed for the purpose of actually preventing migraines. They include antiepileptics like Topamax and Depakote. These drugs increase GABA, an important neurotransmitter in the brain. Beta blockers are also used off-label for the prevention of migraines, as they have an affect on certain nerves in the body. Calcium channel blockers are similar drugs that may also be prescribed for the purpose of preventing migraines. When taking any preventative drugs for migraine, your medical professional should monitor you carefully to observe and indications of potential side effects. Preventative drugs are unsuitable for everyone; furthermore, what works for one patient may simply not work for another. The best ultimate treatment for you will probably be a very individual form of therapy.
