Posts Tagged ‘Migraine causes’

Migraine and its Medication

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

When we hear the word migraine, we automatically think about headaches. What many migraine sufferers will tell you is that the head is not the only part of the body that hurts in them whenever they have an attack. Many individuals who regularly suffer from migraines also complain about being sensitive to sound (phonosensitivity), being sensitive to light (photosensitivity), being sensitive to scents, vomiting, cramping and gastric pain.

In some cases, the abdominal symptoms appear even without the typical headache that comes with migraine. When this happens then the individual is said to be suffering from abdominal migraine. The pain in the abdomen can vary from being mild to moderate. Apart from the pain, people who suffer from abdominal migraine also feel tenderness, bloating, vomiting, spasms and loss of appetite.

A migraine is a condition of the brain characterized by headaches, nausea and changed bodily perceptions. It more frequently happens in women than in men. The word migraine is from a Greek term hemicranias meaning half skull and the Old English word  megrim  which means severe headache.

Anyone who has suffered or continuously suffers from migraines is more than aware of how difficult they can be to eliminate. Regular aspirins and headache medications are not enough and this can leave you feeling frustrated and out of options, but you are not. More and more people are beginning to turn towards the natural side of healing and this is where you may find the most effective sources for migraine relief.

If you are looking for a treatment option for migraines that is completely non-invasive then you should consider acupressure. This system of healing also enjoy a high success rate among migraine sufferers. Acupressure has always been effective when it comes to treating different kinds of body pain. When it comes to migraines, acupressure has also been proven in reducing the frequency and intensity of attacks.

Initial treatments are analgesics and anti-emetics. Analgesics are for the headache while anti-emetics are for avoiding triggering conditions and nausea. Its primary cause is still unknown. An accepted theory however is a malfunction of the “serotonergic control system” for PET scans verified the aura that corresponds with the transmission of the cortical depression. This results to increased level of blood flow, which is over 300 percent greater than that of the baseline.

Today herbal migraine prevention is commonplace and vitamins; minerals and herbal supplements are used to treat various health conditions including migrane. However it is necessary to remember that not all herbs and vitamins and minerals treat migraine consistently, and you will find rows upon rows of herbal remedies together with vitamins and minerals in most pharmacies, nutrition or grocery stores. Yet there are only a few of these that are an effective migraine headache remedy.

Migraine Medication

Beta Blockers

This drug class includes atenolol and propranolol. The Cochrane Collaboration held a meta-analysis of 9 crossover studies or controlled trials amounting to 668 patients. They found out that propranolol has a relative risk of treatment response.

Anti-Convulsants

This includes topiramate and valporic acid. Again, the Cochrane Collaboration did a meta-analysis of 10 crossover studies or controlled trials amounting to 1341 patients. They found out that anti-convulsants are twice as likely to experience greater decrease in frequency with anti-convulsants as compared to Beta Blockers and Placebo. Nevertheless, there were some concerns about gabapentin marketing.

Anti-Depressants

A type of anti-depressant is TCA or tricyclic antidepressants. Examples are amitriptyline along with SSRI or “selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors” like fluoxetine. According to Cochrane Collaboration’s meta-analysis, SSRI is not much effective like placebo.

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