Approaching Migraine Treatment With A Plan

The only way that migraine treatment can be correctly obtained and effective at providing relief from the migraine attacks is if the migraine sufferer approaches migraine treatment with a plan. Migraines and how they affect individuals on a personal level should be more clearly understood before an effective form of migraine treatment can be set as a plan for providing relief. So in order to understand the “behind the scenes” of migraines some of the basics should be briefly covered before migraine treatment plans are discussed.

What are Migraines?

Migraine headaches are medically defined as an intensely throbbing or pulsating pain that occurs in the head and is commonly associated by other autonomic symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and/or extreme sensitivity to sounds and/or lights. Headaches that often require migraine treatment are typically classified into three separate categories, either vascular, toxic, or cluster headaches. Vascular headaches are the most common classification of migraine headaches. Toxic headaches commonly occur when accompanied by conditions such as measles, mumps, tonsillitis, pneumonia, or even the prescience of foreign chemicals within the body. The third classification of is cluster headaches which are often caused by an escalation in blood pressure.

The Migraine Stages

There are typically 4 different stages of the Migraine (some say 5 stages if you include the stage that occurs between attacks with no symptoms). These 4 different stages require different forms of migraine treatment depending on the severity and symptoms that exist in each individual stage.

1. Prodrome Stage – The first of the migraine stages occurs anywhere from one to two days before the actual migraine attack takes place. The symptoms that can occur during the prodrome stage can include depression, diarrhea, constipation, food cravings (especially those high in salt or sugar), hyperactivity, irritability, and even neck stiffness. The best form of migraine treatment that can occur during the prodrome stage is prevention techniques. This is the phase where the migraine can be stopped before it begins if proper migraine treatment and prevention can take place in a timely manner.

2. Aura Stage – The second of the migraine stages is the aura stage and is a signature symptoms of the migraine headache (aura’s do not usually occur with just normal, run of the mill headaches). Auras are usually present as visual symptoms but can also be sensory, motor, or even verbal disturbances. The Aura stage usually shows symptoms of seeing visual disturbances (examples would be bright spots, flashes of light, or various floating shapes), sensations including pins and needles (usually occurring in the arms or legs), speech or language problems, as well as loss of vision. Again migraine treatment during this phase is best when prevention techniques are used to avoid the full blown migraine attack.

3. Attack Stage – The attack stage of the migraine headache is when the head pain and other symptoms such as sensitivity to light, sounds, smells, or problems with vomiting, nausea, blurred vision, lightheadedness, diarrhea, or even fainting can occur. The proper form of migraine treatment that should occur during this phase is what is referred to as abortive migraine treatment. The migraine needs to be dealt with as soon as possible so that the length of the attack can be shortened and the symptoms can be decreased.

4. Postdrome Stage – The last stage is the postdrome stage where an individual who suffers from migraines can describe feelings of being drained or “washed out”, extreme fatigue, muscle weakness, and feelings of a “hangover” are commonly present during this stage. The best plan for migraine treatment during this phase is to make sure plenty of fluids are taken in, and that enough rest without strenuous activity is given. The last thing a migraine sufferer wants it to re-trigger the migraine because the postdrome stage wasn’t taken easily.

Finding a Plan for Migraine Treatment

The best plan for migraine treatment is one that provides results on a more personal level. Not every migraine sufferer experiences the same symptoms or the same degree of pain during a migraine attack. There is no one size fits all migraine treatment, the best plan of attack is one that brings relief for each individual. Some of the options for migraine treatment include prescription medications, acupuncture, biofeedback, chiropractic care, massage, hydrotherapy, as well as supplemental or herbal remedies.

Tags: aura, headache, migraine stages, migraine symptoms, migraine treatment, postdrome, prodrome