Difficult Decision To Make

Selecting a migraine treatment can be a difficult decision to make. The implementation of a migraine treatment must be done so with careful thought. The reason that a migraine sufferer must take care though to his or her migraine treatment has to do with the longevity of usage. Migraine headaches have no known cure so a treatment must be implemented so as to avoid debilitation and this treatment must be a safe one to use long term.

Over The Counter Medicines

Individuals that suffer from mild migraines on rare occasions tend to treat their migraine headaches with over the counter medications. Over-the-counter medication can help relieve migraine pain temporarily and should be administered as instructed by the manufacturer. There are two types of over the counter medication.

1. Acetaminophen      (a.k.a. Tylenol)
2. Non–steroidalanti–inflammatorydrugs

Acetaminophen

Acetaminophen is often taken to help reduce mild pain such as: headaches, backaches, muscle aches toothaches and even mild cold symptoms. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever that relieves pain by changing the way the body feels pain by lowering the body temperature. Caution needs to be had when taking Acetaminophen, if taken in large doses over a long period of time damage can be caused to the liver and the kidneys.

Non–steroidalanti–inflammatorydrugs (NSAID)

NSAID is typically used in conditions where chronic pain is felt. The purpose of NSAID is to relieve pain where inflammation has occurred. There are two forms of NSAID:

1. Aspirin – examples of over the counter      medication that have aspirin would be:
   1. Aleve
   2. Motrin
   3. Advil
2. Non-aspirin – examples of non-aspirin      over the counter pills would include:
   1. Ibuprofen
   2. Motrin IB

You might be wondering what the differences are between over the counter medicine that has aspirin vs. the medicine that is aspirin free. The difference is that medicine containing aspirin prevents the platelets from becoming blocked and forming blood clots. The downside to large doses of aspirin is that it increases bleeding but aspirin is often used to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Something More Serious

Though medicating with over-the-counter medicine would be the ideal way to treat a migraine, there are those cases that need something more drastic in their approach to treating a migraine headache. This approach could include prescription medication, migraine surgery or nerve muscle removal.

Prescription Medications

It is important that migraines sufferers realize that medication prescribed for migraine relief is not a cure for migraine headaches themselves but are used for one of two purposes:

1. Relieve      Symptoms
2. Prevent      Attacks

A relief of migraine symptoms can be found by the use of one of the over the counter medicines we have already mentioned earlier in this book and was briefly touched on in the paragraph above. Keep in mind that no prescription medication can prevent a migraine 100% but there are those prescription medications available that can help reduce the number of migraine attacks experienced as well as lessen the level of pain felt by the migraine sufferer. A few of the medication that a doctor might prescribe to assist with lessening the occurrence of migraines would be:

• Anti-depressants
• Anti-Seizure      Medication
• Blood      Pressure Medication
• Herbal

Migraine Surgery

Migraine surgery has been a treatment option for those individuals who simply do not respond well to medication and feel that their quality of life is habitually hindered as a result of their migraine headaches. Deciding to undergo migraine surgery implies that a surgical cauterization of the superficial blood vessels in your scalp will need to be had in order to limit and possibly remove all signs of migraine pain forever. However, before the surgery could happen, a doctor must first determine with absolute certainty that it is indeed the superficial blood vessels causing the intense migraine pain before operating.

Trigger Sites

There is reason to believe that by the removing of muscles or nerves in certain areas that are considered trigger sites could be helpful in relieving migraines. Trigger sites are said to exist where sensory nerves are stimulated by a certain muscle, due to the stimulation caused by the muscle a series of painful symptoms begin to develop thus creating a migraine. Migraine surgery such as this one is not often considered as a migraine headache treatment plan unless no other form of migraine treatment is providing the needed relief to improve quality of life.

Tags: Acetaminophen (a.k.a. Tylenol), migraine pain, migraine relief, Non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), over the counter medication, treating migraines