Treatment For a Migraine Headache

March 2nd, 2010

The following are the many possible treatments for migraine headache and they include the abortive and preventive therapy. Patients with frequent attacks usually should use both the acute and prophylactic therapies. The acute of abortive treatment for migraine is aimed at stopping or preventing the sequence of the headache or even if possible reverses the already started headache

Preventive treatment for migraine is administered even if the headache is not present. This is aimed at reducing the occurrence and severity of the migraine attack. If one can be able to make the acute attacks responsive to abortive therapy it will greatly improve the patient's quality of life.

Abortive therapy as a treatment for migraine involves the use of many abortive medications and a patient will choose the depending on the severity of the attack. Nausea and vomiting combined by comorbid problems will also be used to determine which method can be used as an abortive therapy for treatment of migraine. However, the abortive therapy should be used and limited to about 2-3 days a week to counter the development of rebound headache phenomenon

Rebound headache is prevented so that the following features are not faced.

Headache that occurs daily

Analgesic rebound also occurs in patients with primary headache disorder and who uses frequent relief medications and at times in excessive quantities

Headaches also vary in intensity, severity, type and location from time to time

Analgesic rebound is also characterized by a recurrence whenever there is a slight physical or intelligence effort

These headaches are normally followed by asthenia, restlessness, anxiety, irritability, memory loss, depression, problem in concentration and nausea

Concomital prophylactic treatment for migraine becomes ineffective especially if the patient is consuming excessive amounts of instant relief medications

The prophylactic therapy can be used as treatment for migraine under the following conditions

· When there is a contraindication to ineffectiveness to symptomatic medications

· When two or more attacks each in the same month and with a possible disability that might lasts for about 2-3 days

· When thee is migraine variants the likes of hemiplegics migraine or a rear headache attack that produce profound disruption or risk of permanent brain injury

The prophylactic medication as treatment for migraine works via the following mechanisms

Regulation of calcium channel blockers or the voltage gated channels

Modulation of central neurotransmitters such as beta blockers and tricyclic antidepressant

Through modification of neuronal oxide metabolism by riboflavin and reduction of neuronal hyperexcitability by magnesium substitute

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