Quick Answers To The Most Common Migraine Questions

What are the symptoms of a migraine?
The pain is felt on just one of the head and is often severe or
extreme
Aura (visual disturbances such as flashing lights, zigzagging
lines, numbness, paralysis) experienced twenty to sixty minutes
before onset of head pain
Nausea and/or vomiting
Sensitivity to light and noise
Inability to continue with your daily activities
What foods are known triggers of migraines?
alcohol, especially dark drinks like rum, red wine
beer, scotch, or bourbon
dairy products, aged cheeses, etc
monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in processed meat and Chinese
food
citrus fruits, dried fruits, bananas, and avocados
aspartame, an artificial sweetener known by its brand name
NutraSweet
tyramine — found in fresh breads
caffeine found in coffee, tea, and sodas
What are some non-food triggers of migraines?
Stress is a major contributor to migraine headaches
Hormonal Changes at the time of ovulation or at the start of the
menstrual cycle can trigger migraines for many women
Fatigue, as well as changes in sleep patterns In addition,
either too much sleep or too little sleep can trigger headaches
Nicotine, whether ingested through cigars, cigarettes or chewing
tobacco
Birth control pills can trigger migraines in some women
Fasting or missing a meal can trigger a migraine because of low
blood sugar
Changes in the weather or altitude can trigger a migraine
headache
Motion sickness caused by air travel or car trips can trigger a
migraine
When I should think about seeing a doctor about migraine
headaches?
If the headache occurs suddenly and can be described as severe
If the pain is felt on just one side of the head
If the headache is accompanied by pain in the eye or behind the
ear
If the headache is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, visual
disturbances including hallucinations, or sensitivity to light
and sound
If the headache has a definite pattern to it; for instance, a
pattern in which the time of the day it occurs, the
circumstances under which it occurs or the length of time you
experience the pain is similar
Any headache that results in a period of confusion or a loss of
consciousness should result in immediate medical attention
If the headache results in number, paralysis or weakness in the
legs and arms
If the headache becomes persistent, especially if you have not
been a headache sufferer up to that point
If the headache impairs your ability to function in a normal
manner at work, home or during social functions
If the headache bares any similarity to headaches that other
members of your family suffer
What’s the first thing I should when a migraine hits?
Turn off the lights, close the shades, draw the curtains and lie
down on a comfortable bed
Apply an ice pack to the area of pain
Take medicine as directed by your health care provider
What’s the best medication for a migraine?
There are a multitude of drugs on the market with the potential
to help in the prevention of migraine headaches The following
list contains those drugs that have been shown to work best
Sidenote: Hope you’re finding this useful? I have always been
curious about this matter And when I found very little quality
information about it, I decided to share a part of what I’ve
learned about it – which is why this article came to be written
Read on
Beta-blockers such as propranolol (Inderal) and nadolol
(Corgard) have been shown to be relatively safe and effective
Metoprolol (Lopressor) and atenolol (Tenormin) are alternative
drugs in the same class
Anticonvulsants have been used in the treatment of migraines
Valproate (Depakote and other brand names) tops the list in
terms of research backing up its effectiveness, but babapentin
(Neurontin) and topiramate (Topamax) are also considered
effective
Tricyclic antidepressants can be quite effective, but come with
the price of side effects that include sedation, blurred vision,
dry mouth and constipation The best choice here is typically
thought to be amitriptyline (Elavil), though many other
sufferers swear by nortriptyline (Norpramin)
Serotonin antagonists such as methysergide (Sansert) have proven
a solid treatment for many, but come with potentially serious
side effects
Writing this article was hard – but fascinating – work We spent
hours researching this material and crafting it painstakingly
into an article that will provide you with useful, valuable,
practical information
And the end result was worth all the hard work! Don’t you agree?
Drop us a quick note to share your thoughts and comments
Migraine
Headache Prevention
Prescription Drug
Information

Tags | artificial, coffee, control, headache, headaches, minutes, sensitivity, sweetener, tobacco, weather