John Oliver A whopping more than 1 billion population suffers from migraines. It is a neurological condition that is one of the most disabling diseases on the planet. Often misunderstood, the treatment for migraines varies from one person to another. What triggers the problem is still unknown to doctors, and surprisingly there’s no medical test available for this condition. It’s such a common condition that a person suffers from it or they know someone who might be suffering from it. The diagnosis of this problem is done based on medical history, symptoms, and ruling out certain other causes. Migraine headaches can either begin in childhood or they may not occur until adulthood. The female population is more likely to suffer from this problem than males. Finding the right treatment plan for yourself can be quite challenging. However, once you start working with your doctor, things can fall in the right place. In recent times, the IV treatment for migraines in LA has emerged as a notable solution, offering those afflicted a targeted and rapid method of relief, making it worth considering in one’s treatment journey. Here are some facts you should know about migraine treatment.
Prevention is Better than Cure
Migraine headaches can often be prevented. Identifying the triggers of what might be causing the problem is something that can be helpful. Your doctor can help identify the possible triggers of the problem and work on a treatment plan with you. He may ask you to buy migraine tablets that may help in easing off the symptoms and prevent you from migraine attacks.
A Headache due to Sinusitis or Tension Headache Can Actually be Migraine
Sinusitis is a condition in which the cavities around the nasal passages become inflamed and it often doesn’t cause a headache. However, a headache in the sinus region can be a migraine affecting the nerves in that particular area.
Tension headaches are fairly common but don’t require medical treatment unless they become painful. If such a case arises, it’s probably a migraine.
Pain Relievers Can Help But Taking Them Frequently Can Trigger Headaches
It’s a no brainer that a person may take a pain reliever when their head hurts. However, taking them too often can actually become a curse for them. People suffering from migraines who take pain relievers to ease the pain can end up experiencing the second type of headache i.e. medication-induced or medication-overuse headache. A study suggests that the brain may develop a certain dependency on the painkiller.
While some people take them for getting relief from headaches, others might get a wrong one prescribed or they may not be given proper instructions about their use.
Your doctor may ask you to take preventive measures and prescribe you something to ward off such kinds of headaches.
A Person May Stop Getting Relief from the Treatment After Some Time
While there’s no rule of thumb for the right treatment plan, a treatment plan that has been working for you may fail after some time. Stressful situations and hormonal changes can actually spike up migraines. And if you’re suffering from health conditions such as high blood cholesterol, migraines can be caused due to the medication that you take for it.
A Frequent Headache isn’t Normal
Migraine headaches have been classified as episodic and chronic. While episodic migraine is less frequent, chronic migraines can occur for more than 15 days in a month.
And because this condition is often misunderstood, people are likely to fall prey to OTC painkillers instead of seeking help from a medical professional. Taking them in the long term can result in serious conditions such as stroke.
Migraine May Not Always Be Accompanied by Visual Disturbances
The fact that migraine headaches can cause visual disturbances such as blurred vision is very rare. These occur in only 10% of the cases.
Nausea is a common symptom of migraine. Headaches that affect the whole head or feel like a tight band can be a migraine.
Therapy Can Help Prevent the Problem
It’s surprising to see that a large part of the population seeks relief from a prescription. However, things such as mindfulness meditation can reduce the frequency and intensity of a headache.
Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can work wonders for you and help you in modifying your behaviors.
While therapy may be a suitable option, it’s important for you to get an adequate amount of sleep, keep yourself hydrated, eat healthy foods, and exercise regularly.
Treatments Can Often Take Time to Work
Patients may often start losing patience if they don’t get immediate results from the treatment. However, it’s important to give your treatment enough time to decide whether it works for you or not. It usually takes two to three headaches for acute treatment and around 2-3 months for a preventive one to decide whether it works for you. Medications often need time to start working. And as it is said, “There’s no size that fits all.” What may work for one person may not work for the other. Therefore, you should give yourself some time and work it out with your doctor.
