Many migraine sufferers find some relief from over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin; however, excessive use may result in medication overuse headaches or ulcers within the digestive tract.
Migraine cocktails may provide additional relief. They can be administered either at home, an outpatient infusion center, or the emergency department.
Ice Packs
Ice packs have long been touted as an at-home treatment option for migraine. But do they really work?
An ice pack can help ease discomfort by constricting blood vessels and slowing the neurotransmission of pain to the brain, as well as having a numbing effect that dulls headache pain.
Making an ice pack can be accomplished in several ways, from filling a plastic bag with frozen cubes or moistening a cloth with cold water to using wearable caps such as the MigraFreeze hat which has an integrated gel pack for hands-free relief.
Painkillers
Migraine attacks can be debilitating, so it’s crucial that you seek the most effective painkiller as quickly as possible. Over-the-counter remedies like aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB), and naproxen sodium may all provide temporary relief and may even prevent headaches if taken regularly.
Your doctor can also recommend prescription migraine medications. Antidepressants like tricyclic antidepressant amitriptyline may help to prevent migraines while anti-seizure drugs like sodium valproate and topiramate may provide relief, although they’re not advised for women trying to become pregnant or who may already be expecting.
Triptan medications such as Eletriptan (Relpax), Rizatriptan (Maxalt), and Sumatriptan (Imitrex) may quickly relieve migraine headaches. Unfortunately, they also narrow blood vessels, so aren’t advised for people with cardiovascular issues.
Caffeine
Migraine sufferers must be mindful of caffeine’s role as an instigator of headaches and avoid it whenever possible. People dependent on caffeine should gradually lower their daily dose over time to avoid withdrawal headaches.
Caffeine works by relaxing blood vessels to expand, which counteracts vasoconstriction that occurs during a migraine attack. That is why many painkillers like Excedrin and Ibuprofen contain caffeine as a medication to ease migraine attacks.
Studies show that medication overuse headaches are more likely to occur with combination analgesics that contain caffeine. Individuals experiencing these headaches should consult an interprofessional healthcare team and consider using devices like Zok, which reduce pressure and tension in the head to alleviate symptoms.
Shades
Migraine and light sensitivity often co-occur, with some individuals suffering from both conditions at once. Migraine sufferers’ eyes can become sensitive to different wavelengths of light, leading to eye strain and headaches; lights in the blue-to-green and red-orange spectrums tend to exacerbate pain while green wavelengths may be less bothersome.
Tinted glasses can be an effective tool for managing photophobia. Rose-tinted FL-41 lenses have proven especially helpful, as they allow an increased percentage of green light through while blocking fluorescent and red-to-blue wavelengths that trigger migraines or increase ocular stress.
AMD’s Shades for Migraine campaign aims to shed light on migraine, while amplifying those affected by it. They have done this through social media posts, events, and by taking to the streets themselves.
Therapy
Psychotherapy (also referred to as talk therapy) has been found to effectively relieve migraine pain. Physicians recommend it as a complementary therapy for people who experience frequent attacks of migraine.
Abortive medications work during an attack to relieve pain and symptoms; preventive medicines aim to lessen the frequency of migraine headaches experienced.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy helps people change the thought patterns that contribute to increased stress levels and migraine risk, including mindfulness-based stress reduction, biofeedback, and acupuncture as preventive treatments. When frowning occurs, the frontalis muscle tightens while trapezius tightens when stressed out.
Diet
Diet is an integral component of migraine prevention, and numerous elements have been shown to reduce or eliminate symptoms. However, diet plans must be implemented and managed carefully for best results.
Diets that reduce vegetable oil consumption while increasing fatty fish intake have been proven to alleviate migraine symptoms by decreasing pain-associated lipids in the brain and by providing essential fatty acids that help decrease inflammation of trigeminal nerve, the largest of cranial nerves.
Also, it’s essential to eat regular meals and avoid skipping meals as this can be one of the primary sources of headaches. Finally, it would be wise to maintain a headache diary so as to identify potential food triggers and thus eliminate these from future migraine episodes.
