Where is migraine pain located

You may also be asked to keep a headache journal. This can help your doctor identify the things that might cause your migraines. Read More. Medicine to prevent migraines may be helpful if your headaches happen more than 2 times a month.

You may want to consider this medicine if your headaches make it hard for you to work and function. These medicines are taken every day, whether you have a headache or not.

Preventive medications for migraines can include prescription drugs often used to treat other ailments. Anti-seizure medicines, antidepressants, medicines to lower blood pressure, and even Botox injections are some of the preventive medications your doctor may prescribe.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide CGRP inhibitors can also help prevent migraines. They do so by blocking a gene-related peptide in your sensory nerves. This peptide is known to increase during a migraine attack, so blocking it can help prevent migraines. There are also a number of non-medical treatments designed to help minimize migraine pain and frequency.

One is an electrical stimulation device, which has been approved by the FDA. It is a headband that you wear once a day for 20 minutes to stimulate the nerve linked to migraines. Another non-medical treatment is counseling aimed at helping you feel in more control of your migraines. This counseling works best when paired with medical prevention of migraines, as well. While there are no sure ways to keep from having migraine headaches, here are some things that may help:.

There are 2 types of medicines for migraine treatments. Talk to your doctor about which of these two types of medicine is best for you. Some people use both types. Nonprescription and prescription medicines that are used often or in large doses may cause other problems. For mild to moderate migraines, over-the-counter medicines that may help relieve migraine pain include:.

A medicine called ergotamine can be effective alone or combined with other medicines. Dihydroergotamine is related to ergotamine and can be helpful.

Other prescription medicines for migraines include sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, naratriptan, rizatriptan, almotriptan, eletriptan, and frovatriptan. These medicines can be habit-forming and should be used cautiously. Your doctor may prescribe these only if they are needed and only for a short period of time. Migraines can come on quickly, many times without warning. They can ruin your day—or even several days at a time.

They can make you miss work, miss important events, miss out on fun. Work with your doctor to take back control. Keep a migraine journal. Document when you get migraines and what you were doing and eating. Keep a record of what the weather was like and if you were exposed to unusual smells or environments.

Knowing your triggers can help you prevent migraines. You doctor also may prescribe different medicines or combinations of medicines. Doing this helps sort out which will be most effective for preventing migraines or stopping them when they start. Funding and support for this material have been provided by The Allergan Foundation. This article was contributed by: familydoctor. This information provides a general overview and may not apply to everyone. Talk to your family doctor to find out if this information applies to you and to get more information on this subject.

There are several different types of headaches. Migraines and tension headaches are the most common. Botulinum toxin, or Botox, is used to treat muscle spasms and other conditions.

It is injected into the affected…. Some are easily treated, while others…. Visit The Symptom Checker. Food Poisoning. Acute Bronchitis. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction. Bursitis of the Hip. Abnormal Uterine Bleeding. High Blood Pressure. Home Diseases and Conditions Migraines. Table of Contents. Teenagers and Headaches. What is a migraine headache?

What does a migraine feel like? Symptoms of migraines Possible symptoms of migraines include: Intense throbbing or dull aching pain on one side of your head or both sides. Pain that worsens with physical activity.

Nausea or vomiting. Changes in how you see, including blurred vision or blind spots. Being bothered by light, noise, or odors. Effective treatments for headache disorders require timely and accurate diagnoses. Unfortunately, accurately diagnosing headache disorders presents a significant challenge for individuals and their doctors.

People with migraine or another headache disorder might notice that certain things trigger their symptoms. Triggers vary from person to person, and they can include anything from environmental changes to specific foods. While there is no cure for headaches or migraine, people can use medication and lifestyle changes to treat their symptoms and help prevent future episodes.

People can treat tension headaches and mild migraines with over-the-counter OTC medications. Moderate to severe migraine symptoms may not respond to OTC treatments.

In this case, people may require prescription medications, including:. People can also use prescription medication to prevent future migraines. Examples of these medications include:. People who treat their headaches with an OTC or prescription medication should remember to follow the dose a doctor or manufacturer recommends. Overusing medication can cause some people to develop a condition known as a medication-overuse headache.

Medication-overuse headaches occur when a person takes too much medication to treat a primary headache. As a result, they develop either a new type of headache or experience worse symptoms of their preexisting headache.

Some lifestyle factors may also help prevent migraine episodes and some types of headache. People should consider speaking with a healthcare provider if they experience frequent headaches that interfere with their ability to function or their quality of life.

Most people will experience a headache at one point in their lives. Not all headaches are the same, as they range in severity, frequency, and cause. This is why accurate diagnoses are so important.

Correctly differentiating between headaches and types of migraine headache can lead to faster, more effective treatment.

Migraine apps are a great tool for helping people keep track of and manage their migraine episodes and triggers. This article looks at 10 of the best…. What you need to know about injectable treatment options for migraine, including types, benefits, limitations, side effects, and more. New research links drinking three or more caffeinated beverages, but not fewer than three, to the onset of migraine symptoms on the same day.

Migraines can be debilitating, making life more difficult for people who experience them frequently. What are some treatments and preventive…. What is the difference between a headache and a migraine?

Medically reviewed by Nancy Hammond, M. Migraine vs. Check out our database to find a doctor in your area. Skip to content. Migraine with Aura Complicated Migraine About a quarter of people who experience migraine also experience aura , a series of sensory and visual changes that can range from seeing black dots and zig zags to tingling numbness on one side of the body, or an inability to speak clearly.

Migraine without Aura Common Migraine Diagnosing migraine without aura can be difficult because the symptoms are similar to several other types of migraine. Migraine Without Head Pain Also called a Silent or Acephalgic Migraine, this type of migraine can be very alarming as you experience dizzying aura and other visual disturbances, nausea, and other phases of migraine, but no head pain.

Hemiplegic Migraine If you have ever had a migraine that felt more like a stroke, it was probably a Hemiplegic Migraine. Retinal Migraine When a headache causes you to temporarily lose vision in one eye, it is a Retinal Migraine. Ice Pick Headaches Ice pick headaches are pretty self-explanatory.

Cluster Headaches This is one of the most severe types of pain that a human can experience. Font Size. Is it Migraine or Sinus Headache?

What Is Migraine? What to Know about Hemicrania Continua. What to Know About Vestibular Migraine.