Articles
Headaches: Treatment depends on your diagnosis and symptoms
Are the headaches dull and achy?
Are the headaches throbbing and severe?
Do you have headaches nearly every day?
Do the headaches recur for weeks at a time?
Do you take pain medication more than 2 or 3 days a week?
Content
Tension-type headaches
Migraines
Recognize emergency symptoms
Take control
Are the headaches throbbing and severe?
Migraines affect three times more women than men. Migraines may:
- Cause pain that is moderate to severe and may pulsate
- Cause nausea, vomiting, or increased sensitivity to light or sound
- May affect only one side of your head or may affect both sides of your head
- Worsen with daily activity
- Last from four to 72 hours without treatment
Treatment
Migraine treatment is aimed at relieving symptoms and preventing additional attacks. If you know what triggers your migraines, avoiding those triggers and learning how to manage them may help prevent and lessen migraine pain. Treatment may include:
- Rest in a quiet, dark room
- Hot or cold compresses to your head or neck
- Massage and small amounts of caffeine
- Over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others), acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), and aspirin
- Prescription medications including triptans, such as sumatriptan (Imitrex) and zolmitriptan (Zomig)
- Preventive medications, such as metoprolol tartrate (Metoprolol, Lopressor), propranolol (Propranolol HCL), amitriptyline, divalproex sodium (Depakote, Depakote ER, Depakote Sprinkle) or topiramate (Topamax)
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation (therapy using electrical currents to stimulate nerve cells in the brain) for migraine with aura
