Headache management is something that needs to be addressed by every person who has ever experienced one. There are many kinds of headache disorders that you may experience, all of which also have different therapy options. If you think you might be able to benefit from such a consultation with one of your neurologists, there are a few resources that you can utilize to get the ball rolling. Here's how to get started.
One of the first places you should look at when it comes to headache management is your own diet. Many people are surprised to find out that certain foods can actually make their headaches worse. This isn't due to any allergic reaction or food sensitivity. Instead, these foods can have a chemical makeup that irritates the nerves in the brain, causing you to have an issue with headaches. By eliminating some of these irritants from your diet, you'll notice a difference in the frequency of your headaches.
One big issue with headache management is the fact that so many people rely on over-the-counter medication-overuse. While they work well for some people, they can have a very negative impact on others. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to visit your local medical care provider and see what he or she recommends for your specific case. At the National Institute of Health, they conduct studies that show that nearly two-thirds of all headaches can be treated effectively with the right kind of medication-overuse.
If you do visit your local emergency department, you might be referred to a specialist such as an anesthesiologist, headache neurologist, or cardiologist. They can offer some useful guidance when it comes to headache management, as well as offering you some sort of medication to take when you arrive at the hospital. You can also learn about more advanced treatment such as brain stimulation and laser therapy for migraine headache. It's always a good idea to bring any medications that you might be taking before you go to the hospital, just in case they will need to be administered by a specialist.
When it comes to choosing between acute and chronic migraine medication, you need to make sure that you are educated on the potency and the duration of each drug. If you are taking a medication that has a fast onset of action, your headache should heal very quickly; but if you are taking an expensive medication with a long half life, you may not get the relief you were expecting. Be sure to take your prescription and discuss it with your doctor; don't assume that it's effective because it costs a lot of money.
There are many choices in the types of prescription medicines available today, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, triptans, and antidepressants. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory analgesics are considered less efficient than antidepressants. These analgesics work to reduce pain by decreasing inflammation, reducing the number of receptors damaged by neurotransmitters in the brain, and reducing the amount of acid produced by the kidneys; however, NSAIDs have been linked to the risk of stroke, gastrointestinal complications, ulcers, and kidney failure. Also, while antidepressants are often effective in relieving stress and tension-type headache pain, they can be associated with rebound depression after their use. Check out this post for more detailed information: https://www.encyclopedia.com/medicine/diseases-and-conditions/pathology/headache.
