Migraine is neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that can be quite debilitating. OTC medication can help relieve most migraine symptoms, but sometimes they may prove ineffective or cause rebound headaches when taken too often. You can still find relief from your throbbing headaches with the following options:
- Abortive Therapy: For severe and persistent migraine symptoms that don’t respond to over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen or naproxen, your doctor may need to prescribe triptans, a relatively new class of drugs, that are very effective in quickly aborting your headache if taken when you first notice the onset of symptoms.
- Anti-CGRP Treatment: Certain medications known as calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors can be administered as subcutaneous injections every month to prevent migraine attacks or significantly lower their severity.
- Oxygen Therapy: Studies have shown that inhalation of oxygen can relieve cluster headaches which are excruciating one-sided headaches that occur 2-3 times a day for weeks or months at a time. The oxygen therapy usually takes about 15 minutes to relieve symptoms.
- Botox injections: Botox injections can be administered as preventive treatment for patients with chronic migraine who experience headaches more than 15 days in a month.
- Alternative therapies: Treatments such as acupuncture, cognitive behavior therapy, biofeedback, meditation, and deep breathing may help better manage symptoms of migraine.
- Lifestyle changes: Avoiding known migraine triggers such as certain foods, caffeine, or alcohol; drinking plenty of water, not skipping your meals, and managing other health conditions such as hypertension and anxiety can lower the risk of developing migraine headaches.
If your migraine headache is associated with symptoms such as loss of vision, numbness in one side of the body, shortness of breath, or vomiting, you should visit a headache specialist as soon as possible for a thorough evaluation and personalize treatment recommendation.
North Suffolk Neurology is a full-service Neurology, Headache Medicine, and Sleep Medicine practice consisting of dedicated, experienced staff committed to helping our patients and their families maintain and improve their health. For all in-office appointments & inquiries, please call (631) 364-9119. You can also schedule a telehealth appointment by calling (631) 886-4571.
