What is a migraine? Why migraine happens. Who gets migraines? Treating migraines.

Hit And Miss?

Migraines are very individual. What helps one person might be the worst thing for someone else. Most people agree though that lying down in a darkened room is the next best thing to a cure. What else can you do?

Coffee

Some people swear by a nice, hot cup of coffee to cure their migraine. As it helps to constrict the blood vessels, trying a couple of cups of strong black coffee at the start of your migraine may help you. If you don't like coffee, you could try a caffeinated soda drink instead. If you are sensitive to caffeine or it is a migraine trigger for you make sure you check the ingredients of your headache pills. Many medications actually contain caffeine as part of their ingredients! And if you are in the middle of a rebound headache caffeine maybe the last thing you need!

Ginger

Ginger can be very good to help nausea symptoms. Ginger root is a known remedy for this, so why not make a cup of ginger tea and see if that helps prevent the nausea or stops your vomiting.

Ice

Using an ice pack on your forehead or back of your neck where the pain is strongest can be very helpful in reducing the pain of your migraine. Sucking ice can also help relieve some people's symptoms. You may also find that getting really cold can help relieve the symptoms of nausea that often accompany migraines.

Medications

There are over 100 different types of treatment for migraines from drugs, devices and surgeries to alternative treatments and home remedies. Finding the best solution for you can be a hit and miss. If you find that over the counter medications don't really work for you and you have severe migraines on a regular basis you might want to ask for a referral to a specialist clinic.

Headache Centers

Many states have specialist headache clinics for both adults and children. These clinics have a lot of experience in dealing with this debilitating disorder and they may be able to help you. And if you regularly have really serious debilitating migraines that last for a few days at a time, you may find you are an ideal candidate for the latest research trials.

If you want to learn about or participate in latest research on headaches and migraines, especially if you are a health professional, there are two specialist organizations that deal with headaches and migraines.

The American Headache Society

The American Headache Society is a professional society of health professionals that has been working for the last fifty years in the field of headaches. They have annual conferences and symposiums to discuss and inform the medical profession about the latest headache and migraine research and they have recently set up a migraine foundation. They also run workshops and training programs throughout the United States to help healthcare professionals treat their patients.

The American Migraine Foundation

This foundation has been set up to encourage funding and support of innovative migraine research. It is hoped that this new organization will help the over 36 million Americans who suffer with migraine headaches.

A Cure?

Until research comes up with a cure, avoid your known migraine triggers and try and find something that works for you. Ask your health practitioner for the latest research advice and look around the rest of our site for more advice and help in dealing with migraines.

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