Dealing with Migraine Pain - By: L. Woods

The pulsing pain of a migraine can be excruciating, and is often made even more unbearable by accompanying nausea and even vomiting. The smallest movement can cause the pain to pound more fiercely, and everyday light, noise and odors compound the agony.

If you have prescription migraine pain medication, it's important to take it at the first sign of a migraine. If you are one of the 20 to 30 percent of migraine sufferers whose migraines are preceded by a cluster of symptoms called an aura, take your migraine medication as soon as the first symptoms appear. Common aura phenomena include visual disturbances like seeing flashes of light or zig zag lines, cloudy vision or tunnel vision. A pre-migraine aura can also involve hearing, smelling or tasting things that aren't there; lightheadedness, tingling or numbness in the face or extremities, and difficulty understanding or speaking.

Migraine sufferers, or migraineurs, may also experience sweating, a stuffy nose, diarrhea, excessive urination, and even delirium during a severe migraine. They often have trouble concentrating. Their complexion may appear pasty, and their hands and feet become cold and clammy. Their face or scalp may swell and grow tender in the area where the pain is concentrated. A stiff, sore neck is common, and you may notice a prominent vein or artery pulsing in their temple.

Changes to the blood flow within the brain are believed to be a key cause of migraine pain. Nerves sensitive to pain terminate in blood vessels in the brain. Chemical triggers cause these vessels to dilate and constrict, stretching the nerve walls and resulting in pain. Some migraineurs find applying cold to the back of the neck or to the pain centre helps during an attack, others find heat helpful. A recent study published in the Archives of Family Medicine confirmed that pressure, heat and cold can all help to relieve headache.

Most migraine sufferers need to lie still in a dark, quiet room with no distractions waiting for their migraine pain medication to take effect. A cool cloth on the head may bring some comfort, as can gently massaging the area where the headache is centered (often around one temple). Although strong odors aggravate most migraines, the scent of peppermint may help ease the accompanying nausea. If not too nauseous, the sufferer should drink plenty of fluids. Many migraineurs practice relaxation and visualization techniques to help ease the pain. If they can relieve their discomfort to the point where they can doze off, sleep is one of the best migraine healers.

Sumatriptan succinate, or Imitrex, is usually the prescription migraine medication of choice for those headaches that don't respond to the above measures or to over the counter medications. While Imitrex is expensive, cheap Imitrex is now available in a generic form. Like all prescriptions, migraine medications are a fraction of the cost if you buy Imitrex over the internet.

About the Author

Lynn Woods is a writer with an interest in health and wellness and a great deal of sympathy for migraine sufferers. She recommends the Canadian pharmacy online Big Mountain Drugs as a reliable source of migraine prescription medication and the most inexpensive Canadian drug store from which to order Imitrex and generic Imitrex Canada.

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