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Will Oxygen Help Migraine Headaches?

Migraine headaches can be so debilitating that they affect a person's normal ability to function. Migraines can include nausea; vomiting; sensitivity to odors, sounds or light; and can be accompanied by throbbing or pulsating pain, flashes of light, dizziness, or cold hands and feet. Migraines can be triggered by fatigue, sleep imbalances, prolonged stress, hormone fluctuations, changes in weather, or food sensitivities or allergies. Oxygen therapy is a little-known treatment method for this condition.

  1. Oxygen Therapy

    • Oxygen therapy is used as a treatment for migraines as well as cluster headaches. Two types of oxygen therapy methods are implemented: normobaric and hyperbaric. Normobaric oxygen treatment patients inhale pure oxygen at normal pressure via a mask. Hyperbaric oxygen treatment patients are placed in a special breathing chamber where they inhale high-pressure oxygen.

    How It Works

    • It is unclear how oxygen works directly to alleviate symptoms. Blood vessels dilate during migraines, which causes the pain associated with this condition. Since oxygen constricts the blood vessels, this may be why the pain subsides during treatment. It may also affect how the brain interprets the pain signals. Oxygen seems to have an overall balancing effect, returning the brain to normal functioning.

    Effectiveness

    • At least half of the patients who receive oxygen therapy report that they experience relief from their migraine or headache. It is noted that if effectiveness of the treatment isn't noticed within 30 minutes, the treatment most likely is not going to have an effect after that time.

      Prevention of future migraine and cluster headache attacks is not evident with this kind of treatment. Pharmaceutical interventions or acupuncture may be used as other means of treatment.

      A problem with oxygen treatment lies in its lack of convenience and immediate availability, as well as the lack of adequate insurance coverage. The good thing is that there are no known side effects of oxygen therapy.

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