Migraine Recovery

Migraines are a severely painful headache that can be accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light, throbbing in the head and vomiting. Chronic and incurable, they may be triggered by stimuli such as anxiety, insufficient sleep and stress.

Migraine Facts

• According to the National Institutes of Health and the Mayo Clinic Foundation, roughly 11 percent of people get migraines, which usually begin between ages 10 and 40. Migraines are three times more frequent in women than in men.

Pain Relief

• Recovery from migraines may require abortive or acute treatment, which involves taking medications immediately when migraine pain begins. Prescribed medications include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, triptans and ergot variants.

Prevention

• Another option for migraine recovery is preventing headaches from occurring. Medications used to achieve that preventative effect include antidepressants, cardiovascular drugs and the antihistamine cyproheptadine.

Lifestyle Changes

• Some individuals recover from migraines faster if they modify their lifestyle to reduce headaches. Strategies include performing exercises that relax muscles, getting adequate sleep and maintaining a headache diary to track triggers.

Alternative Treatments

• Migraine sufferers may benefit from nontraditional approaches to reducing the occurrence and severity of headaches, such as acupuncture, biofeedback and massage. Taking herbs such as butterbur and vitamins including riboflavin may also provide relief.