Migraine is a specific type of headache. The pain is often an intense pulsing or throbbing in one area of the head. It is often accompanied by extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea and vomiting.
Migraine can occur in both children and adults. It is three times more common in women than in men.
Migraine pain is not the same in every sufferer, but it can usually be distinguished from other types of headache. Usually the symptoms in adults and children are different.
-Common symptoms in adults include the following:
* Intense pain on one or both sides of the head
* Throbbing pain
* Pain in the eye or temple, jaw, face or neck
* Intense sensitivity to light (photophobia) and noise (phonophobia)--migraineurs seek out dark, quiet rooms during their headaches
* Nausea and vomiting
-Migraines in children tend to occur all over the head, not on just one side, and tend to be shorter-lasting than migraines in adults. Sometimes children have the symptoms that accompany a migraine--light sensitivity, nausea, and vomiting--without any headache. This is called an abdominal migraine, and it can be difficult to diagnose.
Stress management strategies, such as exercise, relaxation, biofeedback, and other therapies designed to help limit discomfort, may also reduce the occurrence and severity of migraine attacks.
There are two ways to approach the treatment of migraine headache with medication.
* Prevent the attacks. Some migraineurs have more than one headache a week, and these people benefit most from a daily preventive medication. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the following drugs for the prevention of migraines:
1. Propranolol (Inderal): This beta-blocker medication also treats high blood pressure.
2. Timolol (Blocadren): Another beta-blocker medication.
3. Topiramate (Topamax): Originally an antiseizure medication, it is also useful in migraine.
4. Divalproex sodium (Depakote): Another antiseizure medication helpful in migraine.
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