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When Is a Headache a Migraine?
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What Are the Different Types of Headaches?
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Medications
Some children may find enough relief with over-the-counter pain relievers in the right dose. Other children need more aggressive treatment that includes preventive (prophylactic) medication.
Headache medications are classified as abortive, prophylactic, or symptom relief. Abortive medications treat a headache in progress, prophylactic medications prevent a headache, and symptom relief medications relieve associated headache symptoms.
Abortive medications are taken with the onset of the first sign of a migraine. Some prescribed abortive medications include the triptan drugs such as sumatriptan (Imitrex), zolmitriptan (Zomig), naratriptan (Amerge), and ergotamine tartrate and caffeine (Caffergot).
Prophylactic medications are prescribed to treat frequent tension headaches or migraines, or the combination of both headaches. These medications must be taken daily to reduce the frequency and severity of headaches, and they may take a few weeks to be fully effective. Some prophylactic treatments include antidepressants, antihistamines, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), prednisone, beta-blockers, and calcium channel blockers.
Symptom relief medications are used to relieve symptoms associated with headaches, including headache pain or nausea. These drugs may include over-thecounter pain-relieving medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, or anti-nausea medications (called antiemitics). Prescribed symptom relief medications may include sedatives (to induce sleep) and muscle relaxants. If symptom relief medications are needed more than twice a week, the child should see his or her doctor, who can make adjustments to the treatment plan. When taken more than three times per week, symptom relief medications can actually cause a type of headache called a rebound headache. To treat rebound headaches, all pain-relieving medications are usually discontinued for a few weeks (as advised by the physician), then used no more than two to three times per week to relieve symptoms.
Alternative treatment
Alternative headache treatments include:
- relaxation techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and relaxation to music
- yoga
- acupuncture or acupressure
- biofeedback
- chiropractic
- homeopathic remedies chosen specifically for the individual and his or her type of headache
- hydrotherapy
- massage to reduce stress and tension and relieve tight muscles in the neck and shoulders
- essential oils such as lavender, ginger, peppermint, and wintergreen that can provide relief by simply smelling them or applying them to the temples or neck
- regular physical exercise
Biofeedback, which teaches patients how to direct mental thoughts to influence physical functions, may be helpful for some patients. For example, patients can use certain relaxation techniques to help them learn how their personal response to muscle tension is related to their headache symptoms. By practicing biofeedback, a patient may be able to stop a migraine attack before it occurs or prevent headache symptoms from becoming worse.
Follow-up care
It is important for the child to keep a regular followup appointment schedule so the doctor can monitor the effects of treatment and make any necessary medication adjustments.
KEY TERMS
Abortive—Referring to treatment that relieves symptoms of a disorder. Abortive headache medications are used to stop the headache process and prevent symptoms of migraines, including pain, nausea, sound and light sensitivity, and other symptoms.
Acupuncture—Based on the same traditional Chinese medical foundation as acupressure, acupuncture uses sterile needles inserted at specific points to treat certain conditions or relieve pain.
Acute—Refers to a disease or symptom that has a sudden onset and lasts a relatively short period of time.
Analgesics—A class of pain-relieving medicines, including aspirin and Tylenol.
Aneurysm—A weakened area in the wall of a blood vessel which causes an outpouching or bulge. Aneurysms may be fatal if these weak areas burst, resulting in uncontrollable bleeding.
Anti-inflammatory—A class of drugs, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids, used to relieve swelling, pain, and other symptoms of inflammation.
Antidepressant drug—A medication prescribed to relieve major depression. Classes of antidepressants include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (fluoxetine/Prozac, sertraline/Zoloft), tricyclics (amitriptyline/Elavil), MAOIs (phenelzine/Nardil), and heterocyclics (bupropion/Wellbutrin, trazodone/Desyrel).
Antiemetic drug—A medication that helps control nausea; also called an antinausea drug.
Antihistamine—A drug used to treat allergic conditions that blocks the effects of histamine, a substance in the body that causes itching, vascular changes, and mucus secretion when released by cells.
Aura—A subjective sensation or motor phenomenon that precedes and indicates the onset of a neurological episode, such as a migraine or an epileptic seizure. This term also is used to refer to the emanation of light from living things (plants and animals) that can be recorded by Kirlian photography.
Biofeedback—A training technique that enables an individual to gain some element of control over involuntary or automatic body functions.
Chiropractic—A method of treatment based on the interactions of the spine and the nervous system.
Chiropractors adjust or manipulate segments of the patient's spinal column in order to relieve pain.
Chronic—Refers to a disease or condition that progresses slowly but persists or recurs over time.
Cyclic vomiting—Uncontrolled vomiting that occurs repeatedly over a certain period of time.
Decongestants—A group of medications, such as pseudoephedrine, phenylephrine, and phenylpropanolamine, that shrink blood vessels and consequently mucus membranes.
Episodic—Occurring once in a while, without a regular pattern.
Homeopathy—A holistic system of treatment developed in the eighteenth century. It is based on the idea that substances that produce symptoms of sickness in healthy people will have a curative effect when given in very dilute quantities to sick people who exhibit those same symptoms. Homeopathic remedies are believed to stimulate the body's own healing processes.
Hydrotherapy—The use of water (hot, cold, steam, or ice) to relieve discomfort and promote physical well-being. Also called water therapy.
Inflammation—Pain, redness, swelling, and heat that develop in response to tissue irritation or injury. It usually is caused by the immune system's response to the body's contact with a foreign substance, such as an allergen or pathogen.
Lumbar puncture—A procedure in which the doctor inserts a small needle into the spinal cavity in the lower back to withdraw spinal fluid for testing. Also known as a spinal tap.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)—An imaging technique that uses a large circular magnet and radio waves to generate signals from atoms in the body. These signals are used to construct detailed images of internal body structures and organs, including the brain.
Meningitis—An infection or inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. It is usually caused by bacteria or a virus.
Nervous system—The system that transmits information, in the form of electrochemical impulses, throughout the body for the purpose of activation, coordination, and control of bodily functions. It is comprised of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
Neurologist—A doctor who specializes in disorders of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
Neurology—The study of nerves.
Nitrate—A food additive, commonly found in processed meats, that may be a headache trigger for some people.
Prophylactic—Preventing the spread or occurrence of disease or infection.
Stroke—Interruption of blood flow to a part of the brain with consequent brain damage. A stroke may be caused by a blood clot or by hemorrhage due to a burst blood vessel. Also known as a cerebrovascular accident.
Trigger—Any situation (people, places, times, events, etc.) that causes one to experience a negative emotional reaction, which is often accompanied by a display of symptoms or problematic behavior.
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Author Info: Julia Barrett, Angela M. Costello, Thomson Gale, Gale, Detroit, Gale Encyclopedia of Children's Health, 2006 |
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