Baton Rouge Clinic Health Library

Diseases & Conditions > Migraine Headaches; Causes and Treatments

     Published: 06, 2003

The first week of June is National Headache Awareness Week. Dr. Gerard Dynes, a neurologist with the Baton Rouge Clinic, describes migraines as “whole body experiences” because they can be associated with a diverse range of symptoms.

“Migraine headaches, though quite prevalent in the community, are surprisingly under-diagnosed. Many people will have strong headaches for years without seeking medical attention,” Dr. Dynes said.

Such headaches are often blamed on sinuses and allergies, neck discomfort, or muscle tension but migraines are typically more intense and last longer than other types of headaches according to Dr. Dynes.

“Migraines can often last for days,” he said, “and symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, fatigue, or visual changes. While having a migraine, light or sound frequently are bothersome as those afflicted seek the haven of a quiet, dark room. Many people have warnings when their migraines are about to occur.”

Triggers such as certain foods or hormonal changes can bring on migraines. Such types of headaches often run in families, Dr. Dynes added.

Once the diagnosis of migraine is established, there are several treatment options available. The method used most often is treatment with over-the-counter or prescription pain medications. For milder, occasional migraines, this is often a simple, cost-effective plan to knock them out. Unfortunately, such medications are often not effective with stronger migraines, dulling the pain but not eliminating the headache itself.

For these cases of more frequent headaches, patients can get into a cycle of taking such pain medicines on a daily or near-daily basis. Taking any analgesic, even standard over-the-counter regimens, can contribute to making migraines more frequent, Dr. Dynes said.

“If headaches are getting this frequent, and over-thecounter pain relievers are not effective, it’s a good idea to see your doctor for other forms of treatment,” he said. “Headache therapy was revolutionized in the mid-1990s with the development of the triptans, a class of migraine medications that affect serotonin, a chemical in the brain. Unlike pain medications, these are migraine-specific and are quite effective at aborting the headache. These prescription medications, although expensive, justify their cost by knocking out a headache that can last hours to days and can disrupt a person’s life making one miss work or school.”

Dr. Dynes said that for those with only one or two migraines per month, these two methods of treatment can be effective at aborting the migraine, but neither actually prevent it from occurring. In some, headache frequency can increase to weekly or even daily. The most common cause of this increase, as noted, is when a person with migraines takes too many pain relievers.

This begs the question; can frequent migraines be prevented? Dr. Dynes says several medications are available to take on a daily basis that can space out or prevent headaches but each of these has its own set of potential side effects.

“With a doctor’s help, frequent headaches have the potential to be prevented. If you believe that you have migraines or are having frequent headaches of any cause, discuss them with your doctor. Many times a referral to a neurologist is helpful,” he said.

Dr Dynes also suggested keeping a headache diary, recording headache frequency and intensity as well as response to treatment to help your doctor monitor the effectiveness of treatment.

“Avoiding migraine triggers for many is the best form of prevention. For some, foods such as caffeine, chocolate, cheeses, smoked meats, red wine, and preservatives like MSG, can bring on migraines,” he said.

“Other triggers can include hormonal changes, stress or weather changes. Finally, avoid taking pain relievers too frequently; even safe over-the-counter medications taken too often can worsen your headaches.”

Gerard J. Dynes, MD
Specializing in Neurology

The Baton Rouge Clinic, AMC, offers this information as a courtesy service. Please remember that medical knowledge is always evolving and we cannot represent that any of our information is absolutely current. Please consult a physician before taking any medical action based on information gathered from this or any website.