Easing migraines

Migraines can be alleviated with:

• Non-pharmacological treatment: it is important to follow a routine and lead an orderly life, taking frequent moderate exercise.
• Pharmacological treatment: There are two types of medication: symptomatic, which is used to relieve pain, and preventative, which tries to prevent migraines from appearing.

In the first group, there are anti-inflammatory drugs and triptans. Preventive treatment is indicated when migraines are very common or do not respond adequately to symptomatic treatment.

The choice between symptomatic and preventative treatment must be taken by a doctor. It is very important to avoid self-medication, to prevent the onset of chronic daily headaches, which is triggered by abuse of analgesic medication. Prescription-free drugs that are used frequently or in large doses can cause other problems.