Treatment

There can be a variety of approaches to managing the various types of headache. Some headache types lend themselves to specific treatment more than others. Rather than review each specific treatment strategy available for each specific headache type, we encourage headache sufferers to see a physician for definitive diagnosis and a discussion of treatment options. What follows is a general discussion of treatment strategies for some of the major types of headache; we do acknowledge that there are many other headache types, and many other possible headache treatment strategies. As always, we encourage every headache sufferer to seek medical evaluation.

One of the simplest, sometimes the hardest, but most important things to do in the management of
migraine is to manage your migraine triggers.While it seems an obvious thing to do, it may not always
be easy. Some things are obvious: eat regular meals, maintain good hydration, get enough sleep.
Things that are not as easy to accomplish, although we "know we should," are keeping a regular
schedule and a regular bedtime, exercising regularly, and maintaining a moderate caffeine intake. It is
impossible, of course, to control the amount of stress that occurs in one's life, but stress management
techniques are available.

MIGRAINE

The most important thing for you to know about treatment is that there is no one best treatment for migraine. Different people respond to
different things.You may have to try several treatment strategies before you find the thing, or combination of things, that works best for you.

Trigger Avoidance and Management

Sleep disorders deserve special attention. There have been two studies which have identified sleep disorders as a risk factor for the
development of chronic daily headache, and improving sleep can help with the control of migraine. If getting on a good sleep schedule
does not help, and you are still having trouble sleeping, discuss this with your doctor. A sleep study may be helpful in making a proper
diagnosis, as the problem may be more complex than simple insomnia.

Food triggers are less likely to be the cause of frequent headaches, unless there is a food intolerance to a food class such as legumes
(beans, peas, soy), gluten (wheat, etc), or a severe food allergy to dairy. Most food triggers are not food allergies. In studies of migraine
sufferers with food triggers, there was no IgE allergy response to their characteristic food trigger. Only about 25% of migraine sufferers
have any food triggers. The headache response to a food trigger is fairly fast: it will occur within 30 min to 24 hours at the very most. If
you suspect a gluten intolerance, see a physician about testing for celiac disease.

Maintaining a healthy weight can also be important in controlling headaches. There have been two studies that identified obesity as a risk
factor for the development of chronic daily headache, and one study linking obesity to an increased rate of migraine with aura.