Is Headache Medicine the only way to get Relief?

Headache is a very common condition that has been experienced by every human being on this planet on a regular basis. To be more accurate nearly 75% of people have had a headache at least once in the period of a year. That is how common this condition is. Like how headache is a common ailment, people seeking headache medicine both with doctors as well as seeking relief through over-the-counter medications is also a very common phenomenon.

Types of headache

Headache can be broadly classified into two: Primary headache and secondary headache. Primary headache is the more common type and includes different types like tension headache, cluster headaches and migraine headache. Secondary headache is less common in comparison to primary headache and is as a result of some other underlying problems that could be a simple or a life-threatening problem. Some examples of problems that give rise to secondary headache include tumors of the brain, hemorrhages, meningitis among serious causes and caffeine withdrawal among minor causes.

The cause for tension headache is not known although it is thought to be related to stress levels a person experiences during the day. Migraine headache occurs spontaneously and is caused due to engorgement of blood vessels and due to chemicals produced by certain nerve fibers. Cluster headaches as the name suggest occurs in clusters where the person experiencing headache will have it for days together followed by periods where there is absolutely no signs and symptoms.

Treatment of headache

While headache is quite a severe and problematic phenomenon, not all will prefer to take headache medicine to cure the problem. There are many other relief techniques that is quite helpful in providing the necessary reduction of pain.

As tension headache is mostly caused by strain, it helps to relax the body through massaging or taking a hot bath. Even packs placed at the strained neck muscles will also do the trick. Alternative therapies like acupuncture, meditation and hypnosis have also helped many a person get relief from tension headaches.

But, still many people prefer to take medications to help them get relief from pain. There are different medications that one can take to relieve tension headaches and these include non-prescription and prescription pain killers like Aspirin, acetaminophen, caffeine, oxycodone, etc. These medicines however, may not be very helpful in chronic headaches. People with this kind of headache will get relief by using tricyclic antidepressants like amitriptyline and imipramine.

For Migraine headaches too, people have tried various other methods with varying degrees of success. However, medication is preferred by many people who do not like to experience the pounding headache on a regular basis. Ergotamine can be taken before the onset of the migraine attack to prevent it. In a full blown attack, narcotic analgesics like codeine or meperedine or NSAIDs like Ibuprofen or Indomethacin are the only way to get rid of the pain. Daily doses of aspirin are also recommended to help prevent migraine attacks. Sumatriptan is another headache medicine that has now helped many sufferers get relief from migraine headache.

Cluster headaches last for a very short while and usually do not need any medication. But, some people are prescribed narcotic analgesics to help relieve the headache if it lasts for a longer duration of time. Some other methods include the use of inhaling 100% oxygen for about 15 minutes.

As we have seen, there are some alternatives to headache medicine in getting relief from certain types of headache. While taking medication is preferred by many, some people try to get relief using other alternatives in order to avoid taking medications and having any to face any kind of side effects.