Medication for Headaches

There are many over the counter drugs that can be used to cure the common headache and even reduce fever. In some cases of persistent or severe headaches you could go to your doctor to get a prescription for some other medication for your headaches. Often you will be prescribed the same over drugs you can find over the counter, but with a higher grade of pain reliever milligrams.

Whether the medication you take for your headache is over the counter or prescribed by your doctor you should always be concerned with what the major side effects are. Always be sure to only take medication that has been personally prescribed to you for your symptoms. Never take someone else's prescription drugs because they could be given to that person for symptoms that they failed to tell you about other than the one symptom you may have.

When taking over the counter medication, do not mix the medication with any other medication whether it is prescribed or over the counter unless otherwise suggested by your doctor. Drugs can have a bad interaction with other drugs causing illness and sometimes death. The utmost caution should be used at all times when taking any sort of medication.

Common Questions About MigrainesMany people ask if there are different types of migraine headaches. The answer is yes. The most common types of migraine headaches, however, are classic migraine headaches and common migraine headaches. A classic migraine has warning signals, called an aura or precognition. These signals often cause changes in your vision. Some of the vision problems include seeing flashing lights and/or colors. You may also temporarily lose some of your vision, such as your peripheral or side vision. Classic migraines cause you to feel a strange burning or prickly sensation, or have tense or strange feeling muscles - usually on one side of your body. You may also have trouble communicating. You may also experience a state depression, restlessness and irritability.

These auras can last anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, and in some cases hours before the actual migraine occurs. These auras sometimes occur before or after the pain from the migraine. Sometimes the pain from the aura overlaps causing more pain, and in some cases no pain occurs at all. The pain from a classic migraine usually occurs on one side of the head, while sever cases usually entail in both sides of the head.

With common migraines you don't have any warnings or auras. Common migraines sometimes start slower than a classic migraine but last longer. These migraines are intense and can interfere with your daily activities. The pain of a common migraine, as with a classic migraine, usually occurs only on one side of the head, but can occur on both sides.

You may also wonder what causes migraine headaches. Migraines are usually triggered, and many different things can trigger the migraine. The most common triggers for migraines include:

Odors: such as really strong, abnormal or unusual odors.

Lights: bright or flashing lightsNoises: usually loud noises such as music, screaming kids, etc.

Weather: going from cold to hot, or hot to cold. This also can be caused by changes in altitude.

State of mind: being over zealous or tired, anxious or over stressed, sadness or depression, or even being let down.

Sleeping: changing in your pattern of sleep or time, which causes tiredness.

Eating: missing meals, fasting or not eating at all. Also in some certain foods containing sodium nitrate, tyramine, or phenylalanineStrain: Intense physical activity, overloading yourself with work, this also includes sexual activityIn women menstrual cycles/periods, hormones, and even birth control pills.