11 Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Migraines

Introduction

Migraines are a common neurological disorder that can be difficult to diagnose. Each migraine attack is unique and can last from four to 72 hours. The symptoms of a migraine may include pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light or sound. In some cases, migraines may last for weeks at a time with no relief as long as medication is taken regularly to prevent attacks from happening again in the future. There are many things that you can do besides taking medication for your migraines:

What can I do to make my migraines better?

Find out if you can avoid triggers.
Make sure you get enough sleep and exercise, and eat a healthy diet.
Take your medication as prescribed by your doctor and use relaxation techniques (meditation, yoga or massage therapy) to help aid in the fight against migraines. You should also keep track of when your migraines occur using a migraine diary that includes information about what triggered them and how long they lasted so that you can report this information to your doctor at future appointments.

If these steps aren’t enough to relieve the pain from migraines, talk to your doctor about other treatment options such as Botox injections or surgery

Is it possible to prevent migraines completely?

There is no cure for migraines, but you can prevent them with lifestyle changes and medication.

Lifestyle changes include:
Sticking to a regular sleep schedule (go to bed and get up at the same time each day)
Avoiding triggers like certain foods or drinks that may trigger migraines in some people (like red wine or caffeine)

What medications will you prescribe?

Medications are the most effective way to treat migraines. They can be taken as a pill or nasal spray, which is why it’s important to know what options your doctor will be prescribing. Medications can have side effects, so it’s important that you discuss them with your doctor beforehand.

Some medications help reduce the frequency and severity of migraines, but others do not work for everyone and may have dangerous side effects. The price of treatment can also be quite high if you’re taking multiple medications each month.

What side effects should I be aware of?

Side effects are the unwanted effects you experience when taking a medication.

In this section, you will find information about the most common side effects of migraine drugs and how to manage them.

It is important to know what side effects are so that you can look out for them and tell your doctor if they occur. If any of your side effects become serious, let your doctor know so that he or she can decide whether or not it is necessary for you to stop using the drug.

Will I have to take medication forever?

The answer to this question is yes and no.

You may be able to prevent migraines from occurring by taking medication or using other lifestyle changes, such as getting enough sleep and eating a healthy diet. If your doctor prescribes migraine prevention medicine for you, it’s important to take the medicine as directed.

Some people also need acute treatment—medication that can be used during a migraine attack—to relieve symptoms such as pain or nausea until their bodies recover from the attack.

Are there any lifestyle changes that could help me with this problem?

Most migraine attacks are not caused by lifestyle factors, but it’s important to discuss the following with your doctor.

Stress management: If stress is an issue for you, consider learning how to manage it or seeking professional help. It’s vital that one learns effective stress management skills—and they can be learned!
Regular exercise: There is evidence that regular physical activity may prevent migraines. If you want to try this approach, start out slowly and build up gradually over time.
Healthy diet: While there is no specific diet that has been shown to prevent migraines in most people with the disorder, eating a healthy diet helps reduce other health problems associated with migraine disease such as obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Eating a balanced diet includes fruits and vegetables; whole grains; low-fat dairy products; lean meats such as chicken or turkey breast without skin; fish such as tuna canned in water; nuts like almonds; seeds like sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds; legumes like black beans or lentils which are high in fiber content but low in fat content. It also means limiting foods high in saturated fats such as red meat (beef steak), eggs yolks always cooked well done instead of sunny side-up style because they contain cholesterol which increases levels of bad cholesterol called LDL when consumed often especially every day!

How many migraines is too many migraines in a month?

While there’s no set number of migraines that is considered “too many,” the frequency and severity can be a good indicator of whether or not you need to see a doctor. If your migraines are frequent, lasting more than four hours, or are accompanied by other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light/sound/smells/motion (allodynia), itchy skin (hypersensitivity), fever and neck pain (migraine equivalents), it might be time to visit your physician.

Do I need a specialist or therapist, or just a primary care doctor for my migraines?

A variety of specialists and therapists are available to provide care for migraine patients. If you have specific questions or concerns, it might be helpful to see a specialist or therapist. However, most people with migraines should be able to get the help they need from their primary care doctor (PCP). A PCP is an expert in the diagnosis and treatment of non-life-threatening conditions such as migraine headaches.

Could anything else be causing my headaches?

It’s important to know if there are other symptoms of headaches that could be occurring alongside the migraine. These include:

Neck pain or stiffness
Sensitivity to light and/or sound
Nausea or vomiting
Changes in vision, including blurred vision or seeing flashes of light (called photophobia)

If you’re having these additional symptoms along with your migraines, it’s important to talk to your doctor about what may be causing them. Your doctor will want to rule out any other conditions that can cause headaches before ruling out the possibility of a migraine diagnosis.

Should I avoid certain foods to prevent a migraine from happening or stop one once it begins?

Avoiding certain foods can help prevent a migraine from happening. Avoiding foods that trigger migraines is important, but it’s also important to avoid foods that cause allergic reactions.

Avoid alcohol, food preservatives and nitrates. These are found in cured meats such as bacon, sausage and hot dogs; pickled vegetables; pepperoni; smoked fish; processed lunch meats (turkey loaf). Nitrates can also be found in canned vegetables such as spinach or beets and some vegetables grown with fertilizers containing nitrates or nitrogen fertilizers like manure composts or human waste sludge fertilizer (yes!).

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many diet soft drinks, chewing gum and other products on grocery store shelves today – including artificially sweetened protein shakes! Aspartame has been linked with brain tumors in rats so it’s best to avoid consuming this chemical if at all possible during pregnancy or while trying to conceive a child.

If a migraine happens again, what should I do first?

If you have a migraine again, what should you do first?
You may want to take a pain reliever (such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen), an anti-nausea medication (such as ondansetron), and an anti-inflammatory medication (such as naproxen). These drugs can help relieve symptoms of a migraine headache:

• Pain relievers are available over the counter or by prescription. They can either be taken at the onset of your headache or during an ongoing attack. Some examples include aspirin, ibuprofens such as Advil and Motrin, naproxens like Aleve, Tylenol with Codeine #3s and other narcotics like Vicodin.

• Anti-nausea medications are designed specifically for people who suffer from nausea during their migraines; these medications can also help combat vomiting if it occurs during or after eating food or drinking liquids containing caffeine derivatives such as chocolate products (like hot cocoa). Common examples include Zofran Zarontin Compazine Phenergan Compound Triptan injections Acrivastine Diphenhydramine*

Many people with chronic migraines end up taking sick days from work because they don’t get the treatment they need.

Many people with chronic migraines end up taking sick days from work because they don’t get the treatment they need. Migraines are a real medical condition, which can be very painful and debilitating. They can occur daily and in some cases may be a recurring condition.

Conclusion

You may not get all of the answers you want during your first visit, but it’s important to start talking about migraines and what options are available for treatment. Your doctor will be able to help guide you through this process and work with you as much as possible so that together you can figure out what works best for your lifestyle and needs.