Migraines Research Paper

601 Words3 Pages
For most neurologists, treating patients who present with migraines can be a real headache. For the past 14 years I have undergone a variety of therapies including medication, diet and acupuncture for migraines which began during the my time serving in the Air Force. Many people do not understand what a migraine is and how it is different from a typical headache. Nor do they realize that treating an onset migraine has always been extremely difficult. Personally, the severity of pain and symptoms of my type of migraine usually resulted in a trip to the emergency room. However those trips have been greatly reduced due to the addition of a medication classified as a triptan. The miraculous effects of this drug have led to the question- what is a triptan and how does it affect migraines. Unless a person has experienced a migraine, it is difficult for them to understand what it is and why it is different from a classic headache. Generally speaking most migraines present unilaterally, or on just one side of the head, with a unique pulsing or throbbing pain. They can also be accompanied with photophobia- sensitivity to light; phonophobia- sensitivity to sound;…show more content…
state in ‘Triptans: over the migraine,’ that triptans are serotonin (5-HT1B/1D) receptor agonists (pg.193). In laymen’s terms, triptans help to stimulate the production of serotonin in the brain. They should not be classified as a pain medication and technically cannot be given to prevent migraines; rather they are used to abort a migraine at onset (Cologno, Mazzeo, Lecce et. al, 2010). Triptans act as a vaso-constrictor meaning that they the constrict dialated blood vessels (Kelley & Tepper, 2012). In Rescue Therapy for Acute Migraine, Part 1, the authors Kelley & Tepper (2012) state that triptans also inhibit the release of inflammatory peptides in the meninges and interfere with the transduction of pain signals to the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) (pg.

More about Migraines Research Paper

Open Document