Treatments
People
with migraine very often wish that someone would wave
a magic wand and make it better. Sadly there is no miracle
cure but there are lots of things that you can do to try
to stop attacks occurring and to relieve them if they
happen.
Many
children don't need any treatment at all for their migraine.
If they sit or lie quietly or go to sleep for a short
time they often wake up feeling completely better.
Some
children are helped by things that their parents buy for
them:
If
none of these things help or if you are getting lots of
migraine attacks your doctor can prescribe some medicine
for you.
He
or she may give you some medicine or tablets which you
take only when you have a migraine. This might be painkillers
or you might need some anti sickness medicine to stop
you feeling or being sick and to help your painkillers
work better.
If
you are getting lots of migraine attacks your doctor might
give you some medicine or tablets to take every day to
try to stop them. This is called preventative
medicine. If you have this sort of medicine you must
remember to take it every day, it's usually best to take
it at the same time so you don't forget. You might need
to take it for a few weeks before it starts to help.
Controlling
migraine isn't just about taking medicine or expecting
other people to do things. It's your migraine and
there are lots of ways in which you can help yourself
try to avoid migraine attacks.
If
you want to try and find out what triggers your migraine
you may need to keep a diary in which you write down what
you have been doing and eating. Depending on how often
you have a migraine you'll need to do this for a couple
of months or more. Become your own detective and try and
discover what causes your migraine. If you can
find out what it is that triggers your migraine it may
help you to avoid them in the future.
Why
not print off our diary and see if this can help you?
Click here
How
to look after yourself and avoid migraine!
-
Don't
skip breakfast
-
Drink
plenty of water - at least a litre a day
-
Try
not to eat too much junk food, fizzy drinks or sugary
sweets - they have chemicals in them called aspartame
and monosodium glutamate which can cause migraine in
some children. Too much refined sugar is bad for everyone
but especially if you get migraine
-
Try
to eat regularly during the day
-
Don't
skip lunch
-
If
you often wake up with a migraine try to eat something
like bowl of cereal before you go to bed at night
-
If
something is worrying you at home or at school you must
tell an adult who you think can help for example your
parents, grandparent or teacher
-
Try
to go to bed at about the same time each night
-
Try
to get up at about the same time each morning
-
Try
not to get overexcited about going to a party or seeing
a scary film
-
Don't
stay on your computer or watch television for hours
and hours
-
Try
not to use your computer or watch television during
the hour before you go to bed.
-
If
you often have a migraine after taking part in some
energetic exercise or sport make sure you have eaten enough
food to give your body the energy it needs. Sometimes
it can help if you have a glucose sweet or drink before
and straight after you exercise.
-
Try
to walk more and get some fresh air
-
If
it is a very sunny day wear sunglasses or a hat
-
If
you grind your teeth tell the dentist the next time
you visit and he or she may be able to help
-
Don't
worry about your migraine or about when your next attack
might happen
-
Don't
feel guilty if you have migraine - you can't help being
ill!
What
can other people do to help you?
Doctor
The
doctor will listen very carefully to what you tell him.
This is where your diary, picture or poem will be very
useful in helping him or her to understand what is happening
to you.
Click
here for things your doctor needs to know.
He
or she may give you some medicine or talk to you about
things you and your family can do to try to stop a migraine
happening.
If
the doctor is having trouble finding a medicine that will
help you he may send you to a special migraine
clinic.
Complementary
therapies
These
are not usually given by your doctor but by other specially
trained people. These treatments are designed to help
your body to heal itself so that you don't have migraine
any more. Some complementary therapies that have helped
other children are:
Biofeedback:
learning how to control some of the things that happen
in your body with your thoughts, for example learning
how to make your hands and feet feel warm just by thinking
about it.
Cranial
osteopathy: gently moving the bones in your head very
slightly.
Relaxation:
to help you to learn how to cope with stress. This might
be physical exercises to get rid of any stiffness or tension
in your body or helping you to deal with things that are
worrying you.
Herbal
medicine: tablets or medicine made from plants.
Homeopathy:
this is a special kind of medicine which is different
from the sort you get from your doctor. You usually have
to take very small tablets which you have to put under
your tongue to melt instead of swallowing them.
Remember
all of these things have to be given to you by specially
qualified people. You should not try any of these things
yourself.
Others who can help
You may find the following organisations useful:
