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What Can Be Done To Treat Cluster Headaches |
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Cluster headaches are amenable to treatment. However, chronic cluster
headaches are quite resistant even to medical therapy. Since these
headaches can prove to be quite disabling, impacting the victim's life in
all aspects, it is essential that all the treatment options for this
disorder be explored.
The treatment may be either abortive which is
administered during the attack to cut short its duration and intensity.
Or it may be prophylactic to prevent the attacks from happening in the
first place itself.
Abortive treatment:
The attack of
cluster headaches sets in quite rapidly and what the patient immediately
seeks is relief from the excruciating pain. The most successful
treatment to cure cluster headaches is inhaling pure oxygen with the
help of a facial oxygen mask. This has been found to be really helpful
for cluster headache attacks that occur at night.
Triptan drugs like Sumatriptan and Zolmitriptan can be taken
nasally or by a subcutaneous injection. Both these provide instant
relief because a cluster headache attack sets in quite rapidly. In fact,
the injectable form of Sumatriptan can be self-administered. Tablet
forms of these triptans are also available, but they are not as
fast-acting as the other two methods.
Ergotamine preparations can
be used at the onset of the symptoms. But their dosage has to be limited
as they may cause some side-effects like nausea. Ergotamine can also be
a prophylactic treatment.
A lidocaine nasal spray which acts as a
local anesthetic agent can also be prescribed by the doctor.
In
addition to these, some natural methods have also been classified under
abortive treatment as they have been found to be effective during an
attack. These include ice, cold showers, breathing cold air, caffeine,
drinking copious quantities of water during the start of the attack and
even vigorous exercise. But these methods might not work for all the
people.
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