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What Can Be Done To Treat Cluster Headaches |
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Prophylactic treatment:
Prophylactic
treatment has been found to be especially useful in the case of patients
with episodic cluster headaches. The prophylactic treatment aims to
prevent an attack in the first place itself
Prophylactic treatment is available in the form of a wide variety of
prophylactic medications. These include some corticosteroids like
prednisone which are prescribed if the attacks have started recently,
muscle relaxants and ergot compounds. Anti-seizure medicines like
topiramate and even atypical anti-psychotics are recommended. Their
doses are gradually reduced as the headaches disappear
Lithium
and calcium channel blockers have also been reported to be beneficial,
especially in chronic sufferers. However, if the chronic sufferers do
not respond to these methods, then histamine
desensitization and surgery to kill the pain receptors of the trigeminal
nerve may be considered. Radiofrequency heating may be done to kill
these pain sensitive cells. But this is used only when all the other
methods have failed.
In some cases, magnesium supplements are
also recommended. A chemical called melatonin has also been reported to
help some by reducing the severity and frequency of headaches. A few
cases were reported where a bad tooth was the cause of the headache.
Removal of the tooth by root canal served to make the symptoms disappear.
Natural
treatments include the use of kudzu, a flower found in Japan and China
and feverfew which is a herb used in the treatment of migraine to treat
cluster headaches. Unfortunately, no specific dietary treatments are
known till now, just as in the case of migraine.
Other therapies
which have not shown consistent results but which may be tried are
acupuncture, herbal treatments, homeopathy, hypnosis, reflexology,
aromatherapy, yoga and massage.
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