Treatment for Vascular Headaches

What are some treatment options for vascular headaches?
Based on the severity of your symptoms and your medical profile, you physician will make a treatment recommendation. Treatment options for vascular headaches may include any or all of the following:

• drug therapy (medication)
• biofeedback training
• stress reduction
• the evaluation of certain foods in the diet
• regular exercise, such as swimming or vigorous walking
• using cold packs
• pressure applied to the bulging artery found in front of the ear on the painful side of the head
• other

Drug therapy and vascular headaches
There are generally two ways to treat vascular headaches with medication, by:

• preventing the attacks
• relieving symptoms after the headache occurs

Medications for headache relief
It is advised that you consult your physician before taking any type of medication. Medication for headache relief may include any of the following, based upon the recommendation of your physician:

• analgesics
• caffeine
• antidepressants
• prescription medications

Biofeedback and relaxation training for vascular headaches
Biofeedback is a technique that may give some people better control over such functions as blood pressure, heart rate, temperature, muscle tension, and brain waves. Either of the methods below may be combined with relaxation training, in which patients learn to relax the mind and body. Consult your physician for more information.

• thermal biofeedback - a patient learns to consciously raise hand temperature, which has been shown to reduce the number and intensity of migraines.

• electromyographic (EMG) feedback - the patient learns to control muscle tension in the face, neck, and shoulders.

Foods in the diet and vascular headaches
Some healthcare professionals believe that a small percentage of headache sufferers benefit from a treatment program to eliminate certain headache-causing foods and beverages. Other patients may be helped by a diet to prevent low blood-sugar (hypoglycemia), a condition that can occur after a period without food. Low blood-sugar can cause the blood vessels in the head to dilate.