title: Migraine: helping clients choose treatment and identify triggers.
abstract: Migraine is a common complaint causing untold difficulties or aggravation for the sufferer. Clients with migraine can have very real fears of possible pathologies and the nurse is in a strong position to dispel these fears with information and reassurance. This article discusses information and knowledge which nurses can use to enable clients to take control over their migraine: from the range of choices about treatment to the identification of triggers that precipitate migraine or identification of factors to inhibit attacks. Treatments may be broad ranging from non-pharmacological to pharmacological approaches, which may be either symptomatic or prophylactic. Pharmacological treatments are presented in detail indicating the range of types from analgesia to antidepressants.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Studies, Middlesex University, Whittington Centre, London.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cunningham
mesh_terms: D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002755:Choice Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D018579:Patient Selection; D012307:Risk Factors; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics