Advanced Pharmacology Discussion Response
Week 9
Yaimel Garcia
Advanced Pharmacology
Migraines often begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood. Migraines may progress through four stages: prodrome, aura, headache and post-drome, though you may not experience all stages. A migraine usually lasts from four to 72 hours if untreated. The frequency with which headaches occur varies from person to person. Migraines may be rare or strike several times a month. Though migraine causes are not understood, genetics and environmental factors appear to play a role.
Migraine-specific abortive therapies include ergotamine and its derivatives, and triptans (lkhudhairi, Alghthy, Hindi & Alqassemi, 2018). Complementary and alternative therapies can also be used to abort the headache or enhance the efficacy of another therapeutic modality. Treatment choices for acute migraine should be based on headache severity, migraine frequency, associated symptoms, and comorbidities.
The combination of isometheptene, acetaminophen, and dichloralphenazone (Midrin) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of milder migraine headaches.10,21 Sedatives such as the barbiturates have historically been used to induce sleep in persons with migraines. However, with the advent of effective nonsedating agents and migraine-specific therapy, sedatives are no longer widely used in migraine therapy (Uluduz, Ayta, Özge, Yalin & Taşdelen, 2018).
References
lkhudhairi, O. S., Alghthy, A. M., Hindi, W. S. M., & Alqassemi, S. I. Q. (2018). Assessment of knowledge and attitude and practice towards migraine prevention and treatment among general population in Saudi Arabia. Egyptian Journal of Hospital Medicine, 73(4), 6531–6534. Retrieved from https://www.thecampuscommon.com/library/ezproxy/ticketdemocs.asp?sch=suo&turl=http://search.ebscohost.com.southuniversity.libproxy.edmc.edu/login.
Week 9 Discussion
Liliana Acosta
Advanced Pharmacology
Cluster headaches are often painful and involve only one side of the head. The cluster headache feels like intense pain, especially eye pain involving only one eye and radiating to areas of your neck, face, head, and shoulders (Uluduz, Ayta, Özge, Yalin & Taşdelen, 2018). The exact cause of cluster headaches is unknown. Excessive use of medication to treat headaches can actually cause headaches. This is the most common secondary headache disorder, and it affects up to 5 percent of the population. Medication overuse headaches tend to be worst upon awakening. Many people who get cluster headache attacks are smokers.
The goal of therapy is to decrease the severity of pain, shorten the headache period and prevent the attacks. Because the pain of a cluster headache comes on suddenly and might subside within a short time, cluster headache can be difficult to evaluate and treat, as it requires fast-acting medications.
Some scientific evidence has shown that cigarette smoke can make various types of headaches worse (Leone, Giustiniani & Cecchini, 2017). Smoking can raise carbon monoxide levels in the brain and blood, which may cause headaches to form or worsen. When the body receives less oxygen during smoking sessions, tissues don’t get the oxygen they need to function properly. And since nicotine has a toxic effect on the brain, it may interfere with medications that one takes to manage headaches.
References
Leone, M., Giustiniani, A., & Cecchini, A. (2017). Cluster headache: present and future therapy. Neurological Sciences, 38, 45–50. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-017-2924-7
Uluduz, D., Ayta, S., Özge, A., Yalin, & Taşdelen, B. (2018). Cranial Autonomic Features in Migraine and Migrainous Features in Cluster Headache. Archives of Neuropsychiatry / Noropsikiatri Arsivi, 55(3), 220–224. https://doi.org/10.5152/npa.2016.19183.
Respond to 2 Peers Based on APA Guidelines. Work must be supported by peer-reviewed article published within 5 years.