Headache prevention is done with the aim of reducing the frequency and intensity of attacks. Prevention is important when the patient suffers more than three attacks per month and when the attacks are intense and disabling.
There are two complementary ways of prevention: non-pharmacological and pharmacological measures.
Non-pharmacological measures
It is important to observe the triggering factors, which are usually stress, sleep disturbances or certain foods.
On the one hand, stress can be treated with some relaxation techniques, which are easy to learn and practice, and optimal results can be achieved. In relation to massages, acupuncture and hypnosis, which are methods of temporary effect, are not very useful in the prevention of headache.
On the other hand, to regulate sleep disturbances, it is useful to use an alarm clock, especially in those cases in which weekend crises predominate. In this way, the sleep rhythm can be maintained.
Pharmacological measures
At present, there are four groups of drugs that are effective in the prevention of headache.
- Beta-blocker drugs
- Calcium antagonist drugs
- Antidepressant drugs
- Neuromodulatory drugs
These drugs require some time before they begin to show their efficacy. For this reason, it is important to be consistent and consume these drugs on a daily basis for a few months. Once the minimum effective dose has been found, the treatment will be maintained for 6 months.
After this time, the treatment can be repeated if necessary, i.e. when the headache gets worse.
Even if a prevention plan is established, the patient will have crises, so it is important to associate an abortive treatment to the crises. This can be carried out with anti-inflammatory drugs or triptans, which should be taken in the initial phases of the seizure to facilitate its blocking. In this sense, it is important to remember that, although they are effective, if the patient needs to use them more than twice a week, it will mean that something is wrong, so it is necessary to consult again.
In headaches it is not advisable to use anxiolytic drugs, since they create dependence. If headache pain is related to anxiety or stress, we should get our natural anxiolytics through relaxation techniques and daily physical exercise.