Head > Migraine

What is a migraine?

Migraine headaches affect an estimated 25 million Americans, including elite athletes like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Terrell Davis, and Scottie Pippen. They can have a profound effect on an athlete's performance, as Davis discovered in Super Bowl XXXII when he was forced to the sidelines for the entire second quarter with a migraine.

Although experts are still seeking a cure for migraines, new medications have been developed that have significantly improved treatment. The newest abortive treatments, which are taken once the headache has started, are called triptans and are taken orally, through an injection, as a nasal spray, or in a wafer form that dissolves on the tongue. These are taken at the earliest signs of a migraine. Common prophylactic drugs sometimes are used to prevent migraines. These include calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, and anti-depressants. Some over-the-counter medications that have been approved for migraine are basically a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine. About 50 percent of migraine sufferers will respond to aspirin. Davis was able to return to the Super Bowl after halftime and lead the Broncos to victory after he inhaled a prescription nasal spray that reverses dilation of the blood vessels in the membrane surrounding the brain. The spray bypasses the stomach and is more quickly absorbed than pills. Research into a chemical in the brain called "substance P" may eventually prove fruitful for migraine relief. Substance P is a chemical that works on another chemical, serotonin, which also affects the dilation of blood vessels.