Why the emergency room may not be the best place to go for a severe migraine
Emergency rooms surely provide an important service to their local communities, but some medical issues are not treated effectively in a perceived emergency situation.
Migraine headaches can easily be one of those medical problems. Emergency room technicians tend to focus on short-term medical solutions until more testing can be done, so the first option used by many emergency room doctors is a prescription pain reliever.
Issuing a diagnosis is not always an easy task for a general doctor when patients show up at the emergency room, especially for a condition that could be caused by multiple sources. The conventional first option may be an incorrect treatment regimen.
Strong painkillers are not always the best headache treatment
Emergency room doctors who are focused on relieving headache pain will usually opt for a strong pain reliever. The drugs administered are most commonly from the opioid class often given on top of over-the-counter medications taken at home.
In these cases, drug interactions can occur and high medication levels can cause more medical problems. The first line of ER defense may not be the best.
What causes migraine headaches?
Doctors are not completely sure what causes migraine headaches. Sometimes they may come from being over-stressed, which is commonly assumed, but the patient can also have underlying medical issues that have not been diagnosed.
An accurate diagnosis will usually involve a specialist who deals with severe migraine patients on a regular basis. An emergency room doctor may be able to perform some standard tests, but information on where to find a headache specialist will be a valuable part of an emergency room visit.
What kind of specialist do you need?
Although migraines have been treated throughout history with some effectiveness, new technologies in dentistry have offered new treatment options for this very common condition. Many pain episodes are actually TMJ migraines that are caused by an abnormality in the temporomandibular, or jaw joint.
While some migraine symptoms can be associated with other medical problems, TMJ Disorder is much more common than most headache sufferers realize. Seeking treatment from a dental specialist is an excellent option for actually stopping the ultimate cause of pain.
Get effective pain relief
Anyone who suffers from regular migraines should consider being evaluated by an experienced TMJ migraine headache doctor who can apply a SPG Block treatment that numbs the tissue that is creating the pain resulting from a TMJ Disorder.
