Diagnosis and management of migraines and migraine variants

Migraine headache is a neurologic disorder that occurs in 18% of women and 6% of men. Adults and children with mild to moderate migraine headaches seeking acute therapy should be treated with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs because of the efficacy, cost, and decreased side effects. Some children and adults require preventive therapy (those with headaches lasting >12 h, those patients with >4 headaches in 1 month, those with headaches that affect their ability to function). Studies have shown that early treatment with large doses of medication work well for the treatment of moderate to severe migraine headache.