How to Treat Chronic Migraine Headaches - kcentv.com - KCEN HD - Waco, Temple, and Killeen

(KCEN) -- It's an unbearable pain that can make you dizzy nauseous and even cause you to put your life on hold.

More than one out of ten people will suffer from migraine headaches at one point in their lifetime.

And for some these excruciating headaches happen more often than not.

In a special report we take a look at migraines and how you can find some relief.

Brooke Morrow suffered her first migraine at the age of ten and has been fighting them ever since.

Brooke Morrow who suffers from migraines says, "The first symptom for me is a visual disturbance. It's called an aura, it's kind of like your in a tunnel."

Then Morrow says parts of her body go numb the final symptom before a terrible pain makes it's home in her temple.

"It's just kind of like a throbbing, someone putting a spike in the side of your head."

According to Scott and White Headache Clinic Director Michael Ready, "The hallmark of migraine is a disabling headache, a headache that slows you down and stops you from doing what you're doing."

If you don't take care of that pain it only gets worse.

"How we define chronic daily headache is headache more days than not, so 15 days out of the month we define that as chronic daily headache," says Dr. Ready.

But the trouble is there's no magic pill or treatment that works for everyone.

"Our basis understanding of migraine is that the brain is different, it is a sensitive brain that doesn't like change."

Morrow says, "I experience migraines most when I'm traveling or out of my element, when I've had a lack of sleep."

So Dr. Ready has given Morrow a number of different tools to take on migraine.

"We find some vitamins and supplements very effective. In preventing migraine. Riboflavin, vitamin B2, magnesium."

"I'm giving it a try, I think when you suffer from migraines you will try anything," says Morrow.
"He started having me do deep breathing or meditating and that really seems to help."

And while Morrow says all these things have helped cut her headaches down from 25 to around ten per month there's still one fear she can't put at ease.

"Are my girls going to get this? My oldest one is almost eight and I had my first migraine when I was ten so we're getting close. And every time she says she has a headache I think, is this the one, is this the time the migraines are going to start."

And Dr. Ready says this is a valid worry since migraines are hereditary.

The doctor also recommends if you think you're suffering from migraines it's best to see a doctor first.

That's so they can rule out any other medical condition that may be causing your pain.

Coming up tonight at 10 we'll take a look at an alternative method used to relieve daily chronic headaches and migraines.