Migraine is very special variety of "sick headache" and requires special treatment under midical supervision. There are different forms of migraine, but there is a definite pattern underlying all. An attack of migraine starts with some alteration of vision, followed by a well localised severe headache which may end in nausea and vomiting. The whole thing is caused by a poorly understood disorder of the blood vessels. There are special drugs, mostly derivatives of ergot, which are effective, especially if used when the first signs of an attack appear. although there is a direct physical cause for an attack, it is also certain that some of the trouble in psychological tenseness. People with migraine are often rather anxious, striving and perfectionist. A psychological treatment helping the patient to cope up with his personal problem could mitigate migraine.
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The combination of a new drug and a push-button autoinjector device has led to faster relief for migraine sufferers. A London-based pharmaceutical group has eased the pain for sufferers with a device that is simply held to the skin and, at the touch of a button, administers a shot of a novel Imigran drug. When Imigran is administered this way, it provides relief within ten minutes, and the symptoms are completely eliminated within two hours. The autoinjector is specially designed for Imigran by migraineurs; the whole container is a little larger than a pack of cards, and the injector itself is the size of an average felt-tip marker pen. Another cardinal feature is that the syringe and needle are hidden from view throughout the operation.