• There is no known cure for migraine; however, attacks can be treated effectively with a variety of medications.

• Acute treatments (medicines that are used to treat an attack after it has started) may include common painkillers (analgesics) such as paracetamol, aspirin and codeine. These drugs may be effective in treating migraine, and some can be bought without a prescription. However, these medications only treat the symptoms associated with migraine, and do not act on the underlying cause of the condition.

• Other acute medications include the triptans. Unlike analgesics, triptans are migraine-specific treatments that target the cause of the disease.

• For patients who have very frequent attacks, a doctor might recommend a different kind of medicine to try to prevent or reduce the frequency of full-blown migraine attacks (called ‘prophylaxis’). Prophylactic treatments can reduce the number of attacks, but migraine sufferers will still require acute treatment for breakthrough attacks.

• A doctor might also recommend that patients visit another physician who specialises in headaches.

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