There are many causes of headache that can be generated by lifestyle and other reason, includes stress, lack of sleep, intake of alcohol, spicy food, poor posture, skipped meals etc. Some other medical conditions may causes headaches includes
1. Brain tumor,
2. Blood clots,
3. Glaucoma, Dehydration,
4. Cold/Influenza
5. Panic attacks
6. Strokes
7. Dehydration
8. Bleeding in or around the brain
9. Carbon monoxide poisoning
10. Concussion
Sometimes headaches can be a symptom of a serious medical condition, hence it is important to look for medical advice.
These are several types of headaches like tension (most common headache), migraine, and cluster headaches, chronic headaches, sinus headaches, and post traumatic headaches.
But I think the medications prescribed by MD to your mother are usually given in migraine. Some of the common symptoms of migraine are :
i) Sensitivity to light, noise, and smells,
ii) Throbbing pain,
iii) Nausea and vomiting, upset stomach, and belly pain,
iv) Fatigue,
v) Loss of appetite,
vi) Dizziness
vii) Feeling very warm or cold.
viii) Pale skin.
ix) Blurry vision,
x) Fever
Pain usually last from 4 hours to three or more days and usually happen repeat 3-4 times a month.
If your mother is having some or all of these symptoms then definitely she is suffering from migraine.
For different types of headaches different types of medicines are available like:
Tension headaches: Many Over the Counter (OTC) medicines are available and can be taken if required. Some pain relievers are aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen or naproxen. But care should be taken while taking OTC medicines and should not be taken on a regular basis. Some of the prescription medicines are antidepressants can be helpful and can be taken only after consultation of a physician.
Migraine headaches: Triptans e.g. sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, naratriptan are prescribed for treatment of migraine headaches. These drugs are used to relieving symptoms and for prevention of additional attacks.
If you can recognize triggers of your migraines, by avoiding these triggers you can prevent migraines or reduce the pain. Treatment might include:
1. Use of OTC medicines/prescription medicines
2. Rest in dark room or dim light
3. Hot or cold pack on forehead
4. Massage and small amounts of caffeine
Some alternative therapies are there which help in stress reduction. They include: Cognitive behavioral therapy, Massage therapy, Biofeedback and acupuncture etc.
To prevent headache you can also do following things:
a. Cold pack can be placed on forehead (in case of migraine)
b. Use of heat pad
c. Intake some caffeinated beverages
d. Pressure on forehead
e. Avoid alcohol
f. Dim the lights
g. Yoga /Meditation
But still nothing is working and you feel very severe headache or with or without fever, rash, dizziness, numbness, confusion, seizures you should seek medical advice.