Of the more than 30 million Americans suffering from migraines, women are disproportionately affected.
According to the American Medical Association, more than 18% of women suffer from migraines.
This statistic climbs to greater than 22% for pregnant women.
Prescription drugs are the most commonly used prevention method.
Unfortunately, some pharmaceutical options also present adverse side effects including increased risk of birth defects.
Many migraine headache sufferers aren't aware of alternative treatments such as the NTI-tss Plus.
The FDA has recently issued a reminder about the heightened risk of neural tube defects in babies exposed in-utero to medications that contain valproate, a commonly prescribed pharmaceutical option for migraineurs.
The average rate of birth defects among US newborns is approximately 1 in 1,000 but children born to mothers that used medications such as Depakote, Depacon, and Stavzor resulted in a birth defect rate of 1 in 20.
There are safe and effective migraine prevention therapies for expectant mothers.
One non-pharmacological option is the FDA-approved NTI-tss Plus.
It is a small dental appliance that fits over the front four teeth.
Many migraines are a result of nighttime clenching and grinding of the teeth.
The NTI-tss Plus comfortably keeps the canines and back teeth apart during sleep to minimize the intensity of the clenching forces.
Because this is there is no ingestion of pharmaceuticals, the risk of pharmacological side effects is nonexistent.
In a study reviewed for FDA approval, 82% of NTI-tss users experienced a 77% reduction in migraine events.
The appliance is available by prescription from dentists throughout the US.
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