Guide To Headache Migraine Treatment

Migraine headache are repeated or recurrent headaches, possibly caused by changes in the diameter of the blood vessels in the head. Migraine headaches are often classified in two main types — migraine with aura (formerly called classic migraine) and migraine without aura (formerly called common migraine). Most people with migraines do not have any warning before it occurs. However, in cases of "classic" migraine headache, a visual disturbance called an aura happens before the headache starts. Classic migraine is different from "common" migraines (which have no warning sign or aura) or "complicated" migraines (which occur with speech, movement, or other problems in the nervous system). Auras usually last less than an hour. The headache typically begins less than an hour after the aura ends. About two in 10 people who have migraines experience auras, which are sensory or motor disturbances that precede the actual headache. Most auras consist of visual disturbances, such as a blind spot or a flickering zigzag line or crescent in your field of vision. Another type of aura involves unusual sensations, such as numbness and tingling of the lips, lower face and fingers. A third type affects motor function, causing problems with movement or speech.

Migraine headaches are a common type of chronic headache. Migraine pain can be excruciating and may incapacitate you for hours or even days. Some people do experience a variety of vague symptoms before common migraines - mental fuzziness, mood changes, fatigue, and unusual retention of fluid. Migraines occur in women more than men, most often between the ages of 10 and 46 years. In some cases, they appear to run in families. Migraines without aura strike without the unmistakable warning sign of disturbed vision or sensation. Still, some people say more subtle symptoms, such as mood changes and loss of appetite, alert them to oncoming migraines. True migraine headaches are not a result of underlying brain tumors or other serious medical problems. The pain of a classic migraine headache is described as an intense throbbing or pounding felt in the forehead/temple, ear/jaw or around the eyes. Classic migraine starts on one side of the head, but may eventually spread to the other side. An attack may last one to two pain-racked days. Influences in a person's life that tend to overload the nervous system are risks. Once identified in your life, you can counteract the negative effects of risks with the positive results of protective activities.

Migraine headaches constantly accommodates changes in hormones, emotions, and thoughts as well as the many chemicals in our food and beverages. Migraines are the most studied of all headaches, and there are various competing theories about what may actually cause them. Hormones seem to influence migraine development. Some women who take oral contraceptives or estrogen experience worsening headaches while others improve. Similarly, some women have an increasing headache pattern during pregnancy while others have diminished headache intensity. Other women develop migraines for the first time when they are pregnant. Headaches may increase in some women in the days before their menstrual period. Women who do not have migraines may develop migraines as a side effect to using Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCP). Many scientists now believe that migraines arise from problems within the central nervous system. These problems, which tend to run in families, affect the chemical messengers inside your brain — making you more sensitive to the types of triggers that can cause migraines. Many internal and external factors can trigger migraine such as ,Common foods — aged cheese, red wine, caffeine, chocolate, dairy products, pickled foods, lunchmeat, aspartame, MSG, peanuts, lima beans, bananas, raisins. Physical factors — fatigue, hormonal changes, missed meals, decreased sleep, oversleeping, stress

Guide to Headache Migraine Treatment Tips
1. Many medications can reduce the frequency of migraines such as ,Beta-blockers (e.g., propanolol) Anti-depressants (e.g., amitriptyline) Anti-convulsants (e.g., valproic acid) Calcium-channel blockers These medications are less useful and tolerable to patients with infrequent headaches.

2. Other medications are taken when there is the first sign of an impending migraine attack. In the case of classic migraine, Ergots (e.g., DHE-45) Serotonin agonists / triptans (e.g., sumatriptan) and Isometheptene.

3. Other medications are primarily given to treat the symptoms of migraine. Used alone or in combinations, these drugs can minimize pain, nausea, or emotional distress caused by the migraine. Anti-emetics (e.g., prochlorperazine) Sedatives (e.g., butalbital) Anti-inflammatories (e.g., ibuprofen) Acetaminophen Narcotic analgesics (e.g., meperidine)

4. Most patients with migraine can identify certain foods that are closely associated with their migraine headaches. To find out which foods are responsible, avoid all of the above-mentioned foods and then gradually work each food back into the diet.

5. Hormone therapy may help some women whose migraines seem to be linked to their menstrual cycle.

6. Stress management strategies, such as exercise, relaxation, biofeedback, and other therapies designed to help limit discomfort, may also reduce the occurrence and severity of migraine attacks.

by Juliet Cohen

8 Triggers Of Migraine And 6 Ways To Kiss Your Headache Goodbye

"A migraine is like a tornado; it attacks fast without any warning and wreaks havoc."

Migraines usually start during the teenage years or early in adult life, affecting more women than men with a ratio of three to one. Migraines are caused from constricted (tightening) arteries that supply blood flow to the brain. When the arteries constrict, blood flow to the brain is reduced as well as the brains oxygen supply. The brain reacts by dilating (enlarging) arteries to meet the brain's need for energy. The dilation spreads to the arteries in the neck and scalp and is the culprit of the pain in migraines.

If you live with migraines, make sure to have your Doctor rule out an underlying illness or other medical conditions that mimic migraines with the appropriate tests: for example, x-rays determining sinus infection, EEG for seizure activity or a CAT scan to detect blood clots or a brain tumor. Your Dr. may determine a drug to help ease your pain.

Eight Migraine Triggers
1. Cerviogentic Headache:
Some people who have a tender neck and suffer from sore bone and joint problems are diagnosed with this type

2. Temporomandibular Migraine:
Triggered by teeth grinding

3. Sinus Migraine:
Triggered by allergies and caused by excessive mucous and often accompanied by a fever. If you have this type of migraine, you may experience pain around both eyes and also may feel nauseated and sensitive to light.

4. Genetic Migraines:
Studies have lined a gene to people affected with migraines. Often when the gene for migraines is passed on to the next generation, the recipient will also experience headaches around the same age as the person who passed on the migraine.

5. Stress Migraine:
Stress can be a major contributing factor to the onset of a migraine. Type A personalities are more likely to experience migraines. Type A is ambitious, bright, perfectionist, emotionally repressed, cautious and has a decreased ability to manage stress. However, this is the easiest type of migraine to treat because a type A personality can acquire the skills necessary to manage stress.

6. Hormonal Migraine:
Fluctuating hormones in women are often the cause of migraines and can happen during menstrual cycles.

7. Cigarette Migraine
An equal opportunity source of migraines is because the nicotine alters blood vessels. High carbon monoxide levels in a person who smokes or even inhales second hand smoke can lead to a migraine.

8. Food Migraines
Food allergies are another factor that leads to migraines. However, migraine sufferers are able to eat chocolate without falling prey to a migraine. Some patients actually report relief from eating chocolate.

Foods that Can Cause Migraines
1. Aged cheese such as Roquefort, Stilton and Sharp Cheddar
2. Fermented Dairy such as Sour Cream, Buttermilk and Yogurt
3. Citrus: Oranges or Grapefruit, including juice
4. Nuts: Peanuts, Walnuts or Pecans
5. Legumes: Peas, Beans and Soy product 6. Onions and Garlic
7. Bananas
8. Pickled foods: picked herring is the most common instigator
9. MSG found in Chinese food
10. Alcohol

Now that you know the common triggers, also note that skipping meals also causes migraines. Skipping meals causes your blood sugar to drop, which in turn causes a migraine.

Eight Ways to Kiss Your Migraine Goodbye
1. Medicine
Medicines have been used for centuries to treat migraines. Today Dr's prescribe Beta Blockers to treat migraines by maintaining adequate dilation of blood vessels. Antidepressants: The brain chemical 'serotonin' plays a role in migraine attacks because the levels of serotonin may cause or relieve migraine and that's why Drs sometimes prescribe antidepressants for migraines. Antidepressants reduce migraine frequency by regulating serotonin levels in the brain. Other drugs are triptans available as an injection or nasal spray. This type of drug shuts down the inflammation and transmission of migraine pain.

2. Surgical Treatment
Nerve stimulators have been used to control back and muscle pain and in 2003 a nerve stimulator was successfully used to treat chronic headaches. With nerve stimulation, one end of a wire is connected to a nerve that controls pain and the other is connected to a small battery powered generator. The patient controls the generator via a remote device. Once turned on, it disconnects the pain signal.

Not only do chronic migraine suffers face agonizing physical disabilities, they also have the psychological fear of not being able to earn a living or manage their home life because daily activities can suddenly become unbearable with the onset of a migraine.

3. Holistic Intervention
Rarely are people offered a non drug approach to treating migraines. Treating a migraine holistically not only can treat the migraine at onset but can also act as prevention.

Create a headache diary listing the 5 W's.
A. Who were you with?
B. Where? Did someone irritate you? At work with glaring lights?
C. What? What medications were you on?
D. When? When did the headache start?
E. Why? Did some particular food or drink aggravate the situation? Did you get enough sleep?

4. Review your diary after 30 days and see if you can isolate the trigger.

5. Use heat to help dilate the blood vessels in the body. This must be done at direct onset of your migraine. Soak your hands in hot water for 20-30 minutes. As the migraine progresses and the blood vessels enlarge, apply ice to the back of the neck and forehead to help constrict capillaries that are pressing against the nerves.

6. Relaxation techniques
You can use relaxation techniques to manage stress. Research has found that people who consciously practice yoga daily for 30 - 45 minutes can learn to positively manipulate involuntary bodily responses like migraine pain. Studies have shown that relaxation practiced on a regular basis achieves a 45 to 80% reduction or elimination in both migraine severity and frequency. Yoga triggers a boost in the brain chemical serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is involved with your body's anger, pain, sleep and migraine and can be a cure for headaches. Frequent headaches are a sign that you are stressed out and it's your body's way of saying slow down and take care of me. Especially if you are a type A personality. My type A patients often say they can't sit still and have a difficult time with the relaxation/mediation part of yoga. My reply? What's more difficult to live with. Meditating daily or living with a migraine, a stroke or a heart attack? These are very real situations that afflict people with constricted arteries and that's why it's vital that you make time for your health . Unfortunately for my patients, I often meet them after they've suffered from a condition of vascular abnormality. They are very motivated to participate because they have experienced what happens when blood flow to the heart or brain is compromised. Consequently they practice my techniques daily to reduce a recurrence. Why not make time now? There are 1440 minutes in a day. 45 minutes a day practicing yoga is a wise investment in your heath that offers a positive life style with increased energy without the use of toxic drugs polluting your liver and fewer Doctor visits which equals fewer co-payments. Yoga Chi for Energy DVD includes medically engineered relaxation techniques with an 11 minute meditation by a crackling fireplace.

by Suzanne Andrews

Migraine Headache - What Are The Treatments?

Migraine is a type of strong headache and a medical condition. Migraine is a neurological disease, the general symptom is a strong and disabling periodic headache. Migraine headaches are generally characterized by severe ache on one or both sides of the head.
Described as ache that is located also the head or back of the neck, headaches can vary from brief and irritating, to immobilizing. However present, headaches are not as frequent in juvenile children, as they are in adolescence, young adults, and adults.

There are two types of migraine: Aura migraine and Classic migraine. An aura migraine is characterize by visual disturbances, most frequently spots, flashing lights or a pattern related to herringbone, ten to 30 minutes previous to the onset of painful migraine symptoms. A classic migraine does not have any of aural type presentations.
Still the reason of migraine is unidentified. The condition may outcome from a series of reactions in the Central Nervous System made by changes in the body or in the background. There is frequently a family history of the confusion, signifying that migraine victims may come into sensitivity to triggers that cause inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves in the region of the brain, stimulate ache.

Migraine headache cure fall under two large groups:
I.Analgesics and analgesic combinations.
II. Migraine-specific therapies as the triptans, ergotamine and dihydroergotamine.
For menstrual migraines there is a lot of treatment options available. In acute-migraines, adviced to take Imitrex Sumatriptan with a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory Ibuprofen, Naproxen. These two drugs decrease symptoms, but must not be take more than two times per week as return headaches may occur. Though, if headaches happen more often than twice a week, then must be applied therapy .

by Meg Joshua

Five Things You Can Do To Stop Your Migraine Headache

Migraine Treatment: Step 1 - Sleep
Sleep has long been recognised as a treatment for migraine. Many people with migraine take to their bed, as it is the only way to get comfortable. Sleep will inevitably follow, and it is a common experience to waken with your head feeling a lot better - if not completely gone.
An irregular sleep pattern and sleep deprivation can trigger migraine attacks. If you are able to do so, try and improve your sleep hygiene - wind down before bedtime, have a milky drink, make sure your day is active enough that you feel tired, avoid stressful situations before going to bed and make sure that you allow sufficient time to sleep. A recent research programme showed that doing these things to improve sleep pattern could reduce migraine severity by up to 30%.

Migraine Treatment: Step 2 - Water
Dehydration is a lack of water in your body. Many people with migraine will deliberately increase the amount they drink, as they know that if they get dehydrated a migraine will certainly follow. The exact amount which is best is not known. A cup (100ml) every 1 to 2 hours during your waking day may be more than enough for most people. There is a famous case of an engineer who took great care to record his water intake and the frequency of his migraine attacks. He realised (when he did the statistical analysis!)that regular water drinking reduced his migraine frequency by about 50%!. Please note if you have kidney trouble you may not be able to be free to increase your fluid intake by this amount - check with your doctor if you are unsure). In warmer climates or during periods of hot weather the amount you drink may need to increase.

Migraine Treatment: Step 3 - Exercise
It is a commonly accepted fact that exercise causes naturally made painkillers (called endorphins) to be released into your brain. Regular exercise will contribute to a sense of well being. When you feel fit, headaches are less likely to occur. A problem is that migraine people can sometimes cause headaches by exercising too much, especially if tired or dehydrated or if exercising in bright sunlight. I'd suggest starting with gentle exercise such as walking half to one mile a 3 times each week, then builiding this up until you enjoy walking 2 or 3 miles at a time. Walk interesting routes, go with a friend, anyhting to make you stick to the routine. You do not have to train to run a marathon! Regular exercise, like walking, I'm sure, is a big help. There are studies of gym-based activities such as rowing, cycling or stepping. In one study doing these activities for up to one hour 3 times a week did reduce migraine frequency by between 30 and 50%. However, another more recent study using exercvise cycles did not show such a strong response. Exercise should, however, be part of your migraine reduction programme.

Migraine Treatment: Step 4- Diet & Weight Management
There is no end to the amount of information written about diets. A lot of people talk about triggers such as coffee or chocolate. If you find that a specific food always produces a migraine, then it makes sense to avoid it. However, if you analyse a trigger food, you may find that when you ate the chocolate you were a bit underslept, had missed your lunch, were under a bit of stress or it was a warm day when you hadn't had much to drink. No wonder when you took that mid-afternoon snack of chocolate you ended up with a migraine! My advice is this - eat regularly, try to avoid missing meals. When you eat - enjoy it! Better to enjoy your food and relax than get stressed over what is supposed to be one of life's simple pleasures.
It is now known that being overweight is strongly associated with recurrent severe migraine headache. If you do happen to be overweight, reducing your weight through a planned calorie restriction and exercise programme can reduce the amount of headache you have. People with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 25 are up to 6 times less likely to have severe migraines, than those who are severely overweight or obese.

Migraine Treatment: Step 5 - Stress avoidance and Biofeedback
This is hard. You are a young mother, holding down a job, your partner works long hours, you have deadlines, need to keep the house running, children or parents to sort out etc etc etc. This sort of common stress can take its toll. More major stress will also provoke headaches. Learning to deal with stress is difficult. However, I often find that people who get stressed are usually very bad at looking after themselves - when did you last take a few hours off just for yourself? Stress avoidance is helpful. Biofeedback is a technique that allows you to feel more in control of your pain. If you can learn this, it is said to be very effective at reducing the frequency of migraine headaches. Stress management can reduce migraine frequency by up to 50%.



So that�s it - 5 things you can do to treat your own migraine - this is exactly what I try to tell my patients. Note that a lot of this is within your own control - sleep, exercise, water intake, diet, stress avoidance. It is a powerful thing to feel in control. Medicines will help, but unless you look after youself, medicines are not the whole answer.

Please note, this information assumes that your diagnosis is correct, and this article is not a substitute for proper medical care. If you are not sure of your diagnosis or have symptoms that concern you, you are advised to speak to your doctor.

Dr Raeburn Forbes is a practising neurologist from Northern Ireland. He writes http://www.migrainenews.co.uk and http://www.lumbarpuncture.net. Dr Forbes is a graduate of the University of Dundee, and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh and London. His main interest is in acute neurology, specifically headache disorders. He is a member of the Association of British Neurologists, International Headache Society and the British Association for the Study of Headache.

by Dr. Raeburn B. Forbes MD(Hons) FRCP

How To Tackle Migraine

Question : I SUFFER from migraine. The pain is often accompanied by nausea and changes in vision. Is there any way to prevent an attack?

Answer : MIGRAINE is a form of headache. It is usually very intense and disabling. Some people suffer from it repeatedly. Migraines are different from other headaches because they occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light.

Migraines can be triggered by allergies and stress. They may be, relieved by identifying and avoiding problem foods.
Some sufferers react to salt, lactose in milk and ice cream, cigarette smoke, birth control pills, caffeine and tryptophan, an amino acid found in protein-rich foods.
All these allergens may trigger or worsen a migraine attack.
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) is helpful in treating migraine. It has been noticed that a reduction of energy production within the blood vessels of the brain is one of the causes.
Thus flooding the system with riboflavin can indirectly help regenerate this flagging energy system and somehow short-circuit migraine pain.
On average, those with migraine have lower levels of magnesium. Studies have shown that magnesium supplementation decreases premenstrual migraines.
High doses of calcium and vitamin D have also been useful in treating migraines.
Fish oil may also be used to reduce the symptoms of migraine headaches. Ginkgo biloba may also help as it reduces the platelet-activating factor, which may contribute to migraine attacks.
Exercising and managing the stress wisely may also be of benefit.

Headaches With Effective Natural Solutions

1. One major cause of headaches is an accumulation of toxins in the body and nervous system.

2. This problem is increased when we have constipation. A large number of headache sufferers have constipation or problems with their kidneys.

3. This problem of auto-toxification is multiplied even further when one is living is a polluted environment, inhaling toxic substances which react negatively on lungs and nervous system.

4. Another major source of headaches is tension in the neck. Neck tension can be result of too much thinking, especially worrying, or poor posture, or the result of some specific type of work such as typing or sewing.

5. Neck tension may also be associated with eyestrain, which may result from a certain type of work which requires much concentration with the eyes, or simply a growing weakness or tension in the eyes.

6. The overall tension in all the body may also contribute to this tension in the neck, eyes, and head. This is especially true of the tension in the spine, which tends to flow up into the neck and head.

7. A lack of sufficient blood flow and thus, nutrients and oxygen in the cells of the brain can easily cause a headache can easily ensue.

8. Unresolved negative emotions and especially anger, worry or anxiety can also create headaches.

9. Insomnia can also create headaches.

10. Hormonal imbalances can often generate headaches, especially during the days preceding and during a woman's menstrual period.

11. Other factors also contribute to headaches such as certain hereditary tendencies or organic malfunctioning within the individual.


You Can do Much to Get Free from Headaches

The best cure is prevention. Let us look at some of the ways in which we can free ourselves from the discomfort and burden of headaches.

1. Massage can help to relax the muscles and nerves of the neck, head and eyes so as to increase the flow of blood and relieve the pain. This is only a temporary solution, however, for we have not effected the headache as its cause. We have only momentarily removed the symptom.

2. A proper diet with pure non-toxic foods will help the body to free itself from the accumulation of toxic wastes. Some, who have a high degree of toxicity, may want to go through a detoxification fast under the guidance of a professional naturopath so as to clean out their system.
3. If constipation is also a contributing factor, then one should immediately begin to solve this problem with plenty of liquids, fiber and exercise. One may even want to make a few purges with an enema so as to clear out some of the toxic waste in the intestines, preferably under the guidance of a doctor or professional health counselor.

4. If we are absorbing large amounts of pollution and living a life of general stress, we can protect our bodies from vitamin deficiency by taking vitamins B, C and E. These vitamins should be taken in as natural form as possible, but it is seldom possible to get all one needs through natural foods alone. Some naturopaths recommend doses of 1000 milligrams of vitamin C and 200 i.u. of vitamin E per day. Vitamin B can be absorbed through eating brewer’s yeast according to the recommendation on the package.

5. The tension, which accumulates in the spine, neck and head, can be relaxed and released through specific exercises and breathing techniques. (These can be learned from an experienced Yoga Instructor). These exercises are also useful for creating an overall harmony in the nervous and endocrine system, thus eliminating the problems of imbalanced hormones or tension in the nervous system.

6. Breathing techniques in conjunction with deep relaxation offer us a wonderful tool for relaxing all the muscles and nerves, and even the emotions and the mind itself. These techniques are not only useful for preventing headaches, but are also a wonderful first aid for an already existing headache.

7. Another harmonizing factor is having a routine. The body and mind function much more efficiently and peacefully when there is a certain rhythm in our way of living. Regular hours for sleep, waking, eating and washing are very calming to the nervous system and endocrine system.

8. Those who have much nervous tension would benefit from regular practice of meditation or inner concentration, which would allow them to release and / or transcend physical and mental tensions on a daily basis.

9. Simultaneously we need to understand the cause of his nervous tension and anxiety. Self-analysis our mind’s mechanisms will help us discover the ways in which we create unnecessary worry and tension for ourselves.

10. So much of our worry and nervous tension is a result of our ignorance or forgetfulness of our true spiritual nature. We lack self-confidence and faith in Divine protection and guidance. Thus the study of spiritual truths handed down to us through the various religions and spiritual philosophies can help us to see our worries and problems in a more clear and rational perspective. Wisdom brings Peace. Peace leads to love and harmony.

In conclusion we may say that headaches in most cases are the result of wrong or imbalanced living and thinking. We can change our way of living and thinking, and thus free ourselves from these unnecessary pains. Thus our headache becomes our teacher or inner guide who reminds us when we are moving away from the harmonious path or right living, acting and thinking.

Robert Elias Najemy

The Difference Between A Migraine And An Allergy Headache

Often people find it difficult to distinguish between an allergy headache and a migraine.There may be chances of Allergy headache if someone complains of headache after eating or drinking something. If the headache is accompanied with swelling, hives or breathing problems too then these symptoms confirm Allergy headache. These types allergies can be fatal if not handled properly a doctor should be consulted immediately.
If a person suffers from headache pain, but have no other symptoms, then he can try to get relief by applying a cold pack on his forehead. When this is accompanied with proper rest he should feel much better after a short period of time. However, if he feels that the cold pack is of little use, then he should stop using it and allow the pain to settle down. A painkiller such as acetaminophen, naproxen sodium, ibuprofen or aspirin may prove to be helpful here.

Allergy Headaches Due To Weather
Someone may also get an allergy headache from the changes in seasons as well.symptoms effectively make an allergy headache discernible from a migraine. The symptoms of migraine are an intense headache that is located in one particular area of your head. Usually it is accompanied by nausea and it may even cause you to vomit. Sometimes person having migraine may even become sensitive to touch on his arms and scalp. A migraine may last for several hours or days. If someone suffer from migraines, discussion with a doctor and proper medication may prove helpful.
On the other hand, an allergy headache is usually triggered by person’s allergies or a change in the air pressure. Therefore, if he notices that headache is seasonal or occurs due to weather change, then there might be a possibility of Allergy headache.
Person having Allergy headache can simply treat this common type of headache by taking an over-the-counter allergy pain reliever medication. This helps the pressure inside your sinuses to equalize with the air around it. These medications prove very helpful in treating all seasonal allergy symptoms as well.

by Richard Romando