Stop Migraine Headaches

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As sure as the sun will rise, so is aging an eventual reality.   People get old, period.  No ifs and buts.  Our bodies will give subtle signs that the clock is indeed ticking.  For migraine sufferers or migraineurs, adding on the years can actually be more advantageous.  Statistics show that only 2-10% of the older generation experience migraines, compared to the 28% for those under 65.  Right off the bat, aging seems to be a natural migraine remedy.

They say life begins at 40.  For migraineurs, migraines reach its height at about the same age.  Past 40, many migraineurs experience reduced episodes of the neurological disorder.  Even better news, for those beyond the age of 55, both the frequency and gravity of the attacks are lessened.

But the magic number seems to be 65.  Approximately two-thirds of migraine sufferers have totally ceased having the episodes by this age.  For the unfortunate few who still have attacks past the age of 65, migraines have considerably improved.  The occurrences have been significantly less acute, not as frequent and briefer in duration.  Moreover, the gastrointestinal problems faced by younger migraineurs are more likely to wane at this point for the elderly.

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• Managing Migraines Successfully Those of us that suffer from Migraines know that they can be so severe that they can just about cripple the migraine sufferer. Migraines can and do have a tremendous impact on one's quality of life, but it is now possible to treat migraines in such a way that they......
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It is common for migraine sufferers to feel alone and misunderstood. The truth is they are not alone. There are many support groups out there where migraine sufferers can fund information, resources and most importantly, understanding and encouragement.

The World Headache Alliance (WHA)

The WHA can be contacted at www.w-h-a.org. This group is an International organization that brings together the collective expertise of 38 headache organization in 26 different countries. Their website is considered as one of the best when it comes to providing the most current information and the latest news about migraines and other forms of headaches.

The American Council for Headache Education (ACHE)

The ACHE can be reached at www.achenet.org. The mission of this organization is to educate patients and health care providers about headaches and other forms of headaches. Their website features plenty of useful information about migraine diagnosis and studies. It also has a section called “Ask the Expert” where physical volunteers are available to answer questions.

The Migraine Action Association (MAA)

The MAA’s online address is www.migraine.org.uk. Established in 1958, the MAA is one of the oldest migraine support and advocacy groups in the world. The site features an exclusive list of local chapters and support groups in the whole UK.

Migraine Awareness Group: A National Understanding for Migraineurs (MAGNUM)

You can find MAGNUM online at www.migraines.org. Because of the quality of information that it provides, MAGNUM is a great resource for people who want to get involved with migraine activism.

The Migraine Trust

The Migraine Trust can be reached at www.migrainetrust.org. This excellent site is devoted to raising awareness of migraine in the workplace. The group’s newsletter is packed with good information.

Headaches and Migraines at About.com

This site, which can be reached at headaches.about.com, offers a wealth of information and links to lots of other good migraine resources.

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For some people, a cup of coffee marks the beginning of the day.  But did you know that it also serves as a migraine trigger for an equal number of people?  One would think, put an end to the caffeine and you put an end to the headaches, right? Wrong.

The relationship of coffee and migraine is more complex than meets the eye.  It’s particularly difficult if the migraineur (migraine sufferer) realises that the caffeine is bringing on the migraines.  Putting the brakes on coffee drinking is not the answer.  Heavy caffeine consumers usually suffer from withdrawal headaches if they don’t have their regular daily dose.  Gradual withdrawal is the way to go.

Slowly reducing caffeine consumption will avoid sending your body into a tailspin withdrawal.  Identifying migraine triggers in your diet is an effective natural migraine remedy. Do it little by little until it’s eliminated entirely from your menu.

But why do many pain relievers contain caffeine?  Caffeine has vasoconstrictive properties that help ease the aches in some migraineurs.  During a migraine attack, the arteries of the temple become inflamed or dilated.  One theory contends that the vasoconstriction effect of caffeine reduces the swelling.  On the other hand, some assert that caffeine supplements the main analgesic.  Researches have indicated that combining most analgesics with caffeine makes it more potent for migraine treatment.  However, it didn’t indicate exactly why that was so.

As mentioned earlier, avoiding triggers is a natural way of treating migraines.  How do you do that?  Read the labels!  Caffeine may be in foods and drinks you don’t expect.  Obvious choices are – of course – sodas and coffee, but they’re also in fruit-flavoured sodas, chocolates (with the darker ones containing more caffeine) and readily available analgesics.  Care must be exercised with these over-the-counter pain relievers and other medications as they aren’t always distinctly labelled. Apply the same caution with natural migraine cures.  Doing some research will help go a long way.

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The slightest indication of an impending migraine makes one pop a pill or concoct a natural migraine cure.  Awareness of how painful the attacks can get brings apprehension due to its incapacitating effects to the working man.  Migraineurs (migraine sufferers) are five times more inclined to experience clinical depression than those who are not.  As such, it is not surprising that depressed individuals are three time more probable to be migraineurs.

The main contention with the relationship of migraine and depression is similar to the chicken or egg scenario, which does come first?  Is one necessarily the effect of the other? There is an interesting common denominator between migraines and depression; they are both neurotransmitter deficiencies of the brain.  A noteworthy sidelight is how insomnia fits into the picture.  Migraine and depression sufferers find difficulty as well in getting some shuteye.  Insomnia is another brain neurotransmitter disorder.

Physicians are of the opinion that while migraine and depression are correlated, each has a different trigger with a similar neurobiology.  For a long time, experts lay the blame on depression on why migraineurs lost the quality of their lives.  But now, the connection seems to be leaning more on the biological mechanism rather than psychology.

A major concern for clinically depressed migraineurs is the drug interaction of the depression and migraine medications.  This is why some prefer natural migraine remedies over prescription drugs.  The FDA acknowledged that danger in July 2006.  Combining triptans used for migraines with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) or Serotinin and Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs) used for depression may result in a condition known as serotonin syndrome.  This is a state where the body has excessive serotonin levels exhibited by the following symptoms:

• Gastrointestinal problems
• Hallucinations
• Rapid movement in blood pressure
• Faster heart rate
• Higher body temperature

It is important for depressed migraineurs to discuss their options with a trusted doctor to prevent serotonin syndrome.  Discuss other alternatives, such as natural migraine treatments, to remedy your pains.

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Transformed migraines (TM) is a migraine condition that starts out as episodic attacks but later resurfaces into more frequent occurrences until it arises daily or almost everyday.

People with TM usually share common attributes, such as:

A history of episodic migraine that can be traced back to their teen years or twenties

Majority are women, where 90% of whom have a record of migraine with aura

Excessive medication intake

Some migraineurs or migraine sufferers may already have a TM but don’t know it yet.  To them, pain is pain and whether it’s TM or not, it’s all muddled up as one forgettable experience.  Here are some characteristics manifested by the transformation process:

Migraine episodes become more recurrent over a period of time (i.e. months or years)

The attacks come with less severe and infrequent sensitivity to sound (phonophobia), sensitivity to light (photophobia) and nausea

After the transformation comes the pain. But what does a full blown TM feel like when it strikes?  If you’ve exhibited some of these characteristics, you just might have it:

Having daily or almost daily headaches that appear to be a mix of migraine and tension-type headaches

The gravity of the pain decreases to mild to moderate

The nausea, phonophobia or photophobia doesn’t necessarily have to accompany the pain felt

Other migraine indicators may linger, such as, gastrointestinal problems, unilateral or one sided pain and exacerbation of the pain caused by other migraine triggers

TM usually manifest a throbbing nature

Finding relief for TM remains to be of a complicated nature and requires a doctor’s attention.  Analgesic medicines should be restricted to avoid Medication Overuse Headache or MOH.  A healthy  lifestyle is recommended.  This includes ample sleep, balanced diet and regular exercise.  People with chronic migraines are typically depressed and anxious.  Work with a therapist to help improve your stress coping skills.  For preventive medication, anti-depressants and anti-convulsants are employed.  The goal of TM management is to transform the headaches back from everyday to intermittent attacks.

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Though the Eves of this world far out number the Adams who experience migraines, they are nevertheless a painful reality for the male populace.  The difference is, women are more obsessed about treating what ails them.  This is a simple attempt to shed some light to what men go through when the migraine attacks.

Migraine happens differently in men.  Women and children commonly feel vomiting, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.  Men, on the other hand, endure frontal headaches or the one-sided headaches.  Other symptoms include tears building up in only one eye, congestion of one nostril, “ice-pick pains” or sharp jabs of pain and droopy eyelid.  In fact, men often mistake migraine for sinus infections or allergies due to similar symptoms.  Typical symptoms linked to migraines may or may not be manifested by the adult males.  This just goes to show that migraines in men are women differ significantly.  The men generally tend to shy away from seeking proper medical attention.  For some, averting the doctor’s office is a way of protecting the male ego.  Migraine in men carries a stigma that they are unable to handle pressure and stress.  The Adams out there need to realise that self-medication may aggravate migraines by taking the wrong drugs or worse, by over medicating oneself.   Medication overuse may actually lead to rebound headaches, headaches which are brought about by taking too many medicines too often.

Men should learn to spot migraine symptoms.  Unfamiliarity with the signs may lead them to think they have other headache illnesses, like Paroxysmal hemicranias and cluster headaches.  In a particular study, 88% of the 2,400 participants who inadvertently thought they had sinus headaches were actually confirmed to be experiencing migraines.  Furthermore, 28% conveyed they were feeling migraine auras.  An aura is a warning sign or indicator of an upcoming migraine.  Typical examples would include bright lights engulfing objects, dizziness and numbness.  An aura does not happen in a sinus headache.

To all the men out there, be vigilant when it comes to your health.  Remember, an ounce of prevention, is a pound of cure.

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Migraines afflict people across races, genders and social classes.  In fact, even a prominent celebrity like Janet Jackson suffers from a less popular type of migraine called vestibular migraine.  Here are some facts to take this form of migraine out of the shadows.

The vestibular system is the body’s sensory system responsible for maintaining our balance or equilibrium.

So what is vestibular migraine?

Vestibular migraine is a migraine type where the primary manifestation is not the headache, but rather, dizziness.  Attacks can vary from some minutes to a few hours.  It also has a chronic type where sufferers feel a continuous sense of imbalance.  In many occasions, a migraine headache will precede the vestibular migraine.

What causes this migraine?

It is believed that vestibular migraine is genetic.  However, the true mechanism behind this migraine type is still being studied.  There seems to be a hyperexcitability in the brain that affects the vestibular structures, the structures that help keep our balance.  Hence, the person experiences dizziness.

How common is it?

Thirty million Americans have migraines, with the ratio of 3:1 at the women’s disadvantage.  It may be more prevalent than thought of but is often misdiagnosed as Meniere’s disease, a type of vertigo usually found in the elderly, or a benign positional vertigo, where patients feel momentary episodes of vertigo lasting from a few seconds to some minutes when their head is moved in a particular way.  Positional vertigo results from a disorder in the inner ear and can be treated by the manual manoeuvring of the head.

How is it treated?

Controlled studies haven’t been carried out to find out the best treatment for this migraine type.  However, migraine agents are usually prescribed.  For the recurrent vestibular migraine, daily calcium channel blockers, anti-depressant selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and anti-epileptic medicines are recommended. For severe episodes, anti-inflammatory or triptan drugs (which constrict blood vessels in the brain), particular muscle relaxants and anti-nausea agents are utilised.

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• 5 Ways to Relieve Migraine Headaches Naturally! There are many new migraine headache treatments available that can be both safe and effective. Natural treatments for migraine headaches are usually safer and cheaper than traditional pain medications. And in many instances they can relieve pain just as well or even better than prescription or non-prescription drugs. The possibility......
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As women are more afflicted with migraines than men, they will definitely have more apprehensions. Here are some of their frequently asked questions.

Is it a migraine or a sinus headache?

The two are tricky to tell apart as both exhibit similar symptoms like watery eyes, sinus pain and nasal congestion.  Questions to ask are, do I have:  (1) Moderate to severe headache; (2) Nausea and (3) light sensitivity.  If it’s a “yes” to two out of the three questions, then it’s possibly migraine.  Sinus headaches arise from an infection and are usually accompanied by fever and red, yellow or green thick nasal secretions.

Can I take migraine medication while breastfeeding?

It is best to consult your physician. There are medicines that may be passed on to the breast milk and might be injurious to your little one.

Can I drink migraine medicines during pregnancy?

Again, talk to your doctor. Self medication may cause serious damage to the health and development of your baby.  Alternatively, you may try some natural remedies like doing relaxation exercises and using hot or cold packs (depending on your reaction).  Furthermore, most migraines improve or cease in the third month of the pregnancy.

Can menopause worsen my migraine?

The answer is “yes” and “no”.  For some, menopause may diminish nausea and vomiting.  Two-thirds of women conveyed that menopause eased their attacks.  On the flipside, some women get worse migraines during menopause.  Menopausal hormone therapy is prescribed for some women.  Generally, the deterioration of the symptoms will cease when the menopause is done.

Can birth control pills worsen my migraines?

Again, the answer is “yes” and “no”, plus “no effect”.  The pills may decrease the frequency and severity of the attacks.  Conversely, it may aggravate the episodes in others.  However, in some, the pills don’t affect their migraines.  For those who answered “yes”, the worsening may be caused by the lack of hormones in the last seven pills in the pack which trigger the estrogen level to spiral down.

Moreover, positive lifestyle changes involving diet, sleeping habits and the like may help as well.Try these natural migraine treatments before you start to rely on medication

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With the wealth of migraine information available today, it can get quite difficult to sift through what is and what is not true.  Hopefully, this will help clear some of those clouds over your head.  We certainly don’t want the confusion to add to your migraine pain!

Fiction: Migraine is simply an awful headache.

Fact: Migraine is an illness and the headache is merely a symptom. Furthermore, the cause of migraines and headaches is the exact opposite of each other.

As to the source of the pain, migraines arise from the dilation of the blood vessels, whereas in headaches, it is the constriction the sets off the ache.  Furthermore, medications for headaches shouldn’t be used for migraines.  Headache medicines, such as beta-blockers, will enlarge the blood vessels, and as such, aggravate the migraine.  In addition, studies have established that migraines are hereditary.  A person with even just one parent suffering from migraines has a 50% probability of having migraines.  Moreover, migraines are brought on by triggers or things that can set off a migraine.

Fiction:  Migraine is brought about by emotional factors like anxiety and depression.

Fact:  Migraine is a neurological ailment and not a psychological problem.

Migraine occurs when a neurological (not psychological) trigger causes the widening of the blood vessels.  The dilation sets off the nerve endings to release chemical substances or neurotransmitters.  Neurotransmitter Serotonin (5-HTT) is the main element responsible in the progress of a migraine.

Fiction:  Migraine is not fatal.

Fact:  Migraine can be deadly and may elicit coma and stroke.

Migraines can produce severe conditions like aneurysms, strokes, coma, permanent loss of sight, acute dental problems and even death.

Fiction:  It is easy to identify and cure migraines.

Fact:  Migraine is often a misdiagnosed and mistreated disease.

Doctors in Neurology feel that migraine is extremely misconstrued and misdiagnosed.  In fact, a startling 60% of women and 70% of men migraine sufferers have never been identified as having the disease!  The medical ignorance and incorrect literature on the subject have, unfortunately, helped in perpetuating these myths.

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Migraine episodes can be summed up in four phases.  However, not all phases are undergone by the migraineur (migraine sufferer).  Take a closer look and know what you have.

Prodrome

This is sometimes referred to as the “pre-headache” and may occur hours or even days prior to a migraine attack.  This may be thought of as the migraineur’s red flag that a migraine is forthcoming.  Thirty to forty percent of migraineurs go through prodrome.

This phase is extremely helpful in giving the migraineur a chance to avert the episode.  Examples of prodrome are food cravings, increase in the regularity of urination, constipation or diarrhoea, tiredness, mood swings and muscle stiffness, particularly in the neck area.

Aura

This is the most recognizable of the phases and generally persists for less than an hour.  The indicators and effects of aura vary greatly.  Auras can either be visual and non-visual. Auras may include flashing lights, spots, blurred vision, partial loss of sight, hypersensitivity to touch and feel, olfactory and/or auditory hallucinations, numbness or the face, hands or feet on the side where the headache is felt, difficulty in speaking, confusion, vertigo, partial paralysis, reduced sensation and loss of hearing.

Headache

This phase is usually the most incapacitating phase of a migraine as it affects not just the head but the whole body.  The headaches commonly persist from one to seventy two hours.  When it endures for more than 72 hours, it is called migrainosus and should be treated by a medical professional.  Other attributes of this phase include headache on one side of the head, sensitivity to sound and light, nausea and vomiting, dehydration or fluid retention (depending on the migraineur’s bodily reactions), nasal congestion or runny nose,  hot flashes and feeling cold, diarrhoea or constipation, confusion, depression and dizziness.

Postdrome

This phase is sometimes termed “post-headache” and quickly follows the headache.  Full recovery of most migraineurs in this phase range from hours to several days.  Some signs of this phase include depression or euphoria, reduced intellect, tiredness and poor comprehension and concentration.

Try a Natural Migraine Relief

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Menstrual migraine is a type of migraine affecting women each month occurring between the second day before the onset of the menstrual period and the end of menstruation.  Approximately 60% of the 21 million American women migraine sufferers are afflicted with menstrual migraine.  It is also reported that this form of migraine is more acute, lasts longer and is more recurrent than other migraines.

Types

There are two kinds of this migraine, Menstrually Related Migraine (MRM) and Pure Menstrual Migraine (PMM).  An MRM is a headache of moderate to severe pain occurring during a menstrual period and even when a woman doesn’t have her menstruation.  PMM on the other hand has the same manifestations but takes place during a woman’s period.

Causes

The specific cause is unknown.  However, a link between hormonal changes at the time of menstruation and migraines appear to be the culprit of the headache.

Symptoms

Menstrual migraines share the same symptoms with the usual migraine.  The sufferer experience one-sided headaches which are often intensified by sensitivity to bright light and loud noise.  The attack may bring nausea and may or may not come with an aura.  An aura is a warning sign for a coming migraine.

Treatment

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) are utilised in the treatment of menstrual migraines.  Examples of commonly prescribed NSAIDs are Relafen, Advil and Motrin, Naprosyn, Orudis and Nalfon.  The NSAID should be taken 2-3 days prior to the menstruation and to carry on till the period ends.  For women with serious menstrual migraines or want to maintain their birth control pills, physicians recommend taking NSAID on the 19^th day of the cycle until the second day of the succeeding cycle.  Other suggested medications given via prescription only are as follows:

• Anti-convulsants like valproate (Depakote)
• Small amounts of ergotamine drugs (Cafergot, Bellegral-S and Migranal)
• Beta-blocker drugs (propranolol)
• Calcium channel blockers like verpamil

These drugs are to be administered 2-3 days before the menstruation and continued for the duration of the menstrual cycle. Natural menstrual migraine treatments are available in the migraine relief ebook

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A lesser known but grave form of migraine is Hemiplegic Migraine, which is characterized by the total or partial paralysis on one side of the body.  The paralysis may persist from a few hours to several days.  The migraine episode may be set off by a minor head trauma, like those resulting from sport injuries, or by other migraine triggers.

Two Variations

Hemiplegic Migraines may either be a Familial Hemiplegic Migraine (FHM) or Sporadic Hemiplegic Migraine (SHM).  Both types usually starts in childhood and stop during the adult years.  Identifying FHM and SHM can be tricky as the indicators are also suggestive of vascular ailment.  A complete neurological testing and review of the patient’s personal and family medical history and symptoms will be valuable in diagnosing the disease.

Symptoms

FHM and SHM have the same symptoms and just vary among migraine sufferers.  However, FHM is hereditary while SHM is not.

• Occurrences of extended aura period (to several days or weeks)
• Paralysis on one side of the body
• Fever
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Symptoms of meningitis but not the actual disease and inflammation
• Ataxia (Bad muscle coordination)
• Impaired consciousness
• Headache
• Sensitivity to light and/or sound

Treatment

Abortive and Pain Alleviation

Triptans and ergotamines (abortives) are presently contraindicated in Hemiplegic Migraine treatment because they can narrow blood vessels and has concerns about stroke.  Generally, Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAID), narcotic analgesics and antiemetics are prescribed to relieve the migraine.

Preventive

The genes for FHM are found in chromosomes 1 and 19, the calcium channel.  The defective calcium channel doesn’t open and close properly.  As such, it can’t control the quantity of calcium entering and leaving the cell.  Calcium channel blockers are prescribed to inhibit the attack of FHM.

It is recommended that people with Hemiplegic Migraines wear a medical identification as an attack may cause impaired consciousness and inability to communicate.  This will ensure that speedy and proper emergency remedy will be administered to the patient.

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If you’re a migraineur (migraine sufferer), you’ve probably done some research to gain insight on what it is that afflicts you.

There’s a plethora of information out there.  Question is, how much of it do you really know?  Below are interesting snippets of data to better understand migraines.

Migraineurs in the USA. About 28 million Americans are afflicted with migraine.  Out of this population, 4.5 million experience at least one episode per month.  One fourth of females are afflicted as compared to only eight percent of males.

Fasting can trigger headaches. Limited food intake will lower one’s blood sugar level, and thus, may cause a headache.

Hormonal changes.  Women are more prone to hormonal fluctuations due to their monthly menstrual cycle.  Some women get migraine attacks prior to their period while others experience theirs during the menstruation.

Lifestyle check. Bad habits can set off headaches.  Smoking, excessive drinking, inadequate sleep, poor diet and lack of exercise are just some of unhealthy practices that will aggravate migraines.

Rebound headaches. Drinking too much headache medicines often lead to rebound headaches.  These headaches usually start to dissipate upon ceasing the intake of the culprit pills.  Overdosing on medication can be extremely detrimental to your liver.

Blood vessel effect. Unknown to most, the headache pain originates from sensitized nerves surrounding the skull, blood vessels and head muscles.  The pain signals are driven by the communication that transpires among the three.

Brain freeze. Frozen dessert does cause headaches.  The intense cold generated by the dessert will cause the blood vessels to spasm.  This then will result to an interruption on the flow of blood which will set off a swelling of the vessels.

Long, long ago. Ancient Greeks and Romans employed peppermint tea to cure their headaches.  They also drank a blend of chamomile, lavender and rosemary to make them feel better.  Other ingredients, like onion, cabbage and potato, were also placed on their heads to achieve the same effect.

Knowledge is power.  Feed your mind for a better understanding of migraines.  Be equipped to battle that pain, now.

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