Migraine Headaches

Migraine is a type of headache and a recognised medical condition. Migraine is widespread in the population. In the U.S., 18% of women and 6% of men report having had at least one migraine episode in the previous year. Migraines afflict about 30 million people in the United States. They may occur at any age, but usually begin between the ages of 10 and 40 and diminish after age 50. Some people experience several migraines a month, while others have only a few migraines throughout their lifetime. Approximately 75% of migraine sufferers are women.

Migraines' secondary characteristics are inconsistent. Triggers precipitating a particular episode of migraine vary widely. The efficacy of the simplest treatment, applying warmth or coolness to the affected area of the head, varies between persons, sometimes worsening the migraine. Migraines are classified as either "with aura" or "without aura." Migraine is a neurological disorder that generally involves recurring headaches. Other symptoms may occur with the headaches. Migraines are often classified based on whether they include an early symptom called an aura. Visual aura is the most common of the neurological events.

Migraine is a true organic neurological disease. Migraine with aura is characterized by a neurological phenomenon (aura) that is experienced 10 to 30 minutes before the headache. Most auras are visual and are described as bright shimmering lights around objects or at the edges of the field of vision (called scintillating scotomas) or zigzag lines, wavy images, or hallucinations.

Migraine without aura is the most prevalent type and may occur on one or both sides (bilateral) of the head. Tiredness or mood changes may be experienced the day before the headache. Nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light (photophobia) often accompany migraine without aura. Migraine headaches affect about 11 out of 100 people. They are a common type of chronic, recurring headache. They most commonly occur in women and usually begin between the ages of 10 and 46. In some cases, they appear to run in families. A migraine is caused by abnormal brain activity, which is triggered by stress, food, or some other factor.

Migraine-specific therapies are designed specifically to treat migraine attacks. Ergotamine preparations are no longer readily available. Several medications may need to be tried before you find one that works. A class of drugs known as triptans can relieve a migraine once it starts. Rest in a quiet, darkened room. Drink fluids to prevent dehydration, especially if vomiting occurs. Several medications may help relieve symptoms.

However, the effectiveness of migraine medications is highly variable in different people. Some medicines can prevent migraines. These include propranolol, amitriptyline, ergonovine, cyproheptadine, clonidine, methysergide, calcium channel antagonists, valproic acid, carbamazepine, topiramate (Topamax), and many others. Ergotamine tartrate preparations constrict the arteries of the head and may be used alone or in combination with other drugs such as caffeine (Cafergot), phenobarbital, or Fioricet. Propoxyphene or other medications that relieve pain or inflammation may provide relief for some people. Nausea should be treated early with Reglan, Compazine, or other anti-emetics.

Migraines Treatment Tips

1. Conventional treatment focuses on three areas: trigger avoidance, symptomatic control, and preventive drugs.

2. Moderation in alcohol and caffeine intake, consistency in sleep habits, and regular meals may be helpful.

3. Triptans are a mid-line treatment suitable for many migraineurs with typical migraines.

4. Ergot drugs can be used either as a preventive or abortive therapy, though their relative expense.

5. Sumatriptan and related selective serotonin receptor agonists are now the therapy of choice for chronic migraine attacks.

6. Anti-emetics by suppository or injection may be needed in cases where vomiting dominates the symptoms.

7. Amidrine is sometimes prescribed for migraine headaches.

8. Intravenous chlorpromazine has proven very effective in treating status migrainosus-intractable and unremitting migraine.

9. Diet, visualization, and self-hypnosis are also alternative treatments and prevention approaches.

10. Massage therapy and physical therapy are often very effective forms of treatment to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines.

11. Massage therapy of the jaw area can also reduce such pain.

12. Botox is being used by many headache specialists for patients with frequent or chronic migraines with encouraging results.

13. Try to avoid any factors that have triggered a migraine in the past.

By: Juliet Cohen

Labels: cluster headache, cluster headaches, head ache, headache, headache relief, headaches, migraine, migrane, migranes, sinus headache, tension headache, tension headaches

A migraine can be disabling — with symptoms so severe, all you can think about is finding a dark, quiet place to lie down. Up to 17 percent of women and 6 percent of men have experienced a migraine.

More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraine, with women being affected three times more often than men. This vascular headache is most commonly experienced between the ages of 15 and 55, and 70% to 80% of sufferers have a family history of migraine. Less than half of all migraine sufferers have received a diagnosis of migraine from their healthcare provider. Migraine is often misdiagnosed as sinus headache or tension-type headache.

Causes of Migraine

Foods. Certain foods appear to trigger headaches in some people. Common offenders include alcohol, especially beer and red wine; aged cheeses; chocolate; fermented, pickled or marinated foods; aspartame; overuse of caffeine; monosodium glutamate — a key ingredient in some Asian foods; certain seasonings; and many canned and processed foods. Skipping meals or fasting also can trigger migraines.

Sensory stimuli. Bright lights and sun glare can produce head pain. So can unusual smells — including pleasant scents, such as perfume and flowers, and unpleasant odors, such as paint thinner and secondhand smoke.

A migraine begins when, for some reason, blood vessels in the brain narrow (constrict) temporarily. When that happens, the amount of blood and oxygen flowing to the brain drops. So the brain sends a message: "Hey guys, we need some more blood and oxygen here!"

Until recently, the general theory on the migraine process rested solely on the idea that abnormalities of blood vessel (vascular) systems in the head were responsible for migraines.

Symptoms of Migraine

Intense throbbing or dull aching pain on one side of your head or both sides.

Migraines typically begin in childhood, adolescence or early adulthood and may become less frequent and less intense as you grow older. In addition to physical suffering, severe headaches often mean missed school days and trips to the emergency department, as well as lost work time for anxious parents.

Most experts now agree that the term migraine should be used to refer to a chronic, recurrent neurological condition resulting in periodic attacks of head pain rather than the headache.
Changes in how a person sees, including blurred vision or blind spots, zig-zags of light or light flashes

Treatment of Migraine

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three over-the-counter products to treat migraine. Excedrin® Migraine (a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine) is indicated for migraine and its associated symptoms. Advil® Migraine and Motrin® Migraine Pain, both ibuprofen medications, are approved to treat migraine headache and its pain.

Ergots. Ergotamine (Ergomar) has been in use for more than 60 years and was a common prescription for migraine before triptans were introduced. Ergotamine is much less expensive, but also less effective, than triptans. Dihydroergotamine is an ergot derivative that is more effective and has fewer side effects than ergotamine.

Drug names and migraine headache treatments availability vary widely from the USA and UK. Migraine headache treatments fall into two broad categories: first with migraine treatments are analgesics and analgesic combinations and, secondly, migraine-specific therapies, such as the triptans, ergotamine and dihydroergotamine. Many of these are available only on prescription but there is a variety of therapeutic options available over the counter (OTC) and pharmacists can often advise patients about these.

Beta blockers (e.g., propranolol [Inderal®], atenolol [Tenormin®]) are the preferred medications. These drugs produce an effect on heart rate. They should not be taken by patients with asthma and should be used with caution in patients with diabetes.

By: Corwin Brown

Labels: cluster headache, cluster headaches, head ache, headache, headache relief, headaches, migraine, migrane, migranes, sinus headache, tension headache, tension headaches

Migraine without aura is a common migraine without aura but exhibits the same symptoms as a classic migraine except that it does not exhibit any aura.

People who primarily suffer from migraine with aura may also have attacks of migraine without aura. Headache with the features of "migraine without aura" usually follows the aura symptoms. Less commonly, the aura may occur without a subsequent headache or the headache may be non-migrainous in type.

Migraine with aura is a classical migraine preceded by an aura before the attack. The aura occurs for about 10-30 minutes and then is usually followed by a headache. It is quite similar to a common migraine except in the aspect of the aura.

About 15% of migraine sufferers have a early warning that the headache is coming on. This change in brain function is called an "aura". It is usually a visual symptom, such as an arc of sparkling (scintillating) zig-zag lines or a blotting out of vision or both. The aura is due to changes that take place in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain. This slowly spreading depression of nerve cell activity is believed to account for the pattern of development of the typical aura.

Auras set in about 20-30 minutes before the migraine attack. Some patients also describe the presence of a strange odor, before the onset of a migraine. They also experience a tingling sensation in an arm or leg.

In the classic migraine aura, symptoms build up gradually and move slowly from one visual region or one part of the body to another. For example, the migraine aura sufferer may first notice a black spot in the field of vision. This black spot is often surrounded by flashing lights or bright zig-zag lines as mentioned.

What starts this sequence of events that leads to the aura and migraine? The answers to this question are not fully understood. Migraine sufferers have an inborn susceptibility to factors that normally do not trigger headaches.

In people with migraines, changes in body chemistry, such as menstruation, certain foods, and dozens of environmental influences, such as a change in weather, may trigger a migraine attack. A migraine trigger is any factor that, on exposure or withdrawal, leads to the development of an acute migraine headache. Triggers may be categorized as behavioral, environmental, infectious, dietary, chemical, or hormonal. In medical literature, these factors are known as 'precipitants.'

Neither type of migraine denotes a life-threatening disorder but, they can be chronic and recurrent, thus interfering with a person's daily lifestyle.

Both migraine types have the usual pain, nausea, vomiting and intolerance to light and sound, which is worsened by any physical activity.

Treatment? The treatment for migraines begins with simple painkillers for headache and anti-emetics for nausea, and avoidance of triggers if present. Specific anti-migraine drugs can be used to treat migraine. Homeopathic Drugs and Special all natural ingredient products such as those at the Centre for Pain Relief in Burlington, New Jersey have proven effective. If the migraine condition is severe and frequent enough, preventative drugs might be considered.
The most commonly used "reversal" medicines are triptans. Triptans work by boosting the effects of the brain chemical serotonin, which reduces the severity and duration of an attack. Propranolol, a beta blocker, and Topiramate have proven effective for migraine sufferers as well.

When it comes to treatment however, "Migraine is the most misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated condition in medical practice," states Dr. Seymour Diamond, M.D., who is the executive chairman for the National Headache Foundation and director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago.

As always, talk to your doctor about whether or not you have with Aura or without Aura to find the medication that works best for you.

By: Ray Attebery

Labels: cluster headache, cluster headaches, head ache, headache, headache relief, headaches, migraine, migrane, migranes, sinus headache, tension headache, tension headaches

"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 health 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

Labels: cluster headache, cluster headaches, head ache, headache, headache relief, headaches, migraine, migrane, migranes, sinus headache, tension headache, tension headaches

Migraine is a neurological disease. A migraine is a very painful type of headache. In some cases, these painful headaches are preceded or accompanied by a sensory warning sign (aura), such as flashes of light, blind spots or tingling in your arm or leg. More than 29.5 million Americans suffer from migraine, with women being affected three times more often than men. This vascular headache is most commonly experienced between the ages of 15 and 55, and 70% to 80% of sufferers have a family history of migraine.

Migraine is the second most common type of headache syndrome in the United States. Tension headaches are the most common. Migraines most commonly are found in women, with a 3:1 female-to-male ratio. In childhood, however, migraines are more common in boys than in girls. More than 80% of patients who develop migraines will have a first attack by age 30. Migraines continue through the patient's 30s and 40s. Less than half of all migraine sufferers. Migraine is often misdiagnosed as sinus headache or tension-type headache. Migraines' secondary characteristics are inconsistent.

Triggers precipitating a particular episode of migraine vary widely. The efficacy of the simplest treatment, applying warmth or coolness to the affected area of the head, varies between persons, sometimes worsening the migraine. A particular migraine rescue drug may sometimes work and sometimes not work in the same patient.

Migraine pain is caused by vasodilation in the cranial blood vessels (expansion of the blood vessels), while headache pain is caused by vasoconstriction (narrowing of the blood vessels). Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision. Migraines are classified as either "with aura" or "without aura." An aura is a group of neurological symptoms, usually vision disturbances that serve as warning sign. Patients who get auras typically see a flash of brightly colored or blinking lights shortly before the headache pain begins.

However, most people with migraines do not have such warning signs. Migraines often begin in adolescence, and are rare after age 60. Eighty percent of migraine sufferers experience "migraine without aura. Some of the symptoms associated with migraine headaches, such as nausea (80%), vomiting (50%), yawning, irritability, hypotension, and hyperactivity, can be associated with dopamine receptor activation. Dopamine receptor hypersensitivity has been shown experimentally with dopamine agonists such as apomorphine, bromocriptine, and pergolide. Dopamine antagonists, such as metoclopramide (Reglan), haloperidol (Haldol), and prochlorperazine (Compazine), have been shown clinically to treat migraine headaches effectively.

There is no specific cure for migraine headaches. Many factors may contribute to the occurrence of migraine attacks. They are known as trigger factors and may include diet, sleep, activity, psychological issues as well as many other factors. The goal is to prevent symptoms by avoiding or altering triggers. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are helpful for early and mild headache. NSAIDs include acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, and others.

A recent study concluded that a combination of acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine could effectively relieve symptoms for many migraine patients. Migraine-specific medications and analgesia are the keys of ED care. Triptans are a mid-line treatment suitable for many migraineurs with typical migraines. They may not work for atypical or unusually severe migraines, transformed migraines, or status (continuous) migraines.Rest in a darkened, quiet room is helpful.

Alternative treatments are aimed at prevention of migraine. Migraine headaches are often linked with food allergies or intolerances. Identification and elimination of the offending food or foods can decrease the frequency of migraines and/or alleviate these headaches altogether. Herbal therapy with feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthenium) may lessen the frequency of attacks. Some patients find cool compresses to painful areas helpful.

By: Juliet Cohen

Labels: cluster headache, cluster headaches, head ache, headache, headache relief, headaches, migraine, migrane, migranes, sinus headache, tension headache, tension headaches