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The effects of acupuncture have long been known, proof that the wisdom of the ancient Chinese who developed and used it for almost all ailments to be true. Though the links between acupuncture and medical technology have been somewhat established, they are somewhat still a gray zone due to the fact the areas that are said to be sensitive to the ailing part of the human body responds in the same way even if it were done in the wrong area. Maybe its the mere knowledge that the procedure will be helping ease the pain for the placebo effect can take hold even if the treatment wasn’t totally right in the administration. Read the rest of this entry »

Which is caused by people staying away from physical activity due to fear of initiating or causing migraine attacks. The decision to forgo physical activity can indeed cause obesity but that should be done so only with professional opinion. It is true that certain physical activity can aggravate migraines and even cause them but to steer away completely from exercise can create a totally new condition or health effect. The truth is that no exercise program has ever been approved of being migraine safe so proper medical testing and advise should be considered to take in all the factors that may be causing your migraine. Some migraines are caused by stress and some by activity but this warrants more study to ensure a link is either proven true or false. Read the rest of this entry »

Studies are showing that women who are pregnant get a higher risk of heart diseases and other vascular conditions that can be quite risky which makes proper medical monitoring a vital part of the health check regimen. As statistics show, around 26% of all childbearing aged women suffer from migraines aged 35 to 39. Vascular diseases are also known to develop during pregnancy but the link between the two have not yet been undertaken hence the move to do so has been taken with a sizable group of test subjects to get a good data set. Read the rest of this entry »

Your daily activities can be compromised when you suffer from a migraine attack. Sensitivity to light and sound is common brought about by hormonal changes, lack of rest and sleep, lack of food, stress and fatigue.

One way to alleviate the agonizing pain of migraine is through massage. Applying gentle pressure to the head, neck, shoulders can offers relief of muscle stiffness in these areas and relaxation. You can either massage yourself or let a qualified massage therapist do it for you. It is better though if you learn different anti-migraine massages yourself, so you can immediately give yourself some relief when you are suddenly faced with an attack. Pain medication does help, but are sure to be times when you have no access to pain meds - besides, dependence on pain medication can be harmful to you.

Pregnant women who suffer from migraines have been found to be at greater risk of developing cardiovascular conditions during the course of their pregnancy. The study shows that they can suffer from heart disease, blood clots and high blood pressure and is of grave concern due to the fact that it greatly increases risks with childbearing. The chances of contracting heart conditions during pregnancy has been found to increase by more than 2% for women older than 40 with white women being more at risk. Migraines during pregnancy has been linked to a 15% increase in the risk of getting a stroke along with many other vascular conditions. Smoking, further complicates the situation, increasing the risks two fold. Pregnant women who have migraines should inform their doctor about the condition so measures to control vascular conditions can be taken.
Pregnant women should also inform their gynecologists so they could look out for trouble signs should complications arise that can endanger the child and mother.

With the global economic slowdown, migraines are becoming a common fact of life as stresses pile up in and outside of the home. It has become so bad that a government study into the exaggerated headache has been mandated due to the effects it can have on several of the government’s systems. Health Care, Workplace and home life is greatly affected with the quality of life diminishing considerably. Though most are stress related, there are exceptional cases that have physical manifestations such as unseen blood clots and issues with the brain itself and the way it works. Physical differences between the structures of the brain have been found and are being studied. Influencing the economy with millions of lost man-hours of work, strain on the health care system and health insurance it is indeed a growing concern for all that hopefully gets proper attention before it gets too much out of hand.

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Aromatherapy makes an excellent complementary therapy for migraineurs that most physicians agree to. Though it has not been shown to eliminate migraine headaches, but when used to complement traditional therapy and medication it can reduce the frequency and severity of attacks. It is a natural healing method that uses plant-derived essential oils to achieve a desired therapeutic affect. It is not known precisely how aromatherapy works, whether it is the scent or a chemical action of the essential oil itself that provides relief. Essential oils commonly recommended for migraine aromatherapy are lavender, peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus, sandalwood, clary sage, ginger, ylang-ylang, basil, marjoram, and chamomile.

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When we think of Migraine we often think it is just a very painful headache. The reality is that the attack usually has several symptoms and can be broken down into four phases. We might experience some during one attack or we don’t experience during the next. Not everyone experiences all the phases at one point.
The four phases of a potential Migraine attack in which they occur in order are Prodome which is sometimes called preheadeache; Aura the most talked about symptom; Headache the most debilitating and postdrome.
If we pay closer attention to our bodies we will distinguish the changes and determine if we are having another migraine attack.

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Most of the women I know get’s extreme headaches so often than not. This is because they have migraine which affects women more frequently than men. A migraine headache is a throbbing or pulsating headache that is often one sided (unilateral) and associated with nausea; vomiting; sensitivity to light, sound, and smells; sleep disruption; and depression. Attacks are often recurrent and tend to become less severe as the migraine sufferer ages.

The most commonly identified migraine triggers are alcohol, food that contains caffeine, stress, glare, hunger, perfume, environmental factors like extreme heat or cold, lack of sleep and hormonal changes. The exact cause of migraine remains unknown. The condition may result from a series of reactions in the central nervous system. There is often a family history of the disorder, suggesting that migraine sufferers may inherit sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves around the brain and scalp, causing pain.

The treatment of migraine 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. If the condition is severe and frequent enough, preventative drugs might be considered.

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For some, migraines are infrequent. On the other side of the spectrum are people who have frequent recurrences and whose lives can be debilitated by pain. Fortunately, progress is being made in migraine management. Although an individualized treatment approach is often necessary, most people can be helped.

Migraine headaches are severe, usually one- sided headaches that often occur with nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light or sound. People often describe migraine headaches as throbbing or piercing. The pain may range from mild to terribly severe.

Although migraine headaches are usually one- sided, there may be pain on both sides of the head. In some people, the pain may switch sides each time they have a migraine.

Migraine headaches sometimes occur with an aura, a group of symptoms that usually develop 5 to 30 minutes before a migraine begins. Visual disturbances, such as flashing lights, distortion, in the size or shape of objects, or blind or dark spots in your field of vision are the most common symptoms of an aura.