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MYTH: MIGRAINE IS CAUSED BY PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS, SUCH AS STRESS AND DEPRESSION.

REALITY: MIGRAINE IS A NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE, NOT A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER.

Migraine is a true organic neurological disease. A Migraine is caused when a physiological (not psychological) trigger or triggers cause vasodilatation in the cranial blood vessels, which triggers nerve endings to release chemical substances called neurotransmitters, of which the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-HTT) is an important factor in the development of Migraine.

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Real sinus pain is rare and for most of us, when we believe we have a sinus headache, it’s usually a migraine or a headache brought on by stress. Normally you get a sinus headache only when your sinuses themselves are inflamed and the inflammation generally is accompanied by a fever. Inflammation can be caused by an allergy, a tumor, or an infection, all of which can be diagnosed and treated by your family doctor.

Many people mistakenly believe that sinuses are limited to nasal passages. However, sinuses are located in the forehead, on each cheekbone, and behind the bridge of your nose. Healthy sinuses are filled with air and their secretions drain freely into the nose. In addition to a sinus headache, when sinuses are blocked you have other symptoms like fever mentioned above and feelings of pressure around your eyes, cheeks and forehead.

Colds and other respiratory viruses leave sinuses vulnerable to infection. Bacteria causes your mucous membranes to swell which effectively blocks your sinuses, which in turn blocks normal drainage. Bending over or standing back up too quickly is excruciating. In addition, sinus infections can actually cause a feeling of toothache in some patients! In any event, because the causes of sinus headaches differ radically from the causes of other headaches, it’s best to consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment – never try to diagnose your own medical problems.

When you do have a sinus headache, there are some steps that you can take at home to relieve your pain.

* Humidify your air with a steam vaporizer or cool-mist humidifier. Even vapor from a steaming basin of water or hot shower can help. Eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary and thyme oils are additives that can be added to hot steam treatments to help relieve the sinus headache in a gentle and enjoyable manner.

* Use a normal pain killer like Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, or plain aspirin. Many people make the mistake of using a decongestant for sinus headache. Antihistamines in decongestants can further dry out nasal passages and actually make a sinus headache worse! Use them only on your physicians direct recommendation.

* Herbal tea may help relieve sinus headache. In any event, herbs are a generally safe way to supplement nutrients your body needs. Herbs may also be purchased as capsules, tablets, or tinctures at health food stores and many pharmacies. Some herbs that are taken for sinus headache relief include Wild Indigo, Eyebright, Licorice, Coneflower, Goldenseal, Jamaica Dogwood, and St. John’s Wort.

Imagine discovering that you were suffering from a headache, though you were not experiencing any headache pain? Sometimes, people who are experience odd unexplained symptoms are found to be afflicted with what is often called a silent migraine.

Silent migraines are known by other names such as migraine auras without headache, ocular migraines or painless migraines.

The signs of this usual headache are similar to those a person may experience at the start of a typical migraine, but they are never joined by headache pain.

A silent migraine may be accompanied by visual migraine symptoms, such as seeing flashing lights off to one side, feeling dizzy or experiencing tingling or numbness in their fingers. Sometimes people even have trouble talking, or suffer pain in odd places on their faces.

These unusual symptoms are more often found in older women rather then young, and they are even rarer in men.

The main problem with silent migraines is that these symptoms can be incorrectly attributed to other ailments. Without the symptom of headache pain, it is difficult for many health care providers to identify headache as the source of the difficulty.

As an example, many symptoms experienced with painless migraines are similar to typical stroke indicators. Patients have been misdiagnosed because doctors thought the patient suffered a minor stroke. These symptoms can also be attributed to seizures or serious vision problems. It is no surprise, given the symptoms, that doctors look first to these more serious conditions.

You should allow your doctor to do whatever tests they feel are necessary to eliminate more serious health issues. They may order a CT scan, an MRI, blood tests and possibly an eye examination. Once these tests are completed, if everything comes back negative it is time to point your health care provider in a different direction.

The first step in working with your health care provider to identify silent migraines as the cause of your symptoms is to explain your family history. Migraine sufferers typically have immediate family members who also suffer with migraine headaches.

Carefully describe your symptoms to your doctor, and show the similarity to those associated with migraines. If you have had multiple episodes , that should also go a long way to convincing them that you are indeed suffering from a painless migraine.

Treatment of silent migraines is generally the same as for regular migraines. The same medications are used, including medications used to try to prevent a migraine from coming once the aura has begun. Injections and nasal sprays are better forms of medication because they provide relief more quickly.

You may have been told by your grandmother that drinking Coca-Cola or other caffeinated products when you have a headache can help you feel much better. Well, guess what? Grandma was right. In some instances, caffeine can treat a headache. Don’t believe me? Consider this scenario: You’re a heavy caffeinated soda drinker, specifically Coca-Cola, and you decide to give up caffeine cold turkey. So, you stop drinking your regular four to six glasses of Coca-Cola a day.

You’re fine for the first day or so, and then you end up with an aching headache. In this case, if you were to drink a caffeinated drink then you would likely feel much better because your headache is likely caused by caffeine withdrawal. So, as you can see, caffeinated drinks can cure certain headaches. In this article, we’ll discuss caffeine, its effects on headaches, pros and cons of caffeine, and much more.

Caffeine is a stimulative substance derived from a certain plant. It is a drug because it changes the way the body works by acting on the central nervous system. In fact, it has been known to cause nervousness and agitation in some individuals. In addition, when caffeine is coupled with sugary substances, it can dramatically increase your blood sugar levels and can actually bring on a headache. In addition, if one consumes four to six cups a day, they can become addicted to it and can experience an increase in blood pressure or elevated heart rate.

As for the positives, caffeine can make you feel more energized, alert, and mentally focused, help you work longer, and may even improve your muscle coordination when you drink it. In addition, caffeine allows our bodies to absorb many medications faster and seems to make most medication about 35% more effective. Therefore, many pharmaceutical companies utilize caffeine as the main ingredient in both over-the-counter and prescription headache medications. For instance, Excedrin Extra Strength contains caffeine, aspirin, and acetaminophen.

In conclusion, although caffeine can cure a migraine or caffeine withdrawal headaches and can make you feel more energized and alert, one should not use caffeine excessively. This is because it can cause addictive behavior, nervousness, and agitation. Therefore, it is paramount that you not only watch your intake but also be aware of the ingredients of over-the-counter and prescription medications, as well.