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In 2005, scientists at the New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine carried out a trial on 24,000 headache and migraine sufferers. They studied the headache medications used by these sufferers, to determine whether participants suffering on less than 15 days a month were more likely to develop chronic attacks

The survey showed that those who used barbiturates and caffeine-containing drugs as pain relief were at risk of developing rebound headaches, also known as medication-overuse headaches. If taken to excess, or too often, these medications can worsen the migraine severity and frequency, making the problem harder to treat. By 2006, 209 of the people who had taken part in the study had developed chronic migraine.

Pregnant or breast-feeding women, and anyone with heart disease or peptic ulcers, should not use these drugs for fear of complications. (Adapted from: American Academy of Neurology (2008, April 27). Overuse of Codeine, Oxycodone and Barbiturates Increases Risk Of Chronic Migraine. ScienceDaily.)

Other medications are widely available for preventing migraines but they are rarely wholly successful and they also have numerous side-effects. One of the most common forms of migraine treatments used by doctors is an anti depressant such as Amitriptyline. These are extremely addictive and when a patient stops taking them they may suffer debilitating withdrawal symptoms for many months. This should not be attempted without the supervision of a qualified medical practitioner.

Migraine sufferers are beginning to realise that prescription drugs simply aren’t effective unless they continually increase their doses. Finding that the side effects are far too numerous and too uncomfortable to continue treatments, many are now turning to natural remedies which focus on the entire body, not merely the source of pain as is the case with prescription drugs. The side effects from natural remedies are usually less profound and there are no known addictions.

One such remedy is butterbur. “Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine” notes that butterbur is used for migraine of “liver origins”. In Asia, Europe and regions of North America, where Butterbur grows naturally, extracts from the leaves and flowers have been used for centuries as a ‘folk remedy’. Conditions other than migraine that are believed to respond to Butterbur are allergies, asthma and stomach cramps. Butterbur is a member of the ragweed family of plants and anyone who is allergic to daisy, marigold, chrysanthemum or ragweed should not use it, neither should people who have kidney or liver disease, or pregnant women. It should never be used for treating children.

Modern studies suggest that Butterbur works by calming spasms in some muscle tissues and reducing inflammation of the walls of blood vessels.

A study, published in Neurology, suggests that use of an extract from Butterbur can reduce the frequency of migraines. The study, conducted by the Yeshiva University in New York, involved the use of a butterbur extract, Petodolex. The 245 people who took part in the study had experienced between two and six migraine attacks per month during the three months before the trial began. Three months before starting they stop taking their usual migraine preventative treatment, so that the chemical residues could be eliminated from their system.

The trial compared the effect of taking Butterbur extract over a four month period, using 50mg, 75mg doses twice a day and a placebo.

After four months of treatment, migraine frequency was reduced by 48% in those who used the 75mg dose, with a 26% reduction in the placebo group. Those who took the 50mg dose were found to have a 36% reduction in the frequency of migraines, and researchers felt this was not significantly different from the effects of the placebo. Significantly more people in the 75mg dose group had a 50% reduction in monthly migraine attacks than those in the placebo group. (Adapted from Neurology Dec 2004; 63:2240-4; Press releases from Yeshiva University).

Butterbur is known to have side effects which include indigestion, vomiting, diarrhea and constipation however, reports from the studies suggested that those using Butterbur only reported mild side effects, the most common being burping.

When using natural alternatives for migraine treatment, you will usually benefit most from consulting a qualified practitioner.

Migraines – for those who suffer from it, is a recurring, unrelenting and painful occurrence that they have to deal with. With medical science not able to completely cure it, migraine sufferers feel that they have to live with it.

For those who are unaware about migraine, here are some facts- Migraine is a condition that affects about 16-17% of the population. It is three times more common in women than men. Mostly characterized by one sided headaches, migraines can cause excruciating pain in the temples followed by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. There can also be flashes of light or blind spots. Migraine pain once started can last from 2 hours to days.

Migraine triggers differ from person to person. Some of the triggers are light, food, stress, sounds and weather. Once a migraine attack starts there are very few ways to stop it. So preventing migraine attacks is a better approach than relieving the symptoms when they occur.

Here are some of the ways to manage migraine:

Like the number of triggers, even ways to manage differ from person to person. You can try different methods and adopt something that suits you best. Consult your doctor before trying any new method or technique.

Environment: Many of the migraine triggers are light and sound, so you have to make sure that you try to keep away from places with harsh lights and too much noise. If you cannot avoid these places completely, at least keep your room dark, quiet and cool which will relax you.

Exercise: All doctors agree that exercise helps to relieve some of the symptoms of migraine. Exercise helps to keep away stress, fights depression and releases endorphins that make you feel happy.

Supplements: Magnesium is known as a muscle relaxant easing pain. Sometimes, deficiency of magnesium can cause migraines and taking supplements for these are known to help with migraine pains. Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin also has a similar action and helps with migraine pains. Ask your doctor before you start any supplements.

Eating habits: Migraine attacks can occur when you are hungry for a long period of time. So be consistent with your meals, eat them at the same time. Also never skip breakfast; this will prevent many attacks that are triggered with hunger. With food being the trigger to many, identify your food trigger and make sure that you keep away from it. It is recommended to keep away from sugar, caffeine, cheese, chocolates, citrus foods which are common triggers.

Avoid the Sun: For those sensitive to sun, going out in the sun can cause piercing headaches. So whenever you are going out in the sun, carry umbrella or hats. Use sunglasses that protects from UVA rays.

Stress: Stress is a very important trigger for migraine so you have to be effective in dealing with stress. Having a relaxed, positive and an upbeat attitude really helps in managing migraine.

Ginger: For people with frontal headaches, ginger helps to relieve the pain quite fast. Many people have experienced that taking half a teaspoon of freshly ground ginger can stop migraines before it starts. Even vomiting and nausea are greatly assisted using ginger. Remember that it only works with 2 out of 3 of people and causes discomfort of the abdomen in others.

Sleep: For those with migraine, everything has to be kept in balance including sleep. You need to be consistent with your sleep time and should avoid staying up late.

Keep a Migraine diary: Here you note the time of the attack, what were the possible triggers and the intensity of the attack. Reading the notes will help you in identifying the pattern and will help you to manage migraine better.

When you have a migraine attack:

* Damp cloth: Using a damp cloth over your face and your neck will ease any sore muscles and relieve the symptoms.

* Pressure on the nerves: Sometimes putting pressure on the nerve which hurts the most helps to relieve the pain.

* Between the eye socket and the eyebrow: First, find the nerve between your top eye socket and your eyebrow. Pressing this nerve will make your body send out natural pain relievers. Surprisingly, this pain reliever is more powerful than the morphine drug.

Alternative therapies:

For a disease like migraine, you should not depend on just one line of treatment to relieve the pain. Alternative therapies mentioned below are known to be very useful for some.

Ayurveda: According to Ayurveda, migraine results from disorders of the three doshas that is Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Ways of treatment include, shirodhara or hot head massage, medications like Shatavari, brahmi and exercises like Yoga and Pranayam. Since migraine is due to imbalance of the doshas, certain changes in the diet are recommended.

Naturopathy: According to naturopathy, it is the toxins in the body that cause migraines. Dr. Sharad Nayampally, a naturopath believes that “detoxification of the body is very important in treating migraines.” He describes one way of detoxification, “water therapy, here you should drink water 1-4 glasses of water as soon as you wake up without even brushing. Water balances the blood pressure and cleanses the body. After half an hour of drinking water you can brush and resume your morning ritual.” He also recommends Pranayam and abdominal breathing i.e. deep breathing through the stomach.

Acupressure: When allopathic drugs don’t always work, acupressure and acupuncture are known to be effective in dealing with migraine attacks. In acupressure certain points in the body are stimulated to help relieve the pain while acupuncture involves needles stimulating some points in the body to relax the nerves.

Don’t believe that you have live with the pain, try different techniques, use tools like meditation, do light exercises and help yourself manage migraines.

While many people suffer from traditional migraine headaches, it is not uncommon for others to suffer from a different type of migraine. Traditional migraines are characterized by sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound, powerful head pains and nausea. Another type of migraine is harder to diagnose because the symptoms characteristic of a traditional migraine are either not present or less severe. Ocular migraines are becoming more common in today’s society. These types of migraines are associated with vision and the eye more so than the brain.

Ocular migraines often start with a small blind spot in the peripheral vision. Over five to ten minutes, the spot gradually increases to encompass the entire peripheral portion of vision. Either complete blindness or object fuzziness often results. Other ocular migraine sufferers report a jagged shimmering light in their peripheral vision that grows and eventually overtakes much of the eye. It is often difficult to focus on objects. Reading in particular is very difficult since letters in words have to be viewed almost individually in order to be read. The individual might also become disoriented since they are now primarily seeing out of one eye instead of two. A dull, throbbing headache normally accompanies an ocular migraine. The blind spot or fuzziness will normally disappear with twenty to thirty minutes, leaving the individual fatigued. The individual might also still have some problems reading and focusing on particular objects since their eyes are adjusting again. Individuals normally do not have any sort of light or sound sensitivity, though it is not uncommon for ocular migraine sufferers to be nauseous due to either the temporary blindness or the panic of not knowing exactly what is happening.

Many scientists speculate that the causes of ocular migraines are similar to those of traditional migraines. A change in blood supply is often associated with traditional migraines and it is thought that the area impacted by the blood supply change is the only difference between the types of migraines. Traditional migraines are normally generated from the surface area of the brain. Ocular migraines are generated when the blood supply is reduced to the vision center of the brain. Much like traditional migraines, it is thought that certain “triggers” exist for ocular migraines. These include chocolate, stress or anxiety, lack of sleep, travel and artificial sweeteners. Limiting as many triggers as possible should help reduce the occurrence of ocular migraines. It has also been theorized that seasonal allergies could contribute to ocular migraines since the atmospheric changes would be similar to those of someone traveling cross-country via airplane.

At the onset of an ocular migraine, it is important to not panic. It can be disturbing to go slowly blind in one eye over fifteen minutes, but it is important to remain calm. Finding a quiet, dark area to rest in for thirty minutes is an excellent way to counteract the disabling effects of an ocular migraine. Being able to sit in the dark with eyes closed helps to limit some of the nausea and inability to focus on objects. Normal headache treatments such as aspirin or Tylenol can be used, but these are more effective in dealing with the headache following the visual disturbance than the actual visual impairment. By the time the medicine works, the visual impact has ended. Some ocular migraine sufferers report taking a short nap helps reduce the fatigued feeling following the visual disturbance and also reduce the impact of the headache.

If you have experienced visual impairment problems in the recent past, it is a good idea to visit your doctor to make sure these problems are being caused by ocular migraines and not by strokes or problems with the eye itself. It’s also a good idea to log what foods were eaten recently and what activities were taking place when the ocular migraine occurred. This can help identify triggers and prevent ocular migraines from happening as frequently. This is the first step in being free from ocular migraines. Since there is currently no cure for ocular migraines, it is better to reduce their frequency than try to treat the symptoms each time they occur.

Ocular migraines can be scary, but knowing the symptoms and treatments will help reduce the impact they have on your daily life.

Doctor Brandes shared some tips she offers her patients for handling Migraine in the workplace:
1. Understand that Migraine is a real disease – not just a bad headache. Migraine sufferers sometimes tend to minimize their Migraines as “just headaches,” not a disease with a range of symptoms that are as debilitating as the pain itself. Migraine is a real medical condition just like diabetes or asthma. Understanding this will better enable you to manage your Migraines and seek effective treatment.

2. Be your best advocate. Talk to a doctor about your Migraines and how best to manage them. There are many effective new treatments specifically for Migraine. The newest class of these are called “triptans.” They relieve Migraine pain quickly and also relieve the other symptoms of Migraine such as nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.

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Migraine and Headaches are two terms that are sometimes used without knowing which is what! In this article it seems to me really important to make sure that when we say “apple” we do not mean “orange”!

Both of the above situations refer to a simple fact: PAIN in our head! Since headache means exactly that – pain at your head- migraine is a condition where there’s pain in your head among other symptoms.

To make things even clearer migraine does have headache, but also has aura-or not- nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light (photo phobia) and, less often diarrhea, fluid retention and even losing your senses.

The term “aura”, that you just saw, means that there are some symptoms of your nervous system: not seeing the half of your sight field in one eye (hemianopsia), seeing black spots, even wavy lights that move in front of you. Normally the aura is what happens before the actual episode of migraine headache starts.

Migraine can occur without aura or auras sometimes evolve without pain.

Another important step in telling if migraine is what we experience or not, is the character of the pain. By that, it is observed that pain of migraine is throbbing in nature. It feels like having a small rubber pump at your head. One time it’s filling up, the next it’s pumping away. In simple headaches the pain usually it is not like that at all.

While the cause of migraines is not known there are some factors that can trigger a migraine attack. These factors can be certain foods- cheeses that contain an amino acid called tyramine-, wine, chocolate and meats with preservatives in them.

There are some other situations that are known to cause migraines to certain people.

Not having eaten for a long time (fasting), menses, emotional situations and certain drugs like contraceptives and nitroglycerin (yes, some people instead of blowing things up are prescribed nitroglycerin for their health!)

This is a brief description of some of the characteristics of migraine and I think that now, you could answer the question headache or migraine with success!

If you’re interested in learning how to prevent a migraine headache, it helps to first know what causes migraines. By understanding the root cause, you can better understand the potential cures.

A migraine is caused by the enlargement of the temporal artery, which is the artery that lies on the outside of the skull and under the skin of your forehead. When this artery enlarges, it stretches nerves around it and they in turn release certain chemicals. These chemicals are the cause of the pain that is called a migraine, and they also cause the artery to enlarge even more causing more pain, more enlargement. Migraines are just a never-ending circle of agony. When considering how to prevent a migraine headache, it’s important to understand the circle, so that you at least don’t do anything to make it worse.

What Causes Migraines

Obviously the cause of migraines is going to be different for everyone. However, to consider how to prevent a migraine headache, it helps to remember that stress hormones that cause migraines can be released by such things as fasting, bright lights, caffeine, and artificial substances such as MSG or aspartame. There may be other sensitivities that you yourself have.

One of the steps involved in how to prevent a migraine headache is to keep track of the specific trigger for you. If you suffer from frequent migraines [http://www.yourheadacheremedy.com/stop-your-headaches/], you should keep a food diary to see if there are certain triggers for you. Since bright lights also trigger this particular nerve in some people, think of how this might be applicable to you. For example, do you work in a place where the lights change frequently, such as a movie theater or some type of lab where you go from a dark room to a bright room?

How to Prevent a Migraine Headache Naturally

There is good reason why migraines do not normally respond to regular headache medications. This type of pain caused by migraines activates what is known as the sympathetic nervous system, that “fight or flight” response that is common during stress. This reaction pulls blood and oxygen from the digestive system in order to divert it to the muscles of your legs. This keeps oral medications from being absorbed in the intestinal systems.

So when considering how to prevent a migraine headache, you see how regular aspirins and other oral medications are probably going to do little to help. They are simply not absorbed the way they should be.

Some ways to treat migraines naturally include acupuncture, which seems to calm that temporal artery and the sympathetic nerve system after it.

When considering how to prevent a migraine headache naturally, try oils such as lavender or peppermint. These can be put in a vaporizer or washcloth. Calcium and magnesium relieve muscle tension, so consider taking a supplement with these elements.

Don’t forget the more obvious remedies of giving yourself a mini massage and staying in a darkened room. Watch your diet and get rid of artificial sweeteners and substances. And if all else fails, see your doctor so he or she can accurately diagnose your condition and give you additional pointers on how to prevent a migraine headache permanently.

Several types of migraine headache affect the eye, but there are no headaches medically diagnosed as optical migraines. The problem with such a term starts with its definition. Optical means relating to sight or to the eye. Migraine comes from the Greek, hemikranion, meaning pain on one side of the head.

So, the term is quite broad, meaning pain on one side of your head relating to your eye or your sight which can cover an awful lot of ground to be honest. What someone may call an optical migraine is usually either an ocular migraine or an opthalmoplegic one.

Most headaches described as optical migraines are really ocular migraines, which are a type of migraine without headache, also known as aura without migraine. Although the ocular type of headache is rare, it is the most common type of migraine without headache. Ocular migraine symptoms usually are described as flashing, shimmering, or glittering lights or they may resemble the static you see on a television.

The symptoms of this type of migraine usually last less than an hour. People who experience this type of migraine generally exhibit the same symptoms for long periods of time. If this type of headache is new to you or if your symptoms change, it is important to consult your doctor to rule out other serious causes – never leave these things to chance.

Opthalmoplegic migraines are a very rare, severe form of eye-migraine. This type of “optical migraine” begins with severe pain in the eye that often causes vomiting. The cause of this migraine is thought to be weakness in the muscles that surround the eye. Aside from the acute pain, as the migraine intensifies, nerves in the eye become paralyzed and cause the eyelid to droop.

This phenomenon, called ptosis, can go on for weeks. Opthalmoplegic migraines are most commonly found in children. However, the true danger is that this headache isn’t a migraine at all. No matter what your age, if your headaches exhibit these symptoms, it’s very important to seek medical attention to rule out other severe health conditions. Prevention is always better than cure right?

People with a severe type of migraine in which one side of the body becomes weak should consider genetic testing, according to research that has found familial genes for this type of migraine in people who did not have family members experiencing the problem.

The findings are published in the December 4, 2007, issue of Neurology ?, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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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.