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One of the occupational hazards of being a physician, moreover, one who is trained in internal medicine and neurology, is the dinner table. This is the traditional “non-doctor place” where we physicians are hit-up by guests for medical advice. I am often asked by family, and friends, “What is a migraine headache, and are my headaches migraines?” This is sometimes difficult to answer when brought up as dinner conversation. Why? Because many things can cause headaches, from brain tumors to lack of sleep, any condition can present with severe to mild headaches. Besides, this subject gets so deep, unless you’re postured for a long conversation, you don’t dare get started, because it gets long, and many questions come up. So, this is the discussion which usually ensues, and it always gets interesting.

Barring serious conditions such as brain tumors, severe head and neck pathology, trauma, eye and vision disorders, serious metabolic conditions and infectious diseases, this article is meant to discuss non-pathogenically and non traumatic induced headaches, moreover, the difference between muscle tension headaches and migraines.

Generally, the lay person thinks of a migraine as a very severe headache. So, when they get a “bad” headache, they usually refer to it as a “migraine”, but this is not the case at all. There are many types of benign headaches which are severe enough to ruin one’s day or even their week. The classification of headaches, and more importantly, migraines, has been written and rewritten by doctors for centuries. It wasn’t until the 20th century that the specialty of neurology was born and a way to evaluate headaches scientifically was put into place. Interestingly, even during the 20th century, the classification of the different types of migraines has changed substantially. For the sake of this article, we will differentiate between 2 common benign headaches, those which are muscle tension induced and those which we in medicine refer to as migraine type. Keep in mind that there is no purity in these classifications, and that most headaches are mixed.

We live in a fast paced society. We run around dehydrated, drinking coffee, stare at LCD screens whether tiny or large, and on top of that, process more information in a day than our great grandparents did in their lifetime. That’s right! No wonder we run around stressed out. Most of us manifest our stress physically, so we either get upset stomachs, aching necks, or we get headaches, and for some, all three. In America, particularly, two types of headaches are generally seen in this regard, muscle tension types, and vascular migraine types. Here’s “the quick and dirty” on both.

Muscle tension headaches tend to come on as the day progresses, while the stressors one is dealing with are ongoing and building. So by the end of the day, your headache progressively worsens, your neck and scalp muscles increase their tone and now you have a full blown “knocker” at the end of the day. Migraines on the other hand are vascular in nature, are brought on by chemical changes reacting to stress loads and dietary triggers. You generally awaken with the headache as they come on after the stress is gone. You guessed it, the following day, after the stressful event or events are over, you’re in pain. It is the classic euphoric phase of “the general alarm reaction to stress”. So you wake up with a “banger” which is hugely painful and stays with you all day. This is also why a migrainer (pronounced, “mi-gren-urr”) tends to have his headache on Saturday mornings, or say, the day after that big speech he had been preparing for weeks.

Muscle tension headaches, also known as “tension” headaches or “contraction” headaches are direct results of increased tone and muscular irritation in the back, shoulders, neck, and scalp. As a result, they usually respond to anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or aspirin; massage; muscle relaxants; or just laying down for a while. Migraines are more brittle. Since they involve vascular changes in the coverings of the brain, anti-inflammatory drugs and muscle relaxation are usually ineffective treatments; moreover, they can even make a headache worse. Increased blood vessel caliber is generally the problem and needs to be controlled and re-set. This is why caffeine, decongestants, and other vasoconstricting agents help.

A test I have many patients, as well as friends and family try, is the “Beer Test”. It’s not one hundred percent, but if you want to know if that headache you’ve had all day is a migraine or tension headache, when you get home, drink a beer. If the headache goes away, it’s a tension headache, if it gets worse, it’s a migraine.

So, tension headaches are a direct result of stress insult, like someone turning up the volume on your neck muscles throughout the day. This type of headache is obviously exacerbated by posture, compensatory changes after an injury, arthritis, chronic musculoskeletal conditions, and of course stress load, and the amount of rest a person gets.

Migrainers suffer as they do because the headache waits, then sneaks up on them when they’re resting. The other important thing to remember is that in all these headache types, physical examination, metabolic workups, and imaging, are always negative for “lesion” or organic pathology. What I’m saying is that, “migraine”, is a diagnosis of exclusion.

Let’s discuss this phenomenon we call migraines. “Migraine” is a very old term derived from the Greek, meaning “semi-cranium” or “half skull”. Yes, generally a migraine headache is usually, but not always, unilateral, affecting one side of the head. The problem is they come in so many different manifestations that it has been difficult to classify them, even in modern medicine. Several versions have been published since the early 1920s, however, after World War II, neurologists in America started to find some consistencies which allowed at least for neurologists, an ability to observe, diagnose, and treat with a standard of care. It also allowed doctors to communicate the type of headache a patient was experiencing.

This so-called classification remained in place for nearly sixty years, but in 1995, The National Headache Foundation along with The American Academy of Neurology, published straight forward guidelines that have allowed all physicians to more easily navigate the presentation of headache patients, diagnosis them accurately, and treat them appropriately and effectively. The older “traditional classification” which is still used by many older doctors, uses excellent descriptors and relies on 5 major presentations, and thus, the patient is labeled as such. They are: Classical Migraine; Common Migraine; Complex Migraine; Mixed Headache; and Migraine Equivalent (also known as Retinal Migraine). I don’t need to remind you that there are many variations on each one of these.

Classical Migraines are the brittle ones you hear about, and the type that causes a great many to present to the emergency department of their local hospital. Here’s a typical presentation. Usually a woman, as 75% of migrainers are women, she awoke with a one sided throbbing headache that wouldn’t respond to any medication. It started with a visual aura of sparkles in the upper left visual field (what we in medicine call a stratified visual scotoma). She can’t stand to have any light in the room, noises make the pain worse, and she’s nauseous and vomiting, in addition, just moving around makes it much worse. The patient generally requires narcotic pain management and neurovascular control with a triptan drug (see below). It is this sufferer, who insurance statistical experts and the U.S. Department of Labor have stated, “costs our nation nearly 95 billion dollars in lost man hours a year! That’s not including the tab to her health insurance company, or if she’s on Medicaid, your tax dollars. Wow!

Common Migraines, are much less intense and disabling, they still throb, are usually one sided, the patient can have nausea, but generally no vomiting. The lights and sounds are still bothersome but not as overwhelming. Most apparent in their history, is no aura or scotoma. These are self limited, usually responding to aspirin, Tylenol and caffeine in combination, and of course, rest.

Complex Migraines can be terrifying. Also referred to as Hemiplegic Migraines, they will generally have features of either a classical or common type, but in addition, present with neurologic deficit. Many are mistaken for Cerebral Vascular Accidents (stroke), or Transient Ischemic Attack, and require hospital observation and treatment. Ancillary studies are usually negative, and the event resolves spontaneously. Obviously, this patient requires an exhaustive evaluation before being given this diagnosis.

Mixed Type is just that. Usually a common migraine with muscle tension overlay or muscle tension headache with migraine overlay. Again, aspirin, Tylenol, and caffeine are helpful; also mild muscle relaxants are effective. Usually if one component is treated, the other falls away.

Migraine Equivalent types are very interesting. Generally seen in college aged “type A” personalities, their hallmark is the scintillating visual scotoma, but there is no pain. That’s right! There is no headache. These patients are obviously afraid they have something serious when they first see their doctors, but after a negative work up and reassurance they do fine. Also interesting is the phenomenon of “dissipation with this migraine. The scotoma starts generally as a “dot”, slowly enlarges, becomes a crescent with a large visual field cut known as a superior quadrantanopsia, (say that 3 times, real fast), sweeps laterally, then vanishes. These types of migraines usually resolve as a condition by the time the individual reaches their thirties.

The newer guidelines have made diagnosis more accurate and streamlined for therapy using two sets: “Migraine with Aura”, and “Migraine without Aura”. Both have their specific subsets, criteria, and recommended therapies. Understand that The National Headache Foundation also endorses guidelines for other types of headaches that are not classified as “migraine”.

What we really know about migraines now, started in the 1980s, subsequently producing new knowledge and new therapies. When sumatriptan hit the medicine cabinet as migraine weaponry in 1991, much changed in the approach to headaches, including migraine classing. Since its introduction, our understanding of the migraine condition and the migrainer’s display of symptoms has been revolutionary, and produced a paradigm shift in treatment. We now know that the “migraine” is actually a cascade of events.

We always knew that there was an underlying driver and that migraines were vascular, hence, the pre-triptan therapies, which were designed to do two things, lyse an acute headache with narcotics and get the patient to sleep so as to break the vascular pain cycle and throbbing. The other, was to approach chronically, preventing the migraine from evolving. We assumed that they were vascular from the beginning of migraine research history and therapies, because they generally throb and respond in kind to vasoconstricting agents. Subsequent research revealed that they occurred in 2 phases. First the blood vessels of the brain would constrict during stress or dietary trigger attack. Then, rather than come back to their original caliber, the vessels would overshoot, engorge, ultimately causing the painful phase.
So, our therapies in the 1980s and 1990s were designed to keep the constricting phase from manifesting, and therefore there would be no overshoot and no pain. This is why to this day we continue to see migrainers treated with blood pressure lowering medications like verapamil and propranolol, which prevent tightening of vessels. In addition to these agents, antidepressants with chronic neurovascular down-gain activity like amitriptyline are added which help control chronic pain. For many patients these drugs work. That’s why they are still used in many migrainers who suffer severe and ongoing disabling attacks.

Sumatriptan lead to more compounds in the “triptan class”, and a host of “me too drugs” which are the mainstay of therapy today. Why? Because the research which produced these drugs revealed that deep inside the brain of a migrainer is a “migraine motor”. It is tied to an area in the midbrain called the Trigeminal Nucleus Caudalis. When stimulated by neurotransmitters from stress loads, lack of sleep, too much sleep, medications, or food triggers, it sends pain signals along the Trigeminal Nerve (The Fifth Cranial Nerve), and the vascular bed which surrounds it.

The two Trigeminal Nerves (left and right) are sensory nerves innervating the scalp, forehead, face and periosteal bone of the skull. When the migraine motor is stimulated, blood vessels are irritated, inflamed, and dilate, causing severe painful migraines. This should not be confused with its very famous cousin, Trigeminal Neuralgia which is also extremely painful and responds to similar medical treatments. Sumatriptan counters this directly. It is structurally similar to serotonin (5HT), and is a 5-HT_agonist. The specific receptor subtypes it activates are present on the cranial arteries and veins. Acting as an agonist at these receptors, sumatriptan reduces the vascular inflammation and dilatation associated with migraine at its source. Even in a disabling attack, sumatriptan injection can lyse the pain of migraine within minutes, without the side effects and sedation of narcotics and anti-emetics.

So now we know more about migraines and tension headaches. We know what causes them, how they are different, and how we can treat them. But you’ve probably been asking yourselves, what are these food triggers and how do they stimulate the “migraine motor”? Migraine triggers are all over the web. A good place to start for a thorough list is at The National Headache Foundation website: http//www.headaches.org.

The real mechanism of migraine motor stimulation is not fully understood, but may involve the neurotransmitter levels of dopamine, serotonin, and nor-epinephrine, in addition, the hormones 2-hydroxy-estradiol, progesterone, and thyroxin, as well as IgG antibodies from different food antigens. However, the triggers are well known and they themselves give us a clue.

Certainly there are known direct vasodilator foods such as Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), caffeine, kava based, and ephedra based herbs, and chocolate. Of course MSG is in all of our salted snacks and most of our “prepared” foods in the freezer section. Not surprisingly, many of my migraine patients when asked to keep a food diary, find they consumed large amounts of MSG the night before an attack, usually a potato chip, Doritos, or Frito binge. Citrus such as orange juice; wine, particularly the reds; hard aged cheeses; meats cured in nitrates; pickles; peanuts; and mint, to name only a few, are well known culprits.

The non-food triggers are classic: too much or not enough sleep; the computer screen you’re looking at right now; stressful life styles; drugs of all kinds; and lastly, medicinal hormones such as progesterone, yeah, your birth control pills. This is one of the reasons why women are more prone to migraine.

Because headaches are so prevalent, they can become a huge topic in conversation with any doctor. Perhaps one needs to write a book on the subject to produce a concise literary treatment which the chronic headache sufferer can utilize. Or should I say, “Another book”. That’s right. There have been many, written by doctors and non-doctors alike. Hopefully this article will help you choose the right one. In the mean time, watch those foods, try some way to lower your stress, don’t forget to drink plenty of water, and if you are a true migrainer, or a chronic headache sufferer, you should see your doctor right away and don’t forget to check out The National Headache Foundation.

From coffee to oranges – helpful tips for avoiding those foods that may just trigger a migraine.

Those who suffer from migraine attacks know all too well. The throbbing headaches that occur after eaten something you know you shouldn’t have. What often follows is a pain to the side of the head, sickness, sensitivity to light, visual disturbances or aura. Attacks that can last from 4 hours (if your lucky) up to 72 hours (if your not) or even longer. The good news is that migraine attacks can be largely reduced or prevented if you avoid the most common migraine triggers..

From coffee and alcohol to processed foods and citrus fruits, studies show that certain foods are known to be migraine triggers.

Here’s what you need to know about the top 8 most common migraine trigger foods.

Migraine and Citrus Fruits

(Oranges, tangerine, grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, lime).

Fruits are always associated with healthy living, but to the migraine sufferer they can be possible migraine trigger, this is due to their high levels of tyramine.

Migraine and Caffeine

(Coffee, tea, cola)

Caffeine as a migraine trigger can be somewhat confusing, because for some people it can help to alleviate a migraine, but for others it will have the opposite effect, thus triggering a migraine.

Migraine and Alcohol

Red wine, beer, whiskey, champagne are the most common identified alcoholic migraine triggers, this is largely due to the large concentrations of tyramine during the fermentation process.

Migraine and Cheese

Aged cheeses can trigger migraines, this is due to the high amounts of the natural substance known as tyramine. Aged cheeses such as blue, stilton, cheddar, mozzarella, camembert and parmesan are usually the culprits.

Migraine and Processed Meats

Packaged meats including ham, bacon, sausages, pepperoni, salami and other processed meats contain high levels of tyramine. These processed meats may also include additives/preservatives such as nitrates and nitrites

Migraine and MSG (monosodium glutamate)

MSG is a common additive which is found in many of today’s foods, although not a cause of migraines, it can be a migraine trigger. Found in many pre-packed foods and perhaps more commonly Chinese food.

Migraine and Chocolate

Chocolate has for many years been the alleged trigger of migraines, although for many sufferers this is probably true, but for others it’s perfectly ok. One thing to note, chocolate does contain caffeine and this is probably why it doesn’t affect everybody the same way.

Migraine and Aspartame

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener which is found in a number of food products including soft drinks. It is also believed to have an effect on serotonin levels in the body, although this is not thought to be a direct cause of a migraine, but certainly doesn’t help.

Tyramine

What is tyramine?

Tyramine is a natural substance found in a numerous foods such as aged and fermented foods, including cheese, meats, bread, citrus fruit and some alcoholic drinks. It can even be found in leftover food that have been in the fridge for more than 24 hours.

Migraine pain can be rather disabling and greatly disruptive to your career, family and social life. Besides feeling the throbbing pain in one area of your head, very often migraine pain is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. If you suffer from chronic migraine, migraine pain management is something you would need to learn.

Here are five ways to alleviate migraine pain:

1) Get Adequate Rest And Relaxation

Stress, inadequate sleep or disrupted sleep patterns are potential migraine triggers. Find time to do something you enjoy and are passionate about. Be sure to get sufficient sleep each day. Sleep in a darkened room that is well ventilated and without any scented candles if you are sensitive to odours. Try to sleep at a fixed time each night and give yourself time to unwind before you sleep. Turn off the television and computer, not forgetting your cellphone as well.

2) Exercise

Exercise allows the pent-up energy that stress produces to dissipate. At the same time, your body releases endorphins that not only makes you feel good about yourself, it also acts as a natural analgesic resulting in instant migraine pain relief. Walking, running, swimming, aerobics and water aerobics are excellent choices.

3) Watch Your Diet

Be sure to eliminate potential migraine food triggers from our diet. Alternatively you can substitute these dietary triggers with safer choices. Read your labels carefully and avoid monosodium glutamate and food additives as much as possible. Limit alcohol and caffeine. Drink water instead of carbonated and energy drinks. Replace hot dogs and cured meats with fresh chicken and fish instead. This is because migraine attacks have been linked to sodium nitrite which is found in processed meat.

4) Get A Massage

Visit a certified massage therapist who will then apply manual pressure to the pain joints on your head and neck to alleviate migraine pain behind the eye and in the neck. If you are unable to find time to go for a massage, you can also apply cold compresses to reduce the pain.

5) Go For Botox Injections For Migraines

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of botox for treating migraine headaches. Botox injections can be given every twelve weeks to the head and neck. This treatment has been found to reduce the occurrence of migraine for four to six months. This method of reducing pain may have potential side effects. Be sure to discuss them with your doctor to ensure you make an informed decision.

A migraine is a chronic neurological disorder, characterized by moderate to severe headaches and nausea. It is three times more common in women than in men. One third of people with migraines, experience an “aura” before the onset of the disease. The symptoms of migraine include: nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and phonophobia. Migraines can have many triggers, including: insomnia, stress, bright lights, and loud noises. However, food is the major trigger for many people.

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First thing to do when identifying food triggers is to maintain a food diary. Record all foods you eat and what you drink. Noting the time the food is consumed is also very important. Observe what is happening with your body, the natural symptoms you have, and record it. After a month, look at the food diary and try to see if there is any coincidence between the diet and the symptoms. If there is a correlation between eating a particular food and experiencing a migraine, avoid that particular food for a month and again record your observations.

Common Food Triggers

1. Tyramine and phenylethylamine are two amino acids which can be found in chocolate, aged cheese, soy foods, all nuts and most seeds, citrus fruits, left over foods, and vinegar.

2. Alcohol such as beer, red wine, and sherry can act as triggers. Alcohol causes dehydration which is a triggering factor for migraine.

3. Tannins found in red-skinned apples, pears, cider, and teas.

4. Nitrites found in deli meats such as pepperoni, bacon, hot dogs, sausages, bologna, and corned beef. And poultry or fish which has been cured, smoked, pickled, canned or preserved with nitrites.

5. Sulfites, a preservative common in wine, most dried fruits ( including prunes, figs, and apricots),canned vegetables, and many processed foods.

6. Additives such as HVP – hydrolyzed vegetable protein and HPP -hydrolyzed plant protein. Sensitivity to MSG -mono sodium glutamate – causes facial flushing, sweating, and palpitation, and is referred to as Chinese restaurant syndrome.

7. Aspartame is a sugar substitute sweetener used in diet drinks and diabetic snacks.

8. Caffeine such as found in tea, cola, coffee, chocolates, and OTC analgesics. Caffeine in small amounts increases alertness, but in higher doses causes insomnia, irritability, anxiety and headache.

Though these foods can act as triggers, a migraine is unique and each person has different triggers. A food that triggers migraines in one person may not act as a trigger for another. So a careful maintenance of a food diary will help you find the food which triggers your migraine.

There are many theories on how food triggers migraine. One theory suggests the intake of these trigger foods causes a release of certain chemicals in the body such as tyramine or phenylethylamine. These chemicals have varying degrees of vasoconstriction or vasodilation which can be the source of a headache. Another theory is that specific foods stimulate the specific region in the brain, causing migraine. Then there is the theory that migraines are caused by a deficiency of enzyme PST – an enzyme with the capacity to neutralize the group of substances called amines that exist in many foods. When there is a short supply of this enzyme, the amines increase, causing platelet agglutination in the brain, and leading to headaches.

Food Triggers:

• 74% – chocolates
• 47% – cheese
• 30% – citrus
• 18% – fat and fried
• 15% – tea and coffee
• 14% – meat – pork
• 10% – seafood

So exclude foods that trigger your headache and be free of the pounding headache.

Well you have a headache and you want to know if it is actually a migraine. According to the International Headache Society, yes there really is such a society, a headache is treatable quite effectively and quite quickly with common headache meds such as aspirins where as a common migraine lasts from anywhere between four-seventy two hours after taking common headache meds then in most cases an over the counter med is advised and if in some cases it lasts longer than seventy two hours then it is strongly advised that you seek out immediate medical attention.

The frequency of a headache is also classified as a symptom but let us explore the migraine specifics more thoroughly.

Symptoms of a migraine… hold on we will get to that; allow me first to start with some important facts pertaining to migraines. Migraines are not all in the mind, they are a biologic headache disorders. Migraines do not have known causes which is why it is so very difficult to diagnose. All sufferers have different symptoms and migraines are not always curable because what works for one may not work for another. Migraines do affect women more than men but it is not linked to gender nor is it linked to age because there have been many cases of babies, kids and teenagers becoming afflicted. Viagra Canada – cheap canadian pharmacy.

A common migraine is referred to as a migraine without aura and a migraine with aura is known as an Ocular migraine which affects the eyes.

The International Headache Society has certain criteria that they allocate to a headache to be defined as a migraine. Symptoms of a migraine are a headache that must be accompanied by two to four pain descriptors. The pain is restricted to one side of the head, it is not a consistent pain but pulsates, and it is so excruciatingly intense it prevents you from functioning or debilitates you.

The pain worsens when normal daily activities are attempted. A headache must also be accompanied by one -four side effects: sensitivity to sound which is called phonophobia, sensitivity to light which is called photophobia, vomiting and nausea.

It is always recommended that you exclude other conditions that may be causes of your migraines, you should get medical tests done for extreme cases such as MRI or CAT scans or seeks out a specialist to rule out a possibly fatal condition. Canadian cialis online – discount ed meds.

Symptoms of a migraine should be paid attention to and taken very seriously, every detail is important to remember. It is advisable to keep a record of frequency, duration and type of headache. Our bodies are truly amazing entities, it will warn us, if we pay attention to it that is, to any and all more serious ailments that could lead to fatal consequences.

Acute recurrent headaches that last for 2 to 4 hours and occur periodically are termed as migraine headaches. With the growing civilization, the incidence of migraine cases is increasing and sadly young adolescent boys and girls are also the victims. Dealing with these adolescent migraine cases is not easy, as they involve lot of emotional and psychological issues as well. Especially the cases that involve disability to carry on day to day activities need significant attention.

Incidence – Childhood migraine cases are found more in boys than girls; however, as they reach adolescent age group, more girls are affected than boys. Same trend continues in adulthood. More than 70% cases of migraine have positive family history and one or more immediate family members usually suffer from the same. Though migraine is a very debilitating illness, it usually does not lead to any significant bodily problem, neither are stroke or brain tumors linked with the migraine.

Causes of Migraine – In any age group, until recently the vascular system was blamed for occurrence of migraine headache. It was primarily thought to be due to constriction and expansion of blood vessels in the brain. However, it is now considered more of a CNS disorder primarily due to disturbance in the brain and nerves and secondarily due to blood vessels. Changes in the level of circulating neurotransmitters are thought to be among the primary causes.

Types of Migraine in Adolescence

1) Classical Migraine – This is an episodic migraine with aura. In adolescent age group, usually the attack of migraine starts in early or late mornings. An aura can be said as a warning sign before an attack of migraine that may begin about 10 to 30 minutes before the onset of headache. Blurred vision, spots before vision, giddy spells, sudden nausea, etc are the common auras experienced by the migraine sufferer.

2) Common Migraine – This is commoner form of migraine that occurs without any aura. Some forms of complicated migraines also may occur in a few individuals, those associated with ophthalmic problems, confusion, and/or hemiplegia, etc; however such complications are rare during adolescence.

Important Migraine Triggers in Adolescence-

1) Stress – In any age group, stress can be considered as the major factor that leads to onset of migraine headache. Especially adolescent age group undergoes lot of mental and emotional turmoil due to social, academic, and familial tensions. Stress management, psychotherapy to handle stress better, involving in some enjoyable hobby, etc are some of the strategies that help conquer such migraines.

2) Menstruation - Menstrual migraines are pretty common in adolescent girls, which may be due to hormonal influences.
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3) Abnormal eating patterns - with the increasing stress and modern lifestyle, many adolescent boys and girls have irregular and junk eating habits. Certain types of food like coffee, chocolates, etc act as triggers in certain youngsters. Also remaining empty stomach beyond the normal gastric emptying time (4 hours) can set the attack of migraine.

4) Medicines – certain medicines like Oral Contraceptive Pills, drugs used for asthma, stimulants, etc can result in recurrent migraine headaches. Understanding the bad effects o drugs and taking appropriate precautions to stop those drugs need expert advice.

5) Alcohol – more and more adolescents are getting addicted to alcohol, the major trigger from migraine. Expansion of the arteries of the brain is the cause. Identifying the trigger factors is one of the major steps in treating your migraine. Take apt steps to prevent these triggers and this will help in lengthening the headache-free periods and even reduce the intensity of attacks.

Treatment of Migraine in Adolescence – Medicinal therapy can always be started any time for any age group. But one should make efforts initially and during the medicinal course to cut the triggers and improve the lifestyle and diet.

Here is the checklist

– Maintaining a headache diary helps one understand the headache-free periods between the attacks

– Avoid over-the-counter medication as far as possible. Increase use of such drugs can actually increase the intensity of headaches

– Never skip meals, especially morning breakfast

– Drinking ample water (at least 8 to 10 glasses)

– Take steps to reduce stress; relaxation techniques can help a great deal

– Exercise regularly

– Re-schedule your sleep; you must get at least 8 hours of sleep at a stretch

– Take medicines properly as per the guidelines and give apt follow-up

Homeopathic Treatment of Migraine in adolescence

Homeopathy, as we know is a holistic method of treating patients. Same approach is (or should be) maintained when it comes to treating migraine cases in any age group. One cannot take just the diagnosis of migraine into account while treating these types of episodic headaches homeopathically. Complete physical, mental, and emotional aspects of the patients should be given importance and remedy found after careful evaluation. Symptomatic approach is the best suited approach in any migraine case and rarely have I come across a migraine case that fails to respond to efficient homeopathic therapy. In adolescence age group, proper psychological counseling and stress management are important auxiliary regimens to be advised by homeopathic expert.

It may seem a little counterintuitive, but it’s hard to really tell what kind of headache it is that you have. Half of all people people who have a migraine headache mistakenly think that they are suffering from sinus headache symptoms instead. If you have a really stubborn sinusitis-related headache, your doctor may give you antibiotics for your sinusitis. And antibiotics do take quite a while to work. If your headache seems to last no more than a couple of days, it probably wasn’t the antibiotics that took care of it. It’s possible that you had a migraine attack all along.

Basically, you know what you are suffering from a sinus-related problem when it just won’t go away. Sinus headache symptoms include a feeling like you are about to come down with the flu. Your sinuses feel inflamed, and you could suffer from a lot of mucus running down your throat when you lie back or a post nasal drip. There’s just one problem going with these symptoms to determine that you have a sinus-related headache. You could conceivably experience these symptoms with migraine attacks just the same. About the only reliable one you can depend on among all the sinus headache symptoms there are, is the length of time that it all lasts.
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People tend to take sinus headache symptoms lightly. They tend to underestimate how serious a problem it is. Left alone, the infection that causes sinusitis can actually spread into your brain and inflame the meninges. You need to make sure that the doctor really understands that what you are suffering from is really a sinus-related headache. You can tell from the way the pain seems to mainly concentrate around your eyes. Other sinus headache symptoms include feeling tender around your face, feeling pressure all around the forehead, and most telling of all, having a headache that seems to grow worse when you bend over or lie down. The headache is also known to get worse when you expose yourself to a sudden change in temperature – such as when in winter, when you leave the warm confines of your home and step out into the cold. A sinus headache is also more bothersome first thing in the morning.

One of the best ways you have of getting rid of a sinus headache is by breathing in moist air – such as steam. Do you keep hearing about how a good bowl of soup will do you a world of good? It’s usually the steam from the soup rather than the soup itself. Since a sinus headache comes about through a sinus infection, you don’t have to do anything different to deal with it than you would with normal a sinusitis attack. Try asking the doctor for antibiotics. Or else, you could try decongestants that you get over-the-counter.

What is a Nerve Block?

Traditionally, migraine headaches are thought to be caused by a condition in the brain itself or a neurological disorder. However, new studies done in recent years demonstrate that other areas in the head may be trigger points for migraine headaches. Increasingly, plastic surgeons are becoming important helpers for people who do not experience relief of their migraines after pursuing traditional remedies.

Success stories of migraine relief through injections of Botox have renewed an interest in finding other causes of migraine headaches. Four trigger sites have been found. One of these is along the course of the greater occipital nerve. The occipital nerve is found at the back of the head, above the neck. The greater occipital nerve has been described as piercing several muscles along its length. Any one of these intersections of nerve and muscle could serve as a source of compression or irritation of the nerve.

What is an Occipital Nerve Block?

An occipital nerve block is an injection of medication around the nerves that are located on the back of the head just above the neck area. The injection will reduce the inflammation of the muscle around the nerve. This in turn will reduce pain and irritation that can act as a trigger for migraine headaches. Typically, migraine headaches that originate over the back of the head will be best treated by an occipital nerve block. Usually the first injection is viewed as a diagnostic test rather than a treatment. The first nerve block will help define the trigger point of the migraine.

Talking to Your Physician

Before you choose a surgeon for your migraine treatment, meet with the surgeon. Ask questions about the procedure. Make sure you feel comfortable with the surgeon. Getting to know your surgeon will go far in assuaging fears, and you’ll feel better about choosing a surgeon who inspires confidence. Also, keeping a detailed headache journal will be valuable for when you speak with your physician. Record things such as times, dates, and the duration of your headaches. Keep track of symptoms and side effects of each migraine such as nausea, vomiting, aura or non-aura, and levels and placement of pain. Also note any migraine drugs taken, the amount of drugs used, and if these drugs were successful in reducing migraine pain. Being familiar with your migraines will help your surgeon to determine how to best help eliminate your migraines.

Yikes! Headaches come when you least expected them. How can anyone tolerate such constant, pounding pain to the temple, back of the head and around the front head and eye area? Yet, for many unfortunate women, headaches are a part of their lives.

Whether it’s episodic or chronic women experience more headaches than men. If you experience more than 15 headaches per month, sweetie, you hit the jackpot. You win the title of “Chronic Headache Sufferer”.

There many types of headaches. Most women have heard of or experienced primary headaches. Common primary headaches include tension-type, cervicogenic, cluster and migraine headaches. However, did you know that an aneurysm or a subdural hematoma and meningitis can also cause headaches? Unfortunately, these secondary headaches can be deadly.

Here is a comparison between some of the common primary headaches. If you experience any of these types of headaches, consider chiropractic, soft tissue treatments.

Tension-type and cervicogenic headaches

• Dull ache and tight band around the head, back of the head and base of the skull
• Both sides are affected with tight or pressure sensation
• Mild to moderate intensity
• Stress, neck movement or jaw chewing can cause pain
• More prevalent in women
• Get relief from over the counter drugs

Cluster headaches

• Occur repeatedly over a period of time
• Often only one side is affected lasting between 15 minutes to 3 hours
• Runny nose, nasal congestion, droopy and watery eye on the affected side
• More prevalent in men, especially between the ages of 20-40

Migraine headaches

• Without aura
Mostly one sided with throbbing, pulsing pain lasting between 4-72 hours
Moderate to severe intensity
Nausea and sensitivity to light and noises
More prevalent in women
Hormonal changes, food and stress can trigger headaches
Often begin in childhood, but decreases in frequency and severity with age

• With aura
Same as migraine headaches without aura
Except there is a brief neurological episode of symptoms (aura) before the actual headache
These neurological warnings include numbness, tingling, speech and visual disturbances like flashes or spots of light

The next time you have a headache, don’t automatically assume it’s a tension-type, cervicogenic or migraine. If you experience a spontaneous headache with focal neurological signs or headaches after a head trauma, consult with a chiropractor or doctor. Please be cautious and seek professional help for your headaches if you notice any change in your personality or if it’s the most severe headache or neck pain that you have ever experienced. Don’t just pop a couple of Tylenols or Aspirins if your headaches are aggravated by coughing, sneezing or physical exertion. Have it assessed thoroughly ASAP.

Everyone gets headaches sometimes. But some people are prone to worrying and for these people there is a short hop between normal headaches and brain tumor headaches. It is important not to dismiss these associations. What is important is to deduce the true cause of the headaches and then to deal with it.
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The brain is surrounded by a fluid and this is encased with our skulls’. The body is a finely balanced thing and there is a correct amount of little grey cells and fluid to fit happily inside each of our heads.

What happens when you have a brain tumor is that the balance is upset. The extra mass of the brain tumor means that there is too much inside the scull and this causes pressure.

When you have a headache, it feels like there is pressure inside your head. This is how a headache feels, not necessarily what a headache is. In reality if you had a brain tumor a headache would not be your first symptom. The brain would be under pressure and this would affect the brains ability to work. Therefore the first symptoms would be reduced or affected mental capacity. By this I do not mean that you would lose your faculties over night. More that maybe your fine motor skills or eye sight would be affected, or perhaps you would experience seizures.

With headaches, it is notoriously difficult to pin point the cause. So patients should do their upmost to help doctors with the diagnosis. A good way to help is to keep a diary. In your diary you should write every time you have a headache. This will help the doctor understand the severity of the headaches, but not the cause. So you need to record other information.

Headaches can be caused by stress or allergies. So it is a good idea to record what you were doing when you got your headache and also what you had eaten that day. With all this information the doctor will be able to help you work out what is causing your headaches.

Whatever you do you need to always work through issues, and recurrent headaches should be taken seriously and dealt with; no one should have to live with these. Also if you do not find the cause or trigger of your headaches you will always have that niggling fear that it is in fact the beginning of brain tumor headaches, so you must work through the process and find the true cause if you are to control your panic and fears.