5. Get in a Groove, and Stay There
Boring though it may sound, sticking to a routine helps prevent a migraine. That's because changes in your daily schedule, sleeping in late on the weekends, blowing off breakfast, or skipping your daily bike ride, can trigger a migraine, says Dr. Biondi."The brain of a person with a migraine likes to have consistency. When you get off schedule, the brain may respond by triggering a headache. So a person with a migraine should stay on as regimented a program as possible," advises Dr. Biondi.Keep to a regular bedtime schedule, don't skip meals, and try to eat at the same time of day every day. If your blood sugar falls too quickly, it can trigger a migraine.6. Learn to Take It Easy
Stress is one of the most common migraine triggers, so learning to cope with stress may help reduce the severity and frequency of attacks, says Dr. Mauskop.What seems to work well for many migraine sufferers is biofeedback. Using special equipment that measures muscle tension or body temperature, biofeedback teaches you how to control both muscle contraction and the swelling of blood vessels, two physical reactions that seem to play a major role in headaches of all kinds. Once you've become adept at biofeedback, you can use what you've learned to alleviate or even stop a mild attack.You can go low-tech too. Progressive muscle relaxation can reduce or even stop migraine pain. It's easy to learn and requires practice but no training. Find a quiet room where you can lie down on a flat, comfortable surface. Take a few deep breaths. Now, slowly tighten, then relax, the different muscle groups of the body in succession from head to toe. As you tighten each muscle, inhale deeply, and hold the tension for several seconds. Relax, and exhale slowly.Other stress relievers include yoga, meditation, and guided imagery. Basically, "anything you can do daily that takes your mind off your worries will go a long way in helping to prevent migraines," says Dr. Mauskop.7. Know Your Food Triggers
The old expression "you are what you eat" can mean something very painful to a migraineur: It's long been thought that certain foods and food additives may trigger a headache. (Though recently it's been theorized that cravings for these foods may actually signal the onset of a migraine.)Chocolate, for example, contains vasoactive amines, which can provoke a headache by dilating blood vessels. You may also have a headache associated with foods such as processed meats that contain additives called nitrites. Like amines, they cause blood vessels to swell, provoking headaches in migraine-susceptible people.Other common food triggers include aged cheese; alcohol; pickled and marinated foods; citrus fruits; bananas; onions; monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food preservative; and aspartame/ phenylalanine-containing foods and beverages.Uncovering your food triggers may take time, says Dr. Biondi. "One of the most difficult things about food triggers is that a food may only be a trigger once or twice out of 10 times you eat it." You may be more susceptible to food triggers when other triggers are present, such as stress, bright lights, or loud noises. And foods that trigger migraines in one person may have little effect on someone else.Chocolate, for example, contains vasoactive amines, which can provoke a headache by dilating blood vessels. You may also have a headache associated with foods such as processed meats that contain additives called nitrites. Like amines, they cause blood vessels to swell, provoking headaches in migraine-susceptible people.Other common food triggers include aged cheese; alcohol; pickled and marinated foods; citrus fruits; bananas; onions; monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food preservative; and aspartame/ phenylalanine-containing foods and beverages.Uncovering your food triggers may take time, says Dr. Biondi. "One of the most difficult things about food triggers is that a food may only be a trigger once or twice out of 10 times you eat it." You may be more susceptible to food triggers when other triggers are present, such as stress, bright lights, or loud noises. And foods that trigger migraines in one person may have little effect on someone else.8 Ways To Clobber the Big Headache
http://health.yahoo.net/articles/healthcare/8-ways-clobber-big-headacheTeacher Mary Riley awoke one morning with searing pain on one side of her head. It started on top, then worked its way down and around the back of her neck.She thought it would go away with time and a little help from an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever. It didn't. It was the first of many headaches she would endure that day and every day that followed. At age 48, Riley had become a migraineur, a term used to describe migraine sufferers.She's in good company. An estimated 28 million Americans, nearly 10 percent of the population, and most of them women, suffer from migraines. Not "just a headache," migraine is a complex disease that causes severe and often disabling head pain, usually located on one side of the head, often accompanied by nausea, light and noise sensitivity, and other symptoms. Less than a third of migraineurs have a pre-headache phenomenon called an aura, during which they may have tingling and numbness of the face or arm, and may see flashing lights, blind spots, or zigzag lines.Migraine symptoms can be so debilitating, and the pain so explosive, that a 1999 survey found that one-quarter of those who experience it go to the emergency room for help. Yet more than half of migraineurs never see a doctor for a diagnosis, depriving themselves of new and effective treatments that can stop the symptoms dead and may actually short-circuit the entire headache process.There may not be a cure for migraine, but you certainly don't have to live with the pain. Here are eight medically proven ways to clobber the big headache.Discover Natural Remedies For Migraine Headaches
1. Get a Diagnosis
Why don't more migraine sufferers see a doctor? Because some get adequate , if not entirely reliable, relief from OTC pain relievers, says Richard B. Lipton, MD, professor of neurology, epidemiology, and behavioral sciences at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.But many others "don't know that headache is a treatable medical disorder," says Dr. Lipton, who was the lead author on the study that found so many migraineurs keeping mum around their doctors. Since migraine runs in families, it may seem normal to get these headaches, as if the pain is something they just have to live with, he says. And, "just as migraine runs in families, so too does not seeking care for migraine."But it's only in a doctor's office that you'll find the latest treatments that could help you to control your migraines, or even prevent them, reliably and for good."Our goals in therapy today aren't just to stop the pain," says Merle Diamond, MD, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. "With some of the newer medications, such as the triptans, we can actually turn off the headache process. That means we can stop the pain and get rid of the nausea and other symptoms without causing drowsiness. That's something we didn't have 10 years ago."The triptans, available as regular and dissolvable tablets, an injectable, and a nasal spray, may work in part by correcting a "glitch" in brain chemistry that causes a drop in the neurotransmitter serotonin. The triptans mimic serotonin, attaching to specific serotonin receptor sites in the brain, which not only relieves pain but also other migraine symptoms. They also stop the release of certain neuropeptides, the vasoactive and inflammatory chemicals that cause blood vessels to dilate and activate pain-sensitive nerve endings.When To See A Doctor For Your Headache2. See a Specialist
Still in pain after consulting your doctor? It may be time to call in the big guns.Most family doctors can treat headaches quite well, says neurologist David M. Biondi, DO. But the same survey found that 48 percent of people who do see a doctor report that they're still often in severe pain.If your headaches aren't being controlled after several months, or your doctor is unsure about your diagnosis, ask for a referral to a neurologist or headache specialist.Neurologists have a special interest in headaches, says Dr. Lipton. And headache specialists are usually neurologists who spend even more time on headaches, offering greater expertise in diagnosis and treatment, he says.Most important for you, a headache specialist will also be up to date on the latest migraine medications, such as the triptans and preventives that are taken daily to reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks.Some specialists are also using Botox, a natural substance that can be injected into the forehead, temples, or back of the head, temporarily paralyzing the muscles and causing them to relax. Some patients have reported complete or nearly complete relief from their headaches for up to 4 months, says Alexander Mauskop, MD, director of the New York Headache Center in New York City, who uses Botox in his practice. However, Botox, like other migraine treatments, doesn't work for everyone.A specialist can also help you manage your medications and help avoid what's known as the rebound headache, which occurs when the medications you're taking on a regular basis (more than two or three times a week) to alleviate pain actually cause a headache.3. Catch It Early
Never ignore the early signs that a migraine is coming on. Most pain relievers become less effective as the headache progresses, says Dr. Biondi.Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen and naproxen sodium may bring pain under control when used at the first glimmer of a headache. "But once the migraine headache reaches a more intense phase, where there's more pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and other associated symptoms, the nonsteroidals and other simple pain relievers are usually less effective," he says."Simple pain relievers" include aspirin, acetaminophen, or aspirin/acetaminophen/caffeine combinations.4. Hop On the Treadmill
Walking, jogging, swimming, or any form of aerobic exercise may help prevent migraine headaches. Exercise stimulates the body to release endorphins, which are brain chemicals that improve mood, explains Dr. Mauskop. Exercise also helps relieve stress, one of the known headache triggers.Any form of aerobic exercise will do, but find something you like so that you're more likely to stick with it. Aim for 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week.One thing exercise will not do is stop a migraine in progress. In fact, exercise makes a migraine feel worse.Heal A Headache With Yoga5. Get in a Groove, and Stay There
Boring though it may sound, sticking to a routine helps prevent a migraine. That's because changes in your daily schedule, sleeping in late on the weekends, blowing off breakfast, or skipping your daily bike ride, can trigger a migraine, says Dr. Biondi."The brain of a person with a migraine likes to have consistency. When you get off schedule, the brain may respond by triggering a headache. So a person with a migraine should stay on as regimented a program as possible," advises Dr. Biondi.Keep to a regular bedtime schedule, don't skip meals, and try to eat at the same time of day every day. If your blood sugar falls too quickly, it can trigger a migraine.6. Learn to Take It Easy
Stress is one of the most common migraine triggers, so learning to cope with stress may help reduce the severity and frequency of attacks, says Dr. Mauskop.What seems to work well for many migraine sufferers is biofeedback. Using special equipment that measures muscle tension or body temperature, biofeedback teaches you how to control both muscle contraction and the swelling of blood vessels, two physical reactions that seem to play a major role in headaches of all kinds. Once you've become adept at biofeedback, you can use what you've learned to alleviate or even stop a mild attack.You can go low-tech too. Progressive muscle relaxation can reduce or even stop migraine pain. It's easy to learn and requires practice but no training. Find a quiet room where you can lie down on a flat, comfortable surface. Take a few deep breaths. Now, slowly tighten, then relax, the different muscle groups of the body in succession from head to toe. As you tighten each muscle, inhale deeply, and hold the tension for several seconds. Relax, and exhale slowly.Other stress relievers include yoga, meditation, and guided imagery. Basically, "anything you can do daily that takes your mind off your worries will go a long way in helping to prevent migraines," says Dr. Mauskop.7. Know Your Food Triggers
The old expression "you are what you eat" can mean something very painful to a migraineur: It's long been thought that certain foods and food additives may trigger a headache. (Though recently it's been theorized that cravings for these foods may actually signal the onset of a migraine.)Chocolate, for example, contains vasoactive amines, which can provoke a headache by dilating blood vessels. You may also have a headache associated with foods such as processed meats that contain additives called nitrites. Like amines, they cause blood vessels to swell, provoking headaches in migraine-susceptible people.Other common food triggers include aged cheese; alcohol; pickled and marinated foods; citrus fruits; bananas; onions; monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food preservative; and aspartame/ phenylalanine-containing foods and beverages.Uncovering your food triggers may take time, says Dr. Biondi. "One of the most difficult things about food triggers is that a food may only be a trigger once or twice out of 10 times you eat it." You may be more susceptible to food triggers when other triggers are present, such as stress, bright lights, or loud noises. And foods that trigger migraines in one person may have little effect on someone else.Chocolate, for example, contains vasoactive amines, which can provoke a headache by dilating blood vessels. You may also have a headache associated with foods such as processed meats that contain additives called nitrites. Like amines, they cause blood vessels to swell, provoking headaches in migraine-susceptible people.Other common food triggers include aged cheese; alcohol; pickled and marinated foods; citrus fruits; bananas; onions; monosodium glutamate (MSG), a food preservative; and aspartame/ phenylalanine-containing foods and beverages.Uncovering your food triggers may take time, says Dr. Biondi. "One of the most difficult things about food triggers is that a food may only be a trigger once or twice out of 10 times you eat it." You may be more susceptible to food triggers when other triggers are present, such as stress, bright lights, or loud noises. And foods that trigger migraines in one person may have little effect on someone else.8. Keep Track of Your Headaches
Keeping a headache diary is one of the best ways to identify your triggers and prevent future attacks. It also helps your doctor to find a prevention and treatment plan that works for you.Write in your diary every day, even if you don't have a headache, and include the following information and note any factors that may have contributed to your headache, including known food triggers, emotional stress, alcohol, and not getting enough sleep.- Did you have a headache?
- What time did it start?
- Were there any warning signs?
- How did it feel (mild, moderate, severe, etc.)?
- What medications did you use, including dosage?
- How long did the headache last?
No comments:
Post a Comment