Category Archives: Migraine Headaches

6 Tips to Deal with Migraine Headaches Naturally

Posted by on March 14, 2013 1 comment
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Migraines are chronic headaches which involve excruciating pain. The throbbing headaches can last for hours and even days. The disorder is found to be more common in women as compared to men. There are many factors responsible of causing this condition. These include hormonal changes, changes in weather, stress, certain foods and beverages, change in sleeping patterns, and too much exertion.

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Tips to Manage Migraine Headaches:

  • Tip 1: A gentle massage can provide a lot of relief. Gently rub your fingers over the temple and the arteries near the ears. Also massage the neck and shoulder area. This improves blood circulation in these areas, and eases the tension in the muscles.
  • Tip 2: Get yourself at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. Ensure that you maintain a regular sleeping time. For example, try and go to bed around the same time every day.
  • Tip 3: There are certain foods that should be avoided when trying to manage these annoying headaches. Some of the foods that should be avoided or restricted include chocolate, cheese, caffeine, nuts, soy beans, seeds, alcohol, etc. If possible, keep away from these foods for at least a month.
  • Tip 4: Try and avoid going to places where there is loud music or sounds, and bright lights. These factors are known to further aggravate the problem.
  • Tip 5: De-stressing the body is one of the most beneficial ways of coping with this disorder. Stress is considered to be amongst the main causes for the onset of this condition. Try techniques like yoga, meditation or progressive muscle relaxation as they work wonders for the mind and body.
  • Tip 6: Acupressure is one of the most common and widely used methods for dealing with this disorder. It stimulates the body’s own healing mechanism and helps reduce the frequency as well as intensity of attacks.

Treatment:

In case of severe and frequent attacks, it is important to seek advice from a physician. There are several prescription and OTC drugs available in the market for treating this condition. Physicians often prescribe drugs like Maxalt for treating migraine headaches. Maxalt helps treat the pain and the associated symptoms like sensitivity to sound and light. However, it will not prevent a headache or reduce the number of attacks. Also, Maxalt should only be used after consulting a doctor.

These are some effective tips for dealing with migraines. However, they are not meant to substitute for any treatment prescribed by the physician. When used in combination with medication prescribed by a doctor, these tips can prove beneficial in coping with the pain and discomfort caused due to migraine.

Migraine Headaches Reduce or Avoid Them

Posted by on June 16, 2011 2 comments
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A migraine headache is normally a throbbing pain in one half of the head, which continues from anywhere between 4 to 72 hours. This condition also has accompanying problems like nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to sound and increased sensitivity to light. The headache may range from moderate to severe.

Symptoms of Migraine Headaches:

  • Intense pounding pain involving one temple.
  • Sometimes the location of the pain is the forehead, the back of the head or in the vicinity of the eyes.
  • Usually the pain is on one side of the head. Sometimes, it can be on both sides of the head.
  • The side of the head in which the pain is caused may change in the next attack.
  • Migraine headaches restricted to only one side may be more dangerous, as they could be caused by a brain tumor.
  • Normal activities such as walking the stairs may aggravate migraine headaches.
  • During a migraine attack, the affected people usually prefer to lie in a dark, quiet room because of increased sensitivity to light and sound.
  • Chills
  • Increased urination
  • Loss of appetite
  • Concentration problems

Signs of an Impending Migraine Attack:

  • Irritability
  • Lethargy
  • Sleepiness
  • Euphoria or depression
  • Yearning for sweet or salty food
  • Yawning

The patient and his immediate contacts should treat these signs as a warning of an oncoming migraine and take immediate precautionary and corrective measures to reduce its severity.

Apart from the above symptoms, some migraine headaches are preceded with an aura. An aura is seeing bright, flashing colored lights in irregular patterns, originating from the middle of the vision field and moving outwards. An aura is also seeing a blind spot on the vision area. Another rare type of aura consists of the sensations of pins and needles on the hand and arm on one side of the body or the same sensations on the same side but around the mouth and nose. After a migraine attack, the affected feels totally exhausted. However, a low intensity headache may continue.

Types of Migraine Headaches:

  • Vertebrobasilar migraines: These migraines appear to be connected to the malfunctioning of the brain stem, the part of the brain which takes care of the automatic activities like consciousness and coordination. Its symptoms are fainting, vertigo and double vision.
  • Hemiplegic migraines are possibly linked to the paralysis or weakness on one side of the body.
  • Retinal or ocular migraines: These migraines are accompanied by frequent occurrences of blindness on one side.

Medical Treatment for Migraines:

Triptans, Ergots, Midrin, narcotics and butalbital containing medications have been found useful to treat migraine headaches.

Non-Medication Treatment for Migraines:

  • Using ice, relaxation techniques and biofeedback may be useful in halting a migraine attack after it has started.
  • Relaxation and sleep may be very beneficial.
  • Quit smoking
  • Avoiding foods like sharp cheese, wines, nuts, pressed meat, etc.
  • Changing to healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition, adequate intake of fluids, regular sleep and exercise may also help to alleviate migraine headache.

Migraine Triggers:

  • Sleep disturbances
  • Fasting
  • Stress
  • Smell and odors
  • Flickering bright lights
  • Hormones
  • Alcohol
  • Cigarette smoke
  • Chocolate
  • Aged cheese
  • Monosodium glutamate
  • Caffeine

Exposure to the trigger and actual onset of migraine may have a time interval which may vary from hours to two days. However, contact with the trigger does not necessarily result in a migraine attack and avoidance of triggers does not rule them out. Different people get affected by different triggers.

How to prevent migraines?

 

  • Avoid “triggers”
  • Avoid headaches caused by medications