Headaches Causes, Symptoms and Tretment for Headaches


Headache A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are extremely rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better by making lifestyle changes, learning ways to relax, and occasionally by taking medications. Causes of Headache There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not associated with (caused by) other diseases Secondary headaches are caused by associated disease. The associated disease may be minor or serious and life threatening. It’s often not clear what causes tension-type headaches.

Anxiety and stress are often associated with these types of headaches, but do not necessarily cause them. Tension-type headaches are twice as common in women as in men. They are more common in people whose parents, brothers or sisters also have headaches. The exact cause of cluster headaches is not known. Many experts believe that cluster headaches and migraine headaches have a common cause that begins in the trigeminal nerve, a nerve that carries sensations from the head to the brain and that ends in the blood vessels that surround the brain There are many possible causes of headache that determine the site and nature of the pain. About three in four of all headaches are caused by tension in the scalp and neck muscles. Very few headaches have serious underlying causes, but those that do require urgent medical attention..

Symptoms Of Headache Many tension headache sufferers describe their pain as producing a sensation of pressure or tightness around the head, as though a band were pulled tightly around it; others compare the feeling to having their head clamped in an ever-tightening vise. They are sensations only the patient can perceive. In contrast, a sign is objective evidence of disease. A bloody nose is a sign. It is evident to the patient, doctor, nurse and other observers. Tension-type headache is a term used to describe chronic headaches that cause a tight, band-like pain. This is the most common type of headache, afflicting 88 percent of women and 68 percent of men. A tension headache is a mild to moderate steady pain, tightness or pressure around the head and neck..

Tension headaches tend to be on both sides of your head. They often start at the back of your head and spread forward. The pain may feel dull or squeezing, like a tight band or vice. Your shoulders, neck, or jaw may feel tight and sore. Treatment Of Headache Tension headaches are sometimes helped by measures to relax the tight muscles. These include massage, hot showers and heating pads on the back of the neck or cold packs. Biofeedback and muscle-relaxation training may be helpful. This is one of the effective treatment for Headache. Medications A variety of medications, both over-the-counter (OTC) and prescription, are available for treating tension headache. You may find fast, effective relief by taking pain relievers such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) or acetaminophen (Tylenol, others). Prophylactic Therapy One possible way to prevent migraines is to avoid triggers. Eating regular, healthy meals, limiting caffeine, eliminating other food triggers, and getting plenty of exercise may help to prevent migraines from occurring. Keeping a headache diary may facilitate identification of triggers . Anti-seizure Medications — Medications used to control seizures in conditions such as epilepsy may be prescribed to help control cluster headaches. These medications include divalproex topiramate and gabapentin



Buy Fioricet online pharmacy
February 20, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments »

Migraine can be severely debilitating but proper treatment and prevention may help


Who get migraine?

Physiologically, migraine headache is a neurological condition that is more commonly known to afflict women than men. Women experience migraines at least three times more often than men, probably because of hormonal changes. However, migraines can occur in children also, but they mostly appear in people in their twenties or thirties.

Studies have revealed that migraines could be inherited. For example, if one parent is afflicted with migraine, there is a 40% chance that the child will have migraine. If both parents have migraine, the probability increases to 75%.

Although, there is no specific migraine personality, most migraine sufferers have been found to be perfectionists, high-strung, conscientious, orderly, analytical and critical.

Symptoms and treatment of migraine

Symptoms of Migraine

Migraine pain generally differs from other types of headache; it has specific symptoms that may vary in intensity, character, frequency and duration. Migraine attacks can appear from a couple of times a year to almost every day. The two main types of migraine are:

Classical Migraine – migraine with aura Common Migraine – migraine without no warning or aura

A few migraine patients may experience an aura, which is normally treated as a sign of the pain to come. The aura consists of bright spots or zigzag lines and blurred vision or temporary visual loss. In rare cases numbness or tingling of the face and lips can also be observed. However, these symptoms generally disappear within an hour and are then replaced by a headache. In some cases the aura may not be followed by headaches.

Common migraine headache mostly begin without warning and are most commonly experienced by children. Common symptoms of this migraine are associated with:

Intense head pain (the pain begins on one side of the head and spreads downward to the eye, face and even neck; the pain can also switch sides or affect both sides at once) Relentless throbbing or pounding deep in the head Nausea Vomiting Strong and painful reactions to light and loud noises Activity associated pain (the simple act of moving may be difficult during the migraine attack) Not being able to carry out day to day activities. The need to lie down during attacks

People may sometimes experience all or some of the symptoms which are either moderate or severe. Migraine attacks may last from anywhere up to four hours to three days. This affliction has the potential to severely disrupt your work and family life as well as your social activities.

Migraine trigger

Migraine, it is believed, is triggered by changes in the neurotransmitters and blood vessels in the brain. However, certain factors have been identified that can trigger attacks in susceptible people. They are:

Stress (or sometimes the relief of stress) Lack of food or infrequent meals Certain foods products containing monosodium glutamate, caffeine, tyramine or alcohol Overtiredness (both physical and mental) Changing sleep patterns (e.g. weekend lie ins, sleeplessness or shift work) Hormonal factors (e.g. monthly periods, contraceptive pill, HRT or menopause) Extreme emotions (e.g. anger, grief etc.) Physical activity Environmental factors (e.g. loud noise, bright or flickering lights, strong perfumes, hot stuffy atmosphere, VDUs etc.) Climatic conditions (e.g. strong winds, extreme heat or cold)

For most people, afflicted with migraines, it is usually not any one trigger but a combination of factors which collectively work against a person’s threshold and an attack is triggered.

Cefaly medical device for migraine

Cefaly is a medical device that relieves pain in people suffering from migraines and cluster/tension headaches as well as trigeminal neuralgia and frontal sinusitis. It has a full EEC medical certification. A patented system, it bears the ISO and CE medical mark.

The unit consists of a band that is worn around the front of the head and it then sends electrical impulses through an electrode patch placed in between the eyebrows. This device works on the trigeminal nerves at the front of the face. It works at three programme levels. They are:

Programme 1 – Is a treatment programme, based on TENS technology. It works on blocking the flow of pain at the entrance of the spinal cord. Programme 2 – Is the preventive or endorphinic programme. It increases the endorphins (natural painkillers) in the central nervous system. Programme 3 – Is the anti-stress and relaxation programme.

Numerous tests and clinical studies have been conducted that prove that Cefaly is effective, with almost 85% of its users being extremely satisfied with the results.



Buy Fioricet, Tramadol, Carisoprodol
February 14, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments »

What is Migraines/headaches and Treatment of Migraines/headaches


It has been estimated that 70% of migraine sufferers are female. Of these female migraine sufferers, 60%-70% report that their migraines are related to their menstrual cycles — hence the name, menstrual migraines.

In some cases, these painful headaches are preceded or accompanied by a sensory warning sign (aura), such as flashes of light, blind spots or tingling in your arm or leg.

Migraine headaches typically affect one side of the head. They can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Some people have them weekly, others have fewer than one a year. Migraines usually begin sometime between the teen years and the age of 40, and can be classified as either “”classic” or “”common.”

What causes migraines/headaches?

Migraine headaches seem to be caused in part by changes in the level of a body chemical called serotonin. Serotonin plays many roles in the body, and it can have an effect on the blood vessels. When serotonin levels are high, blood vessels constrict (shrink). When serotonin levels fall, the blood vessels dilate (swell). This swelling can cause pain or other problems.

The cause of migraine is unknown. The condition may result from a series of reactions in the central nervous system caused by changes in the body or in the environment. There is often a family history of the disorder, suggesting that migraine sufferers may inherit sensitivity to triggers that produce inflammation in the blood vessels and nerves around the brain and scalp, causing pain.

Signs And Symptoms Of Migraines/Headaches

Not all migraines are the same. Most people experience migraines without auras, which were previously called common migraines. Some, however, have migraines with auras, which were previously called classic migraines. If you’re in the second group, you’ll likely have an aura about 15 to 30 minutes before your headache begins.

Episodes can last from several hours to several days and often are disabling. During the attack, pain may travel from one part of the head to another and may radiate down the neck into the shoulder. Scalp tenderness occurs in the majority of patients during or after an attack.

Foods that may trigger migraines

Aged, canned, cured or processed meat, including bologna, game, ham, herring, hot dogs, pepperoni and sausage

Aged cheese, Aspartame, Avocados, Beans, including pole, broad, lima, Italian, navy, pinto and garbanzo

To help prevent migraines:

Keep a record of what you ate before each headache. Avoid foods, such as chocolate, cheese, and red wine, that seem to cause an attack. Don’t skip or delay meals.

Treatment Of Migraines/Headaches

There are two ways to approach the treatment of migraine headache with drugs: prevent the attacks, or relieve the symptoms during the attacks. Many people with migraine use both approaches by taking medications originally developed for epilepsy and depression to prevent future attacks, and treating attacks when they happen with drugs called triptans that relieve pain and restore function. Hormone therapy may help some women whose migraines seem to be linked to their menstrual cycle.

Preventative medication may be prescribed for patients who have frequent headaches (3 or more a month) that do not respond to abortive treatment. Studies have shown that as many as 40% of these patients may benefit from preventative treatment.

Medication therapies for migraine

Individuals with occasional mild migraine headaches that do not interfere with daily activities usually medicate themselves with over-the-counter (OTC, non-prescription) pain relievers (analgesics). Many OTC analgesics are available. OTC analgesics have been shown to be safe and effective for short-term relief of headache (as well as muscle aches, pains, menstrual cramps , and fever) when used according to the instructions on their labels.



Migraine
January 31, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments »

What are the Different Types of Migraines?


If you’ve been suffering from migraine headaches, you may have noticed the symptoms are almost the same for everyone – a painful ache in one spot that becomes worse and spreads over one side of your face – sometimes almost entirely. The nausea and vomiting you feel are also common symptoms of most migraines. So, since these symptoms are so much the same, there’s only one type of migraine, right?

Actually, there are quite a few types of migraines, but most people suffer from one of two types, the common migraine or the classic migraine. The difference between these two headaches is that the common migraine does not have an aura and classic migraines do have an aura.

An aura refers to visual symptoms that begin before the classic migraine actually starts. These symptoms may include seeing jagged lines in front of your eyes or actually losing vision for a few minutes, hearing ringing or other noises that aren’t actually there, feeling numb or having tingly sensations, or smelling odd odors. This aura can actually be useful, because it can and does serve as a warning that a very painful migraine is on the way. This would at least allow you to take some preventive measures. For people who suffer from a common migraine, there is often no warning. Suddenly, they feel pain in their jaw or eye socket and it rapidly spreads and increases in intensity until they have a full blown migraine.

While few people develop one of the rarer migraines, there are several you may want to know about. These migraines are just as painful as the more common migraine types.

* Exertion Migraines are over more quickly than most types of migraines. You can develop one of these migraines if you overextend yourself while you are exercising and develop dehydration at the same time, if you lift something heavy, if you have a sneezing fit, or even if you bend over.

* Retinal Migraines are migraines that cause you to temporarily lose vision in an eye. You will probably lose vision before the head pain actually begins.

* Hemipleic Migraines have a rather scary symptom. If you suffer from this type of migraine, you’ll actually develop temporary paralysis on the side of your body that the migraine is forming on.

* Ophtalmoplegic Migraines are one of the longest lasting types of migraines. This form of the disease begins with pain around the eye and eye problems continue throughout the entire migraine. Visual distortions and blurred vision are common symptoms of this type of migraine.

* Noctural Migraines are fortunately very rare and develop during the night. They are intense enough to wake the migraine sufferer from their sleep.

* Basilar Artery Migraines are usually limited to teen girls or young women. This migraine develops by causing the basilar artery to constrict, which leads to dizziness, poor co-ordination, vomiting and even problems with speach. This migraine type eventually should become the more standard classic migraine, with its accompanying aura.

* Abdominal Migraines are a type of migraine that doesn’t actually involve head pain. Instead, this migraine usually causes stomach pain. The normal nausea and vomiting other migraine types cause occurs after the stomach pain starts. This migraine type occurs most commonly in young children.

So as you can see although most people simply refer to a migraine headache there are many, many different types of migraine itself. That being said most people tend to suffer from either the classic or common migraine.

You can learn more about migraines and what you can do to treat them, naturally and otherwise, by following the links at the end of this article.



Buy Butalbital online apap caffeine
January 7, 2010 | Tags: , , | No Comments »