Archive for January, 2010
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
The editors of Prevention Magazine (http://www.prevention.com/health/; July, 2006) list five myths of migraines.
- “I would know if it were a migraine.” As it turns out, half of all migraine victims are not being properly treated, because they don’t know what a migraine is or the doctor misdiagnosed it. Therefore, if a person cannot obtain relief of a headache through traditional pain killers, he/she should go to a doctor.
- “Migraines are just bad headaches.” In truth, a migraine is a serious condition, and not a symptom of another problem. Symptoms of a migraine include a pounding headache, which usually comes with nausea and distortion of light and sound. These episodes can last anywhere from four hours to three days. Also, migraines runs in families. If one parent suffers, chances are that half of his offspring will, too.
- “Migraines are caused by stress.” Unfortunately, in people with a propensity towards migraines, stress may trigger the migraine, but it is not the ultimate cause. The real culprit is a neurological disorder which may be genetic, as mentioned previously.
- “You always see an aura before a migraine.” Actually, less than a third of those suffering from migraines experience the telltale aura prior to the onset of a migraine.
- “You can cure migraines by avoiding specific foods.” Although it’s true that avoiding certain foods – such as alcohol and cheese – may prevent migraines, this activity won’t cure them. The reason is that migraines are a neurological disorder, and can still be triggered by things besides food in people with a disposition towards migraines.
Obviously, not all triggers can be prevented or anticipated. We are the manufacturers of Migravent, a dietary supplement that benefit people with migraines.
Tags: migraine and alcohol, migraine and aura, migraine and myth, migraine and trigger, migraines and food
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Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (June, 24, 2009) shows that migraine headaches can cause brain lesions later on in life.
Migraines are severe headaches accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound, and often nausea or vomiting. Women are affected with migraines four times more often than men.
Some people who have migraines experience an aura beforehand. It is believed that a decrease in blood flow to the brain causes this. This aura is a visual disturbance, which makes a person see circles, squares, jagged lines or an alteration of things he sees.
A new study was done by the National Institute on Aging (of the U.S. National Institutes of Health). This study was based on data obtained from the Icelandic Heart Association, who interviewed 4,689 people for headaches.
Those reporting two or more headaches per month were asked to give details about their migraine symptoms.
Approximately twenty-five years later, these same individuals were questioned again, and were subjected to MRI scans of the brain. It was found that 17% of women had migraine headaches, compared to only 6% of men. Furthermore, the MRI scans showed that there were more women with lesions on the cerebellum of the brain than men. Women with aura were even more likely to have lesions.
A lesion is defined as tissue which has died as a result of a decrease in the supply of oxygen to the area, possibly due to a disruption of blood flow.
This study demonstrates the need for further research to determine the consequences of these lesions, and the need for migraine prevention.
Our product, Migravent, is a dietary supplement used by many of our customers to help prevent migraines.
Tags: aura and lesion, brain and leasions, migraine and aura, migraine and cerebellum, migraine and lesions
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Wednesday, January 6th, 2010
Dr. E. A. MacGregor discusses management of migraines. (The Journal of the Royal Society for the Promotion of Health; http://rsh.sagepub.com; February, 1992).
There are different activities and foods that could bring on a migraine. Together, these are known as “triggers.”
Dr. MacGregor identifies the most common triggers:
- hunger
- cheese, chocolate, alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits
- disruption of sleep
- women experiencing hormonal changes
- head and neck pain
- changes in environment – bright lights, loud noises, powerful odors
- too much exercise (if a person is not used to it)
- travel
- stress
Dr. E. A. MacGregor points out that patients have stated that sometimes certain triggers cause a migraine to occur, and sometimes they don’t. More often than not, a combination of triggers will bring on a migraine in one person, but a single trigger will not. The point at which a combination of triggers will bring on a migraine is called the “attack threshold.” This attack threshold is different for everybody.
The advice, therefore, is to keep a daily diary. By paying close attention to possible triggers (or combinations of them), the times of the day and the severity of the migraine, a person might be able to help control their migraines without assistance.
Obviously, not all triggers can be prevented or anticipated. We are the manufacturers of Migravent, a dietary supplement that benefits people with migraines.
Tags: alcohol and migraines, cheese and migraines, diary and migraines, hormones and migraines, hunger and migraines, pain and migraines, sleep and migraines, stress and migraines, triggers and migraines
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Monday, January 4th, 2010
Millions of people who suffer from chronic headaches will reach for pain-relieving medications. However, for many of them, these medications will trigger subsequent headaches that are worse in duration and severity as a result. These are called “rebound headaches.”
According to Dr. Seymour Diamond from the National Headache Foundation (www.headaches.org), two million Americans will suffer from rebound headaches.
Dr. Diamond points out that caffeine, found in Excedrin Migraine, acts as a vasoconstrictor. This means that it constricts blood vessels to relieve headache pain. However, when the caffeine wears off, the pain comes back stronger than it was originally.
People generally view over-the-counter pain relievers as harmless, and use them more often. But, the usage of a pain reliever at least three times a day can cause the rebound effect.
There are classes of prescription medications that can also produce the rebound effect. These include Esgic and Fioricet; Cefergot and Ergomar; Zomig and Imitrex. Other non-prescription medications that may also cause the rebound effect include acetaminophen, ibuprofen and aspirin.
Why do these drugs cause the intensified headaches? It’s because taking these drugs too often decreases serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in the brain that controls a person’s mood. When serotonin is decreased, it generates an increase of even more painful headaches, and creates the possibility of migraines.
Those suffering from migraines should stop using the medications listed above, and should consider using Migravent, a dietary supplement that helps prevent and relieve migraines.
Tags: acetaminophen and headaches, acetaminophen and migraines, aspirin and migraines, caffeine and headaches, caffeine and migraines, exedrine and migraines, headaches and aspirin, headaches and excedrin, ibuprofen and headaches, ibuprofen and migraines, rebound headaches and aspirin, serotonin and headaches, serotonin and migraines
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