Posts Tagged ‘migraine causes’
Wednesday, February 1st, 2012
The term sounds scarier than it’s meant to be- migraine comorbidity. Comorbid illnesses are any conditions that occur at the same time. Depression and migraines are comorbid disorders, just like migraines and fibromyalgia. Sometimes, the reasons for migraine comorbidities are clear; other times, they require some scientific inquiry.
The definition of migraine comorbidity
Literally, comorbidity means any diseased condition that comes along with another. Medically speaking, comorbidity is the presence of one (or more) diseases or conditions in addition to a primary disease or condition. Migraine comorbidities are any conditions outside of migraine symptoms that occur frequently with migraine sufferers.
Migraine comorbidity may happen for many reasons:
- Shared genetic risk factors may cause you to have neurological illnesses together, such as migraines and epilepsy.
- An underlying disorder may be the root cause of two secondary conditions, such as migraines headaches and depression caused by serotonin activity.
- Shared environmental risk factors influence migraine comorbidity, such as seizure and headache resulting from head trauma.
- One condition may cause the other. Migraine attacks cause nausea and diarrhea, resulting in gastrointestinal disorders.
- Lastly, conditions comorbid with migraine disorder may be coincidence.
Are Migraines linked with Epileptic Seizures? It’s Genetics
Why are migraine comorbidities important?
Understanding migraine comorbidities help us to understand migraines- why they happen, and how to treat them. For example, by connecting two seemingly unrelated conditions together, like migraines and epilepsy, scientists discovered that certain drugs for epilepsy (Topamax) could be used to prevent migraines.
On the flip side, comorbid conditions like depression may hinder our understanding of migraines by producing a cyclic relationship. (Does depression cause chronic pain, or does migraine disorder make you depressed?)
Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder
Acknowledging migraine comorbidities helps your doctor decide which migraine treatments to prescribe, and which migraine drugs to avoid. Knowing that a migraine patient also suffers from cardiovascular disease is a valuable tool in diagnosing migraine causes.
What are common migraine comorbidities?
The list of ailments that occur with migraines is long- here are some of the most frequent conditions that are comorbid with migraines:
- Mental health: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and bipolar disorder
- Neurological: epilepsy, essential tremor, Meniere’s disease
- Cardiovascular: stroke, heart attack, congenital heart defects, hypertension, Raynaud’s disease, mitral valve prolapse, and patent foramen ovale
- Autoimmune: asthma, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and allergies
- Gastrointestinal: IBS, gluten intolerance, celiac disease, chronic vomiting, diarrhea, nausea
- Nocturnal: bruxism, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and insomnia
Please tell us…
Do you have a migraine comorbidity that is not on this list? Are there any conditions mentioned here that you didn’t know correlated with migraines?
We welcome sharing! If you liked this article, let us know by commenting and sharing with your friends!
Read more about migraine comorbidities:
Killer Migraines Might be Fatal after All- Mortality Rates among Migraine Sufferers
When Migraine Aura with Aphasia leaves you Lost for Words
Migraines and Meniere’s disease: a Match made in Hades
Sources:
Migraine Comorbidity
Comorbid Conditions and Migraine
COMORBIDITIES OF MIGRAINE
Comorbidity of migraine- PubMed, NCBI
Tags: chronic pain migraine, Depression and migraines, migraine attacks, migraine causes, Migraine Comorbidity, migraine drugs, migraine symptoms, migraine treatments, migraines and epilepsy, migraines and fibromyalgia, migraines headaches
Posted in Migraine Trivia | No Comments »
Friday, November 4th, 2011
Migraine headaches are not just about throbbing head pain; sufferers of migraine have strong sensitivity to smells, resulting in olfactory aura- an indicator of an approaching migraine attack. Migraine odors usually include unpleasant imagined smells such as burnt food, cigarette smoke, or rotten garbage.
What causes migraine headaches?
Millions of people suffer from migraine symptoms, such as severe headaches, nausea, and dizziness, but nobody has come up with a universal migraine cure. However, by determining migraine triggers and experimenting with various migraine remedies many- if not all- migraine suffers are able to find a measure of relief from their debilitating migraine symptoms.
What is a migraine aura?
A migraine aura appears during the migraine prodrome stage- generally, just a few minutes before the migraine attack strikes. Alice in Wonderland Syndrome is one example of a migraine aura that includes distorted body image, auditory hallucinations, loss of spatial awareness, and temporary jumbled, confused speech patterns. Typical migraine auras are bright lights and voids, such as blue-green zigzagging lines, eclipses, and blind spots.
Olfactory hallucinations
Sometimes, migraine patients report smelling weird, unusual odors before a migraine attack- odors that don’t actually exists, save for them. Thes olfactory auras are called parosmia. The majority of migraine patients describe imagined smells as putrid, smoky odors. Common descriptions are:
- burning wood
- toxic-smelling aromas
- sewer-like stenches
- smoke
- decomposed garbage.
Read more about migraine illness:
Night Terrors, Migraines, and Insomnia- 7 Nightmare Headaches
Perfumes and Migraines: The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Stinky
Sources:
Imagined smells can precede migraines
Olfactory hallucinations in primary headache disorders: Case series and literature review
Olfactory aura symptoms- Migraine Aura Foundation
Migraine Symptoms: Olfactory Hallucinations
Image credits, from top:
andertoons, John Kasawa, steakpinball, Grant Cochrane
Tags: Imagined smells, migraine attacks, migraine causes, migraine cure, migraine headaches, Migraine odors, Migraine prodrome, migraine remedies, migraine sensitivity to smell, Migraine sensitivity to smells, migraine smells, migraine symptoms, migraine triggers, Olfactory aura, Olfactory Hallucinations
Posted in Migraines | No Comments »
Monday, October 24th, 2011
Common Migraine Triggers and Headaches
Flickr
Many non-migraine headache sufferers think that migraine symptoms are all about headaches, but they’re wrong. Signs of a migraine attack include nausea, depression and anxiety, in addition to mild hallucinations and neuralgia. Since chronic migraines differ between patients, migraine remedies also vary between over-the-counter Excedrin for migraines, prescribed migraine relief, and natural headache remedies.
How many migraine triggers are there?
Scientists have named over 100 possible migraine causes (triggers), including those pertaining to food, scents, the weather, hormones, and stress. The best way to determine the culprit behind your migraine headaches is by keeping a migraine diary, and sharing it with a neurologist or other headache expert.
Flickr
7 Headache Symptoms you definitely shouldn’t ignore
Free Digital Photos
Here are some helpful clues that indicate a migraine attack:
- Throbbing head pain, usually limited to one side of the head, but not always
- Pain in the back of the head
- Intense shooting pain behind one eye socket
- Teary eyes, head congestion- similar to sinus headaches
- Stiff aching neck pain
- Depression or anxiety symptoms
- Fatigue, tiredness
- Excitability, euphoria, or hyperactivity
- Agitation, or nervousness
- Dizziness, need to faint
- Frequent need to urinate
 Poor sleep, tendency to wake up feeling sluggish instead of refreshed- Frequent yawning
- Unusual cravings for sweet or salty foods
- Nausea, urge to vomit
- Stomach cramps and diarrhea
- Pale face, washed-out look
- Head pain after physical exertion, typical of “exercise headache”
- Migraine aura, or ocular migraine, including flashing, colored lights, often in zigzagged patterns, bright crescent shapes, or “fireflies” (Free Digital Photos)
- Blind spot- dark “hole” in your field of vision, temporary partial blindness
- Double vision, blurry eyesight
- Hypersensitivity to bright lights, photophobia
- Low tolerance to noise
- Hallucinatory scents
- Partial paralysis, stroke-like symptoms
- Tingling, or pins-and-needles sensations in one arm, or around the mouth and nose on one side of the face
- Cold hands and feet
- Distorted speech, temporarily and suddenly, also similar to stroke symptoms
- Upper torso weakness on one side
- Afterwards, a hangover, and the need to recuperate for hours
Flickr
Read this:
Migraine Aura Video Simulations: You Tube’s Top 10
Perfumes and Migraines: The Good, the Bad, and the Downright Stinky
Is it a Cluster Headache or a Migraine?
Sources:
18 Signs You’re Having a Migraine – migrainesheadaches – Health.com
Migraine Symptoms, Causes, Treatment – What are the symptoms of migraine headaches on MedicineNet
Migraine: Symptoms – MayoClinic.com
Tags: Headaches, Migraine, migraine causes, migraine headache, migraine nausea, migraine symptoms, migraine triggers, Natural Headache Remedies, ocular migraine symptoms, Ophthalmic migraine, Signs of a migraine attack
Posted in Types of Migraines | No Comments »
Wednesday, October 12th, 2011
Migraine Headaches- a Chick Disease?
Flickr
Men, if your wife says she has a migraine headache, you should believe her. Women are three times more likely to suffer from migraine illness than men are.
And more likely than not, she’s not just suffering from throbbing head pain. The symptoms of migraines also include nausea, stomach cramping, sensitivity to bright lights, strong scents, and loud noise, and visual hallucinations (migraine with aura).
Here are some explanations that researchers have come up with to explain the puzzling phenomenon of migraines and women:
Women have a shorter fuse.
Free Digital Photos
According to a UCLA study reported by Science Daily, women respond to migraine triggers quicker than men do. That is, the part of the brain that is responsible for causing chronic migraine pain is more active in women than in men. Researchers hope to target this phenomenon, Cortical Spreading Depression (CSD), in order to find a cure for migraines.
Women who get Migraines are also Likely to get This
Women are more hormonal.
Flickr
Throughout her lifetime, a woman experiences fluctuating hormone levels. Starting with the onset of puberty, when menstruation brings escalating hormone levels, continuing on to pregnancy, and finally menopause, when estrogen levels plummet, the average female rides a hormonal roller coaster, with migraines hitching along for the ride.
Does Menopause Cause Migraines?
Women take birth control medication.
Flickr
You might think that taking oral contraceptives, which stabilize hormone levels, would be a good cure for migraines, wouldn’t you? Well, actually, for some women, birth control pills may trigger migraines, causing them to have increased episodes of migraine attacks while menstruating.
Women’s Lifestyle Habits That Trigger Migraines
Read more about women and migraines:
Why Do Women Get More Migraines?
Symptoms of a Menstrual Migraine
Sources:
Migraine fact sheet- womenshealth.gov
Why Women Have More Migraines: The Role of Hormones
Cortical spreading depression (CSD): a neurophysiological correlate of migraine aura- PubMed – NCBI
Why do women have more migraines than men?
Why Women Get More Migraines Than Men
Tags: chronic migraines, migraine causes, migraine headache symptoms, migraine headaches, migraine medications, migraine symptoms, migraine treatments, migraine triggers, migraines with aura, women and migraines
Posted in Women and Migraines | No Comments »
Tuesday, August 9th, 2011
Responding to Wrong-Headed Migraine Tips
Flickr
Outrageous, bizarre, and just plain ignorant things said to migraine headache patients by husbands, ER doctors, neurologists, coworkers, neighbors, family, and well-meaning friends.
Some things are better left unsaid
We’ve all received a few choice comments regarding our chronic migraines that we wish we could forget. Often, people mean well, but simply don’t know what to say. At such times, the right response is usually no response. Saying something to a friend or neighbor that you might regret later will just add fuel to your already raging inferno of stress.
Then, there are the times when people make insensitive comments, the kind that frankly leave you too flabbergasted for words. A good line of defense is to store up some verbal ammo, something that, when said with a faint smile, will get your point across without causing offense.
Flickr
Here is a list of 35 things people should never say to anybody suffering from chronic migraine pain, and some suitable replies.
- Have you tried (fill in the blanks)? Yes, I’ve heard of aspirin, Excedrin, Imitrex, Botox, Aleve, etc.
- Migraines, they have treatments for that now. You must not be trying hard enough. Just grin and walk away.
- Have you tried Googling your migraine symptoms? Even better, send your friends, family, and coworkers a few links to some helpful migraine advocate websites. Top 20 Websites for Migraine Headache Patients
- It’s all in your head. Correct- my brain, which is in my head, keeps sending out pain signals to my nerve sensors.
- We all get headaches… Yes, well, migraine illness is a neurological disease, like Parkinson’s disease.
- What, are you sick again? Unfortunately, I will probably have to battle with migraines all of my life, unless scientists come up with a foolproof cure.
- Funny, you don’t look sick… Looks can be deceiving.
- Gosh, you look terrible! Thanks?
- What can I do to help? This question is okay, as long as you plan on following up with real actions. Offer to pitch in with housework, drive carpool for a few days, or pick something up at the supermarket.
 What’s with the sunglasses? I’m not trying to bring back the 80’s, it’s just that bright lighting causes migraines.- Why don’t you get out and enjoy life a bit? Between migraine attacks, I do go out and do the same things non-migraineurs do. But during a migraine attack, and while recuperating afterwards, the pain is just too immense for me to even step outside. Flickr
- Maybe if you just stop thinking about it all the time, it would go away. You try to “stop thinking” about a blunt axe digging into the side of your head, which is what migraine headaches often bear to mind.
- You just need to learn how to relax. Stress is the #1 contributor to headaches, that is true. However, relaxation techniques are just one part of a multi-faceted plan towards preventing chronic migraines. 6 Migraine Myth-conceptions
- You just need to exercise more. Same as above, yoga, tai chi, and moderate aerobics are all effective at reducing the number and severity of migraine symptoms, but they are part of a larger pain management approach.
- You’re just looking for attention. Toddlers, children, and sometimes, troubled teenagers, seek negative attention. Please don’t infantilize my condition.
- You just need to have a few kids. It’s true that pregnancies sometimes reverse the symptoms of migraines, but you’re not suggesting I have babies just to prevent having migraines, are you? 6 Safe Migraine Treatments for Pregnant Moms
- You just need to drink more (fill in the blanks with either alcohol or water).
- You just need more sex (from husband).
- You get migraines at the most inconvenient times (also, from husband).
- You’re probably just getting your period. If that’s the case, then I’ve been getting menstrual migraines for approximately twenty years.
- You must have done something to deserve this (from clergymen).
- Your migraines make you an inconvenience to others and a detriment to society (also, from clergymen).
 You must have a low threshold for pain. Actually, to quote Diana Lee, blog master of Somebody Heal Me, “Some research in the past few years suggests we actually have greater pain tolerance than non migraineurs.” Flickr- Now that you’ve been laid off, the migraines will go away, because obviously they are caused by stress, right? (From coworkers) That’s like saying to a married couple who has been trying to conceive, “Now that you’ve adopted a child, you’ll probably get pregnant right away!”
- No pain, no gain! That saying isn’t even true about sports, anymore.
- Well, at least it is not life threatening (from neurologist).
- It can’t be that bad; you came to work, didn’t you? Because I’m still waiting on that winning lottery ticket…
- Why aren’t you home in bed, lying in a dark room with a cold cloth on your head? Are you offering to pay my mortgage and feed my family?
- I get migraines, but that doesn’t stop me from going to work, doing the laundry, visiting my family, etc. Like most things in life, migraine symptoms are not black and white; migraine sufferers experience a wide range of side effects, including nausea, vomiting, head pain, light sensitivity, aura (visual disturbances), speech slurring, feebleness, and temporary loss of consciousness. So, your migraine experience does not necessarily correlate to anyone else’s.
- When I was your age, I didn’t have the luxury of being sick. This is your grandma talking, so just smile and politely change the subject.
- Did you forget to take your Happy Pills today? Pretend you didn’t hear that one.
- I just hate taking pain pills… Yeah, well, it’s no pleasure cruise for me, either.
- Wow, you’re like a walking medicine cabinet! Think to yourself, “Then why did I forget my stupid pills?”
- You know, we try not to encourage narcotic drug addiction (from ER doctor, to a patient who was suffering a severe migraine attack, complete with throbbing headache, vomiting, and nausea). If you’re distressed, and in extreme agony, then you probably won’t be able to think clearly enough to respond appropriately. If you know somebody who is a good advocate, somebody who’s not afraid to stand up to an inexperienced, overeducated ER doctor, then enlist that person as your emergency hospital chaperone. When the pain is overwhelming, let somebody else do the talking for you, and you’re more likely to get a positive outcome.
- (Referring to migraine trigger foods) You might as well eat that- you’re bound to get another headache soon, anyways. Such remarks are tacky and insensitive. You wouldn’t say that to somebody who’s on a restrictive diet, or somebody who’s trying to lose weight, would you?
Flickr
Related reading:
Migraine Sufferer to World: It’s not just a Headache, People!
Migraine Aura Video Simulations: You Tube’s Top 10
Sources:
10 Things NOT to Say to a Person with Migraines
Twenty Things NOT To Say To A Person With An Invisible Illness
What is the worst thing anyone has or can say to you about migraine?
12 Nice Things You Can Do For Someone In Pain
Tags: chronic migraines, migraine causes, migraine headaches, migraine sufferers, migraine symptoms, migraine treatments
Posted in Migraines | 2 Comments »
Thursday, June 9th, 2011
“It’s just Stress” and other Fallacies
The truth about Migraines
Migraines are debilitating neurological disorder that interferes with daily life, in and outside of the home. Chronic migraine headaches are one of the leading causes of disability, and account for millions of hospital visits to ER every year. Migraine symptoms, such as pulsating head pain, intense nausea and stomach cramping, acute sensitivity to strong scents, loud noise and bright lighting, make life unbearable for the migraine sufferer.
Still, families, friends and coworkers of migraine patients have difficulty relating, as there are many incorrect stereotypes and misconceptions that surround migraine illness, regardless of the best efforts of migraine awareness groups, such as M.A.G.N.U.M. and the World Headache Alliance, and online migraine support sites such as Migraine.com, Help for Headaches and WebMD- Migraines. (See Top 20 Websites for Migraine Headache Patients.)
Below is a list of 6 oft-repeated myths about migraines:
Migraine Myth #1: Migraines are like any other headaches.
Not true. Clenched muscles, usually in the upper back, shoulders, and neck regions, cause tension headaches. Common stress headache pain can range from mild to moderately severe; over-the-counter pain medications are sufficient treatments for the common headache.
Migraine headaches are a neurological illness. Constricted blood vessels cause migraine headaches, and the pain fluctuates between moderate to debilitating. The triggers that cause migraines are numerous: food, weather, stress, hormones, light, scents and sleep disturbances. Only a neurologist who specializes in migraine therapy can recommend proper treatment. Migraine Pop Quiz: How Well do you Understand your Headaches?
Migraine Myth #2: There’s no real cure for migraines.
Actually, there’s no one cure for migraines. Many factors need consideration when finding an effective migraine treatment; the task can sometimes seem fruitless. Don’t let pessimism keep you from finding migraine headache relief. Seek a qualified neurologist who specializes with migraines, and stay informed by frequently visiting online migraine forums and blogs. Alternative Migraine Treatments: Thinking outside of the Botox
Migraine Myth #3: Stress only triggers stress headaches, not migraines.
Stress is the leading cause of all headaches, including migraines and tension headaches. So how does one tell the difference between a migraine attack and a stress headache? Migraine pain attacks one side of the head only. Tension headaches are described as a tight band circling the head.
Migraine Myth #4: Migraines are associated with mental illness.
There is a high correlation between migraines, depression and anxiety, but that does not mean that all migraine patients have emotional disorders or need antidepressants. There is currently no proof that mental illness of any kind causes migraines. However, one must take into account the emotional strain chronic migraine sufferers experience. It is common for migraine patients to go through phases or depression, nervousness or anxiety while learning to cope with their condition. Stop Your Next Panic Attack in 4 Simple Steps
Migraine Myth #5: Migraine attacks always impair your ability to function.
The symptoms of migraines can range from moderate to severe. At its worst, migraine pain can be excruciating to the point that the only option is to take your medication and wait out the storm in a dark, quiet room. The fact that you are able to withstand head pain while running errands, working at the computer or trying to relax doesn’t contradict the nature of migraines, nor does it mean that you must endure the suffering. Top 10 Headache Symptoms that Point to Migraines
Migraine Myth #6: Migraineurs are usually hypochondriacs.
This is probably the most hurtful notion of all, because it forces the migraine sufferer to bear the burden of proof. Short of carrying around a brain scan imaging report, there’s little one can do prove to a skeptic that your headache symptoms are not imaginary. You can’t see a migraine; the debilitating symptoms are unobservable to all except a qualified neurologist. But the proof is available through multiple medical reports, scientific breakthroughs and social statistics.
Read more about migraine stigma and coping mechanisms:
Migraine Sufferer to World: It’s not just a Headache, People!
10 Clues your should Include in your Headache Diary Today
Sources:
http://www.netplaces.com/migraines/migraine-basics/migraine-myths-and-misconceptions.htm
Tags: cause migraine, chronic migraine headaches, chronic migraines, headache relief, headache triggers, Migraine, migraine causes, migraine drugs, migraine headache symptoms, migraine medications, migraine news, migraine pain, migraine pain relief, migraine symptoms, migraine treatments, Migraines, prevent migraines
Posted in Migraines | 2 Comments »
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
U.S. News Best Hospitals for Neurology
Out of 1,200 hospitals that were reviewed for excellence in treating chronic migraines, the US News has narrowed their list down to the 10 highest ranking hospitals in the fields of neurology and neurosurgery.
1) John Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland (410) 955–5000: In addition to placing #1 for migraine treatment and prevention, John Hopkins Hospital also made the national #1 Honor Roll for treatment in ENT, Rheumatology and for gynecology.
2) Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota (507) 284–2511: World-famous Mayo Clinic ranked #1 for diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology, and kidney disorders; they also have a strong online presence in providing current information about migraine headache symptoms and common headache triggers.
3) Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (617) 726–2000: Massachusetts General Hospital ranked #1 center in Boston for treating migraines, and #1 in the USA for their psychiatry department.
4) New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, New York (212) 746–5454: In addition to neurology, NY-Pres also ranked #4 in psychiatry and kidney disorders.
5) University of California, San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco, California (415) 476–1000: The UCLA teaching hospital was voted the #1 hospital for treating migraine pain in all of San Francisco.
6) Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio (216) 444–2200: Cleveland Clinic ranked best hospital in Cleveland for providing migraine headache relief, and #1 US hospital for treating heart disease and conducting heart surgeries.
7) Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, Los Angeles, California,(310) 825–9111: The UCLA Medical Center was voted the best clinic in Los Angeles for treating chronic migraines, and #2 in the USA for excellence in Geriatrics.
8) St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona (602) 406–3000: This prestigious hospital was also voted the third best neurological center in Phoenix, Arizona.
9) NYU Langone Medical Center, New York (212) 263–7300: The NYU Langone Medical Center made the national Honor Roll for excellence in 14 fields of medicine, including neurology and neurosurgery. Additionally, they placed #2 for best hospital in New York for migraine headache patients.
10) Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Saint Louis, Missouri (314) 747–3000: The Barnes-Jewish Hospital/Washington University made the Honor Roll as #1 best migraine treatment center in Saint Louis, Missouri.
Tags: Barnes-Jewish Hospital, best hospitals, best hospitals migraines, best hospitals neurology, chronic migraines, Cleveland Clinic, headache relief, headache triggers, Headaches, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, mayo clinic, Migraine, migraine and aura, migraine causes, migraine drugs, migraine headache symptoms, migraine headaches, migraine news, migraine pain, migraine pain relief, migraine remedy, migraine treatment, migraine treatments, Migraines, migrane, New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell, NYU Langone Medical Center, Pain, prevent migraines, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, San Francisco Medical Center, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Symptoms, University of California, US News, US News hospitals, women and migraines
Posted in Migraine Treatments | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
Migraine Mystery: Solved!
Do you keep a migraine journal? If not, you should. The amount of seemingly unrelated headache triggers that cause migraine headache attacks sometimes seems endless. The only way to prevent migraines is to nab your culprit by thinking like a detective. Jotting down notes in a headache diary is the most efficient, scientific method for tracking down your headache triggers and terminating them for good.
11 Headache Triggers you Never Thought Of
Here are the 7 most important clues you should log into your migraine relief diary:
1) Time and date: No detective worth his salt would forget to take down the exact time and date of the attack.
2) Severity of head pain: On a scale of one to ten, how bad was your discomfort?
3) Duration of migraine symptoms: Did your headache last for 30 minutes, 2 hours or 2 days?
4) Possible associations: This is where you really need to put on your thinking cap. Possible links are weather, strong scents, oversleeping, not sleeping enough, bright lights and long hours in front of the TV. Migraines Caused by Eye Strain? Tinted Glasses can Help
5) Nausea: Did you experience feelings of nausea, stomach cramps or the need to vomit? These are important clues, because they could signal migraines with aura, which have been linked with strokes.
6) Medications: Which kind of pain medications did you use? What drugs did you take after? If you take serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) antidepressants, then you should avoid certain pain relievers, like Advil, aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Read more: New Study Warns against Taking these Painkillers with Antidepressants
7) Diet: Food triggers are the most talked-about causes of migraines. A lot of ex-headache sufferers claim to have found migraine relief by sticking to a gluten-free diet. The most common foods which are notorious for producing migraine headaches are aged delicacies (wine, cheese, dried salami), nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, eggplant, peppers), caffeinated beverages, sugarless sodas, preservatives (MSG) and dairy products. 10 Golden Food Rules for Chronic Pain Sufferers
8) Exercise: Did you get any light exercise today? One of the most difficult challenges facing migraineurs is to get out of the darkened bedroom, get some sunshine and go out for a quick walk. Easier said than done, but even small doses of aerobic exercise contribute to your well being. Relieve Your Headaches With Yoga: Try These Moves!
9) Menstrual cycle: Menstrual migraines are nothing new, but sometimes it takes looking through your headache journal to put two and two together. Go back to your log entries from three months earlier. Do you see a connection? Other hormonal fluctuations which should be noted are pregnancy, menopause and perimenopause.
10) Stress level: Stress is the number one contributor to headaches, accounting for 80% of all chronic head pain. Anxiety, nervousness and depression cause the ”fight-or-flight” reaction, muscle soreness, high blood pressure and low community, all of which create head pain, stomach upset and nausea.
Migraine Sufferer to World: It’s not just a Headache, People!
Also read:
Top 20 Websites for Migraine Headache Patients
Migraine Pop Quiz: How Well do you Understand your Headaches?
20 iPad Apps for Migraine Sufferers
Sources:
http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20327088,00.html
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/perimenopause/DS00554
http://www.livestrong.com/article/67007-list-antidepressents/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-steroidal_anti-inflammatory_drug
Tags: chronic migraines, head pain, headache, headache diary, headache triggers, Migraine, migraine and food, migraine causes, migraine cures, migraine headache, migraine journal, migraine relief, migraine remedies, migraine symptoms, migraines with aura, prevent migraines, symptoms of migraine
Posted in Migraine Prevention | 2 Comments »
Thursday, March 31st, 2011
Migraines are difficult to deal with, especially if you are a child. But Samantha Duncan, a high schooler in Houston, Texas, says she has dealt with the condition since she was 10.
“I started getting migraines when I was about 10 or 11,” said Duncan to ABC News. “And then I started having fainting spells when I was about 12.”
 But now Duncan says she is headache-free, all thanks to a life-changing surgery–and a savvy doctor who discovered the real cause of her excruciating migraine attacks
The cause? A previously undiagnosed heart defect, called atrial septal defect. During a routine hospital visit, Dr. Mohammed Numan, M.D. of the Utah Health Children’s Memorial Hospital diagnosed it, after learning about her medical history of migraines.
This discovery, unknowingly enough, has saved Duncan from a world of lifelong migraine pain. Numan scheduled surgery shortly after the diagnosis to fix the defect, and she has not experienced a single migraine since the operation.
Duncan is not the only person to suffer from heart-induced migraines either. Numan says that fixing this defect has reduced migraine pain in up to 70 percent of his patients. That’s a high statistic, considering some migraine medications are 50 percent effective for simply reducing migraine attacks–there isn’t a single drug that can prevent all migraines.
Atrial septal defect rarely causes symptoms until midlife. Unlike strokes, however, atrial septal defects are serious–if left untreated, it could lead to serious complications, such as heart failure, pulmonary hypertension or stroke. ASD is a congenital heart defect, meaning the person is born with it.
Migraines are not a common symptom of this heart defect. People who do experience symptoms are more likely to have trouble breathing and run out of breath quickly. Some may even experience reoccurring respiratory infections. In adulthood, people may feel their heartbeat even when they’re not anxious or exercising.
Numan says that migraines can be caused by this condition, making it far more important for people to seek medical help if they suffer from chronic migraines. Oftentimes another condition may be triggering these attacks, such as atrial septal defect.
Source: ABC 13
Tags: heart defect, heart problems, migraine causes, migraine news, migraine surgery, migraine treatments
Posted in Migraine News | 1 Comment »
Sunday, March 6th, 2011
Question: Does menopause cause migraines?
Answer: It can — but it’s not common. According to the National Women’s Health Information Center, two-thirds of women with chronic migraines report fewer episodes during menopause, often due to the drop in estrogen levels. But some women continue to experience migraines during the beginning of menopause. Its cause is not certain.
Health experts believe the problem is not menopause itself—it’s the estrogen drugs that are causing it instead. Migraine.com states that switching to an estrogen drug could worsen a type of migraine called a hemiplegic migraine, but its effects on other types of migraines is not clear.
Researchers believe that hemiplegic migraines are partially caused by the rise in estrogen levels, which can affect serotonin and dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain — effects that can shrink the blood vessels and cause an attack.
Other experts believe the root cause of these attacks during menopause are caused by other factors. Women going through menopause often report feeling more stressed and having trouble sleeping. In some cases, women develop full-blown insomnia. Poor sleeping habits have been known to trigger some attacks, which may account for the increase in these episodes during menopause.
Still, scientists are not completely certain why these attacks increase during menopause. This makes it harder to treat, and only a few treatments have been identified to help women combat this issue. These treatments include:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which help temporarily relieve migraine pain, though it won’t help with the nausea or sensitivity to light or noise.
- Non-estrogen menopause drugs—some health experts name Prozac and Effexor as good alternatives for women.
- Some prescription drugs approved to treat migraines, such as anti-depressants and beta blockers.
- Anti-seizure medications, such as gabapentin, valproic acid and topiramate, which can be effective for women with hemiplegic migraines.
Again, more testing needs to be done to determine the real cause of these attacks during menopause. Scientists have identified a few key causes that may be aggravating this condition, but they have not been scientifically proven to be accurate. Women are strongly advised to speak with their doctor before beginning any treatment plan.
Tags: menopause, migraine causes, migraine treatments, women and migraines
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