Posts Tagged ‘migraine research’
Monday, May 6th, 2013
Finally, scientific proof that migraines exist- Migraines are a hereditary, neurological disorder that has been baffling scientists for decades. Now, researchers found a genetic mutation that may explain why certain people suffer from one of the most common types of migraine headaches.
The study on familial migraines provides an important clue to understanding migraines with aura, and why certain people are more likely than others to experience throbbing headaches, nausea, and the characteristic bright, shifting visual auras.
Proving migraines exist
Scientists from UC San Francisco believe they have discovered the first gene of its kind in which mutations directly correlate with migraines with aura; the casein kinase I delta (CKIdelta) gene mutation was present in a significant number of migraine patients…and their parents.
The study, which was published by Science Translational Medicine, “puts us one step closer to understanding the molecular pathway to pain in migraine,” says senior investigator Louis J. Ptácek.
“It’s our initial glimpse into a black box that we don’t yet understand.”
This is the first time researchers have been able to provide both clinical and scientific evidence proving that the casein kinase I delta gene directly causes migraines with aura.
Migraine symptoms
Migraines with aura cause a wide range of symptoms; besides excruciating headaches, other signs of migraine with aura include severe nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and eye pain.
Patients also experience hypersensitivity to mild stimuli such as lights, noise, scents, and touch.
To measure migraine symptoms in lab mice, scientists focused on decreased threshold to pain and signs of cortical spreading depression (CSD), a common indicator of migraines with aura that can be observed through medical imaging.
“…as we come to a clearer understanding, we can start thinking about better therapies…There are good drugs now, but they only help some patients, some of the time. The need for better treatments is huge.” – Ptácek
Migraine tips
Your migraine management regimen should include a multi-pronged approach to relieving headaches, preventing migraine triggers, and coping with daily stress.
Even if migraines are hereditary, you can reduce your risks by exercising daily, keeping a migraine diary, learning how to relax, and supplementing with vitamins and minerals that benefit migraine patients, such as riboflavin, CoQ10, butterbur, and magnesium.
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
Are Migraines Always Hereditary?
What Causes Migraines? The Long and Short Answers
Is Migraine Disorder a Real Illness?
Source:
Genetic Mutation Linked with Typical Form of Migraine
Casein Kinase Iδ Mutations in Familial Migraine and Advanced Sleep Phase
Image courtesy of ddpavumba/freedigitalphotos.net
Tags: migraine causes, migraine headaches, migraine research, Migraines genetic, migraines with aura
Posted in Migraines with Aura | No Comments »
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012
Migraines are a debilitating neurological illness that inflicts millions of sufferers with migraine headaches, nausea, vomiting, hypersensitivity to sounds, scents, and lights, and stroke-like symptoms. Migraines are linked with epilepsy and increased risk for stroke and heart disease. Why then are so few governmental funds set aside for migraine research, spreading migraine disorder awareness, and providing support for migraine patients? Here are some ways you can influence migraine funding without spending a dime…
1- Sign the petition!
Go to the AHDA (Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy) website to urge Congressional hearings on the impact of migraine and headache disorders. There are millions of migraine sufferers in the world, but at the time of this blog, a mere 8,231 have signed the petition asking politicians to recognize migraines and other chronic headaches as a debilitating illness that requires more government-funded research.
 Migraine attacks plague our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, in addition to the countless US citizens just trying to earn a living and get through a day without debilitating head pain, nausea, and vomiting.- Migraines are a recognized source of disability, yet very few grants are allocated towards finding a cure for chronic headaches.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that migraine headaches account in more “lost years of healthy life” in the USA each year than epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, ovarian cancer, and tuberculosis.
- To date, the US Congress has never hosted a public hearing on chronic headache disorders like migraines and cluster headaches.
Migraine Atlas Sheds Light on Chronic Headaches around the World
2- Become a Facebook addict!
Explore Facebook (Do a search on migraines) and you’ll find endless Facebook migraine pages devoted to helping out people like you who want to connect with other migraineurs. Migraines are comorbid with severe depression, so this is a good way to discuss migraine symptoms without feeling as if you’re “complaining.”
Here are some excellent Facebook pages for migraine sufferers:
PS: Don’t forget to follow Migravent on Facebook too, if you don’t already!
12 Ways to spread Migraine Awareness without saying a Word
3- Keep up with migraine forums and blogs
The Facebook groups mentioned also have a strong presence on the web for migraine advocacy, migraine forums, and personal blogs about managing migraines. They are excellent resources for finding local headache specialists, solving social dilemmas like migraine stigma, and finding out the latest news related to migraines.
Want a Cure for Migraines? 10 Ways you can help
4- Be a 24-hour migraine awareness advocate
You’re going to run into many people throughout your day who have never heard of migraines with aura, think that migraines are caused by stress, and don’t realize that headaches are just one of many horrible symptoms of migraine illness. They’re bound to make some pretty insensitive comments. It only takes a few seconds and a well-rehearsed line to (politely) put them in their place.
Here are some good comebacks that won’t offend:
- “I wish I could just take a few Excedrin for migraines, but unfortunately, my body doesn’t respond to them.”
- “Your mother-in-law is very lucky to have found a cure for her migraines. If only one cure worked for everybody…”
- “I pray constantly for relief from migraines.”
- “Sadly, migraines aren’t just in my head- they’re also in my nervous system.”
- “I would work overtime every day for the rest of my life if it meant I never had to suffer another migraine again.”
- “I wish it were only a headache- that would be heavenly!”
- “I’m not antisocial. It’s just that everything outside my bedroom triggers migraines.”
- “I’m on disability because without it, I would starve.”
- “You’re in my prayers, too.”
35 Things you should never tell a Chronic Migraine Sufferer
5- Share this article
If you found this information helpful, please share this with friends, family, coworkers, doctors- anybody who you think would benefit from knowing more about migraine disorder.
Please tell us about any other migraine advocacy groups you appreciate that are not mentioned here.
Read more about migraine support:
5 Simple Ways to Build a Migraine Support System of Friends
6 Migraine Myth-conceptions
Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder
Migraines at Work- Can my Employers Fire me from my Job?
Migraine Sufferer to World: It’s not just a Headache, People!
Tags: AHDA, chronic headaches, Excedrin for migraines, Facebook migraine pages, migraine attacks, migraine disorder awareness, migraine forums, migraine funding, migraine research, migraine stigma, relief from migraines
Posted in Migraine News | No Comments »
Monday, August 22nd, 2011
Chronic Headache Websites on Twitter: Follow the best Twitter pages, get updated news, opinion, and research on migraine headaches from top online forums, web communities, and chronic pain experts.
What’s the best way to find informative, trustworthy information on migraine headaches?
The internet is the best place to find the most recent information about health issues, such as chronic pain, fibromyalgia, chronic migraines, and more. However, to ensure that you get the most accurate data, it helps to get your updates from multiple sources. The net is crawling with migraine advocacy groups, online forums for migraine support, and numerous web communities. (See our list of Top 20 Websites for Migraine Headache Patients.)
That’s a lot of internet websites to sift through.
Thankfully, you don’t have to. Included in this list are the most revered, well liked, and helpful Twitter pages for migraineurs:
The top 40 list
40-@MigraineNurse Chronic migraineur/nurse answers your most pressing questions about migraine treatments, from an RN’s perspective.
39-@headacherecover Online community of migraineurs share their experiences.
38-@MigraineWizard Mr Ahmed Sadiq, ophthalmic surgeon and Botox expert dishes out advice on healing migraines through Botox injections.
37-@themigrainegirl Feature writer for Migraine.com, and fellow migraine sufferer, shares revealing, often uplifting, anecdotes on living with migraines.
36-@forMigraines Migraine-specific Tweets; everything you wanted to know about migraine headache meds, management, and coping mechanisms.
35-@TDHblog Twitter landing page for The Daily Headache blog.
34-@MigraineAction UK charity organization for migraine sufferers.
33-@Migravent Get all of our most recent, updated blog postings about migraine symptoms, research, and alternative headache treatments.
32-@TRobert Teri Robert, noted author and migraine advocate, also contributes to various migraine health sites all over the web.
31-@MigraineRF Migraine Research Foundation is a non-profit organization that raises funding for migraine illness research.
30-@drummerheather Heather Hefner, blogger (War on Headaches), talks about her day-to-day life, as a migraineur, student, and drummer.
29-@headachehelper Chicago, Illinois outpatient center that specializes in diagnosis and treatment of migraine and other headache conditions.
28-@MigraineTrust UK non-profit charitable group devoted to raising migraine awareness.
27-@NHF National Headache Foundation Twitter page, for their site- http://www.headaches.org.
26-@migrainecooking Heidi Gunderson, author of Migraine-Free Cooking!, shares her favorite recipes and tips, all geared towards helping you avoid common migraine headache food triggers. Which Foods Trigger the Most Migraines? See our Checklist
25-@BetsyBlondin Betsy Baxter Blondin, publisher of Migraine Expressions, keeps you updated on the politics of migraine.
24-@migraine_tweets Interesting, off-beat articles related to migraines and chronic pain.
23-@KimmyDarling Kimmy Darling is a fun-lovin’ gal from Virginia who doesn’t let migraines slow her down.
22-@freemybrain Megan Oltman is a migraine management coach who also treats people suffering from fibromyalgia and IBS.
21-@DanaBaker Dana Baker has over 1,000 followers; she shares her views on life as a patient of headaches and migraines, fibromyalgia, and as a thyroid cancer survivor
20-@DisabledUnited Online community of over 50,000 disabled individuals. Social Security Disability for Migraine- 5 Tips for Filing
19-@somebodyhealme Diana Lee, talented writer for Migraine.com and her blog, Somebody Heal Me, discusses chronic illness from a lawyer’s perspective.
18-@painspeaks Liz Hall manages the Pain Sufferers Speak blog, a global community of chronic pain patients.
17-@Migrainedotcom Migraine.com is one of the leading websites for migraine sufferers, featuring online support, migraine forums, expert advice on migraine medications, and thought-provoking articles on migraine stigma.
16-@disabilityscoop Before you file for disability insurance, check out what Disability Scoop has to say on the latest developments in disability law.
15-@disabledworld Close to 7,000 Twitterers get updated news, videos, and community input on disability insurance reform.
14-@CindyhM1 Cindy McCain, wife of Senator John McCain, is one of the most outspoken, well-connected advocates for migraine awareness in the US. Cindy McCain Gives Voice to Migraine Syndrome
13-@EmpowHER : EmpowHER is one of the leading news sources for women’s health news.
12-@medlineplus is the Twitter page for the government website that provides updated info on medical research.
11-@Disabilitygov. Official U.S. Government website for information on disability-related programs, services, laws & benefits
10- 39,077 Followers- @PreventionMag The Prevention Magazine Twitter site offers information on anti-aging, nutrition, fitness, and fighting chronic illness.
09-120,468 followers- @WSJHealthBlog The Wall Street Journal health blog offers tips and advice from the world’s leading health experts.
08-131,183 followers- @JohnsHopkinsSPH Medical science news from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
07-147,255 followers- @healthfinder healthfinder.gov Government website for reliable prevention and health information.
06- 160,179 followers- @NPRHealth Health coverage from the NPR Science Desk.
05- 176,327 followers- @msnbc_health The latest health-related news from MSNBC.
04- 223,120 followers- @MayoClinic Comprehensive, easy-t0-follow medical information on diseases, including symptoms, treatment options, risks, and more.
03- 269,620 followers- @womenshealth Womenshealth.gov is part of the U.S. HHS Office on Women’s Health.
02- 3,020 followers- @NeurologyToday Official newspaper of the American Academy of Neurology.
01- 332,112 followers- @DailyHealthTips Get practical, useful health tips everyday, from real doctors.
Tags: best twitter, chronic illness, chronic pain, head pain, headache pain, headaches and migraines, health tips, migraine awareness, migraine headache food triggers, migraine headaches, migraine research, migraines and chronic pain, online forum, treatment for migraines, treatment of migraine, twitter feed, web community
Posted in Migraine News | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 5th, 2011
Raise Migraine Awareness- It’s up to you! Migraine Awareness Month passed us by, but the race for a migraine cure has only just begun. You can help by influencing social perceptions of migraines, teaching others to separate migraine myths from truths, or raising charity towards migraine research. Tell your story to the local media. Describe how debilitating migraine pain affects your life at home and at work, how you cope, and what improvements you’d like to see in legislations related to migraines.
Here are 10 things that you can do to be a migraine activist:
Talk the Talk
Tell it like it is. It’s not a headache, it’s a migraine or a migraine attack, or at the very least, a migraine headache. It might seem like splitting hairs, but it in the end, a few choice changes in wording help to provide clarification. Migraine Sufferer to World: It’s not just a Headache, People!
Spread the word. Be a 24-hour advocate of migraine awareness. Don’t lose an opportunity for politely educating others who aren’t “in the know” about migraine facts. When somebody well-meaningly asks you why you had to miss a whole day of work because of one headache, kindly explain to them in a matter-of-fact manner that migraine attacks are excruciatingly painful, often debilitating, and can last for several hours, regardless of your many efforts to alleviate them. Point out that the medical community recognizes migraines as a neurological disease, unlike common headaches, which result from muscular tension. 6 Migraine Myth-conceptions
Speak words of comfort. If you know somebody who suffers from migraines, or even if you meet somebody on the street who casually alludes to her ongoing struggle with migraines, take a few minutes of your time to offer support, sympathy, and reassurance. Ask her if she is satisfied with her neurologist, and if she isn’t, refer her to yours.
Tell a story. Share your Migraine Moment with the National Headache Foundation.
Walk the Walk
Participate in a local walkathon for migraine research, or help to set up. Miles for Migraines meets October 2011 in San Francisco, California. Keep up to date with all migraine-related sports events on Active.com.
Volunteer to distribute leaflets from your favorite migraine charity group to local pharmacies and hospitals.
Run a fundraiser for your favorite migraine research advocacy group, and alert the media. Host a casino night, a Chinese auction, or get your local Girl Scouts chapter involved. For some more tips, visit Step by Step Fundraising.
Put your money where your mouth is. Donate to the NHF or other worthy advocacy groups raising funds for a cure for migraines.
Here is a list of authentic migraine awareness organizations:
Mind your Migraines
Join a support group. Get advice for managing your migraines, network with other sufferers, and learn about new migraine research and alternative treatments. Face-to-face support groups are available through your healthcare provider. Check Meetup to find out about meetings in your area. Numerous online migraine support groups and discussion forums are also available through Migraine.com, LiveJournal, and various Yahoo Headache Groups.
Stay up to date. Subscribe to migraine blogs and newsletters; find out what others are doing about their migraines, how it affects their lives, and about any new developments in migraine treatments. Here are a few sites to get you started:
Related Reading:
Top 20 Websites for Migraine Headache Patients
Plan a Headache-Free Summer Vacation: Five Travel Tips
Sources:
Migraine Education- Migraine Awareness Week
Get Involved with Migraine Research, Education & Advocacy | Migraine.com
Tags: advice, Blog Carnival- Headache and Migraine Disease, Chronic Babe Newsletter, LiveJournal, Migraine, migraine action, migraine advice, migraine awareness, migraine awareness week, migraine awareness week 2011, migraine help, migraine information, migraine matters, migraine myths, migraine pain, migraine research, migraine support, Migraine.com, Yahoo Headache Groups
Posted in Migraine Treatments | No Comments »
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
Coenzyme Q10 (also known as ubiquinone, ubidecarenone, coenzyme Q, CoQ10, CoQ, Q10, or simply Q) is an oil-soluble vitamin-like substance that is naturally present in most eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria. It is a component of the electron transport chain and participates in aerobic cellular respiration.
Coenzyme Q10 provides powerful antioxidant protection which many believe significantly supports neurological health in patients with migraines and/or tinnitus.
Migraine can be a disabling disorder and migraine preventives have been shown to not only reduce headache frequency, intensity and duration but also improve quality of life.
An article in the April, 2002, issue of the Journal of the International Headache Society, Cephalalgia, reported a study concerning migraines with relation to the compound CoQ10.
At present there are very few effective migraine preventives, and even fewer without significant side-effects. For that reason, there has been a trend towards the development of natural ingredients that can be safely taken by all who suffer with a disease regardless of age and past medical history.
Coenzyme Q10 is a naturally occurring substance and essential element of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. It has been the most extensively studied agent for the treatment of mitochondrial disorders and has been shown to have almost no identifiable side-effects in humans.
In an oft-cited study on CoQ10 and its benefits for migraine patients, test participants took 150 mg of coenzyme Q10 daily, preferably using gel-caps as a method of administration, as Q-10 is believed to absorb better in liquid form. The results were significantly more promising with the coenzyme Q10, versus the placebo. Coenzyme Q10 is extremely well tolerated by most individuals.
As with most Migraine preventives, it takes time to achieve optimum results. Data from the study suggest that it takes five to 12 weeks to achieve maximum health benefits.
This study suggest that including coenzyme Q10 in your dietary and migraine-care regimes is extremely beneficial.
Those suffering from migraines should consider using Migravent, a dietary supplement that helps maintain neurological health when migraines occur.
Tags: Coenzyme, electron transport chain, eukaryotic cells, international headache society, migraine and coenzyme q 10, migraine and coenzyme q10, migraine and coq10, migraine research, migraine studies, mitochondria, substance
Posted in Migraines | 1 Comment »
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