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Stress as Aggravator |
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The fact that stress can play a role in migraine, experts say, doesn't mean that migraine is a psychological disorder. The role of psychological stress on migraines is like the role of psychological factors on epilepsy, asthma, hypertension, and heart disease. Stress is not the cause of migraines, but psychological issues can worsen migraines as they can these other medical conditions.
Like someone with high blood pressure or heart disease, people with migraines should maintain a healthy lifestyle, including regular sleep patterns, a healthy diet, and exercise. Beyond those traditional healthy habits, some people report benefiting from behavioral treatments even though these have not been scientifically proven effective. These treatments include relaxation therapy, yoga, or biofeedback, which teaches people to reduce their muscle tension.
Many doctors, too, lack knowledge about migraines which may account at least in part for the high rate of undiagnosed migraine cases--an estimated 60 percent of women sufferers and 70 percent of men.
It is recommended to form a partnership with your health-care professional to ensure the most effective treatment. Seek a knowledgeable and interested doctor who will work with you, he says, and get information yourself from headache organizations.
There's a great deal more that can be done for migraine today than 20 years ago
Don't accept that you have to live with migraines. |
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