Natural Home Remedies for Migraines Headache at Headaches-Migraine-Relief.com

Even though optical migraines do not have any specific definition, the general belief of an optical migraine is, one that includes a vision disturbance is known as an “aura”. The auras may come with the pain of severe headache, or may not have any pain.

The migraines that come with an aura are rarer than common migraines. The common migraines do not have any aura, and they may be enervating the victim of the migraine. Normally a patient suffers from the vision disturbances that persist for 5-20 min, and seldom cause any permanent impairment to the eye. The auras may vary evidently from patient to patient, and even from headache to headache.

The appearance of an aura

The aura consorted with an optical migraine usually presents before the beginning of migraine pain. It may appear in different forms, which include blind spots, flashing light or bright colours, zigzagging lines or other geometric patterns. It can also include “floaters”, which are very small objects that appear to float across the eye in a repetitive manner. These strange disturbances may also cause dizziness and nausea, a feeling of confusion or a sense of imbalance. These symptoms may occur in one or both the eyes.

Treatment for optical migraine

When anyone suffers from optical migraines, the best way of action is to lie down in a dark and quiet room with a cool compress over the eyes or forehead. Sleeping is usually the best remedy for these headaches, in addition, mostly, that will also eliminate the aura. If anyone suffers from frequent and intense optical migraines, it is better to consult a physician for prescription treatments.

Prescription medications either can be given on a day-to-day basis, to act as a preventative measure; or can be used at the first appearance of an optical migraine, to decrease or even eradicate the later symptoms. It is believed that Lewis Carroll (1832-1898), the author of “Alice in Wonderland”, suffered from optical migraines. Possibly, it was his fascinating aura, in association with a pictorial imagination, which brought off to invent a world of disappearing cats, shrinking people, and talking flowers.

Today, many physicians refer to the “Alice in Wonderland Syndrome” when talking about the diversity of auras that can take place during a migraine sequence. The good thing is that there are a number of treatments are available to reduce and even eradicate the number of optical migraines a person can get.

Migraine is one of the most painful and debilitating conditions a person may suffer from and what is worse, there is not much you can do about it. Migraine headaches are often caused by the changes in the shape and size of the blood vessels that are found in the head. The blood vessels may expand or an inflammation may occur in the tissues that are found in that area.

As to what exactly causes this to happen in such an unsystematic way, no one knows yet. Ongoing researches about the underlying causes of migraines have not yielded much and debates are still going on. Some specialists believe that migraine headaches may be caused by the constriction in the blood vessel, particularly in the electronic changes in the vessels that are similar with what happens during seizures. Others feel that migraines are actually hereditary and people with history of migraines in the family will most likely suffer from the problem.

A migraine headache should not be confused with the common headache, which a person may suffer from every now and then. They are poles different from one another. The migraine headache, for instance can last from four to 72 hours while the common headache, or what is commonly referred to by medical practitioners as tension headaches, can last only for a few hours.

Pain is also more localized with the migraine headache, often occurring on the sides of the head while tension headaches can encompass the entire head area. Another difference is the intensity of the pain.

Tension headaches are milder and duller in comparison while migraine headaches can be really severe, accompanied by pounding throbbing pain that only increases. Migraine headaches can also be accompanied by other physical problems such as sensitivity to light, sound and odors as well as nausea and vomiting.

Migraine does not announce itself in a set of early symptoms. The recurring headaches just happen, often catching the person by surprise. There is however one kind where in the person may see a visual hallucination, called an aura, before the actual migraine headache occurs. This kind is called the classic migraine headache.

The classic migraine headache is a lot different from what specialists call the common headaches, which occurs without any warning whatsoever. There is also the complicated migraines, which may be a manifestation of more serious medical problems in the nervous system. Often, this type migraine headache is accompanied by speech, movement and motor irregularities.

An intense feeling of pain is the trademark of a migraine attack that is specifically felt by those who suffer from migraine headaches. Even though many dismiss migraines as a simple headache they are in fact part of a neurological disease which needs proper attention if they are going to be treated sufficiently. In order to deal with the problem of migraines you should learn all you can about them.

Depending on the patient the symptoms of a migraine will vary. The prodomal phase is typically the start of a migraine headache. During this phase of a migraine people typically feel in a different state of mind, but they don’t yet feel the headache. Sometimes during this phase individuals may be overly ecstatic or have periods of depression. By noticing the changes in behavior at the beginning of this phase you will be able to know when you are going to have a migraine attack, despite the fact that doctors don’t know exactly what happens during this phase. After the prodomal phase a headache can appear either a few hours to a few days later.

Following the prodomal phase is a brief period known as the aural phase which is trademarked by other phenomena right before a headache occurs. Some people will have minor hallucinations right before the start of a migraine headache. Others may experience blurred vision or distorted colors. Some feel as though body parts have fallen asleep or they get a pin and needle feeling similar to when circulation is lost.

After the aural phase the headache occurs. As opposed to tension headaches which occur all over, migraine headaches often occur on only one half of the head. Migraines are typically gradual and the pain won’t reach a peak for several hours. Some will experience a stiffness of the sinuses and blurred vision along with the headache, others may experience diarrhea as well. After the headache portion is done a person enter the postdrome phase. During this phase an individual often feels tired and/or irritable, this is often accompanied by a lack of concentration.

For migraine headaches treatment often focuses on preventative medicines. Often times aspirin and other pain medications don’t work for migraines and over time they will cause more severe rebound headaches. Anti-depressant drugs are the most common drug prescribed by doctors for the prevention of migraine headaches. By talking with your doctor you will be able to find the best type of treatment for your migraine headaches.

People suffering from migraines often never utilize the same treatments because migraines form for many different reasons. With this being said, there are literally dozens of different types of treatments available for migraine sufferers; natural and prescription. Today, men and women are doing what they can to stay away from prescription medications and lean towards natural remedies that can be safely used for long periods of time.

In order to narrow down your own personal triggers for migraines, it is a great idea to keep a dairy. This will allow you to jot down what foods you ate throughout the day, if you had an extraordinary stressful day, etc. Again, this may work for some people but not for others. For some people there are no real triggers that can be eliminated from day-to-day life but for others this is the key.

Next, your teeth can be a very important trigger that you may not be aware of. Many people grind their teeth throughout the day but most commonly while they are asleep at night. Grinding your teeth can not only wear down your teeth over time but studies have shown this to be a significant trigger for migraines. If your dentist notifies you of this problem, a retainer or dental splint is the perfect way to stop this problem and even lessen your migraine attacks.

Acupuncture has made its way into the realm of migraine treatments today. With acupuncture you have the option to have your pain treated or go in for preventative treatments. This ancient old therapy has been shown to instantly increase blood flow around the needle area. This increase in circulation has always been found to be a successful resolution for chronic pain, including migraines.

Lastly, it is important to mention the importance of a proper and well balanced diet. There are many foods that trigger migraines and many more foods that can actually prevent migraine attacks before they start. If you already utilize a healthy diet then perhaps this is not the root of your problem. If you do not currently utilize dairy products, vegetables, cereals and legumes than this is a natural option you should try in order to do what you can naturally to cure your migraine attacks.

Although there are many theories as to what causes and triggers migraines, each is different for each sufferer. Therefore it is important to do whatever you can do naturally to find a cure that works for you. Whether it is acupuncture or simply taking the time for 10minutes of pure relaxation within a day to relieve built up stress, this may be all you need to end your migraine pain. Take a step back from drugs and scripts and find out what you can naturally do to redirect and eliminate your pain.

Migraines headaches are throbbing headaches that involve the brain’s blood vessels. Pain is felt when these blood vessels dilate or contract in an excessive manner. Studies have shown that the dilation and contraction of these blood vessels are influenced by a chemical in our body called serotonin. A high level of serotonin in our blood will cause our blood vessels to contract or shrink. Conversely when the level is low, it will cause our blood vessels to dilate or expand. Different individuals react differently to these dilation and expansion. Keep in mind that any migraine will be as unique as the person suffering from it and that these migraine headaches symptoms will vary from one individual to the next.

To better understand why this is so, it is important to know that there are different classifications of migraines. For our purpose, we will group all these different classifications into two main types, namely the ‘common migraine’ and the ‘classic migraine’

The ‘common migraine’ is a throbbing headache that may start slowly but can last anywhere between two to seventy-two hours. The pain normally manifest itself by starting at the back of the head and then slowly spreading over to one side of the head. This localized pain can also take place in the center of the temple or behind an ear.

The word ‘migraine’ is derived from the Greek word “hemikrania” which means half a skull. This description aptly describes a typical characteristic of migraine headache in that the pain is usually localized on one side. Common symptoms of this type of migraine headache are the blurring of vision, feeling nausea and perhaps vomiting, and sometimes a tingling or even numb feeling in the limbs. There is also an increased sensitivity to lights and sounds.

The ‘classic migraine’ is very similar to the ‘common migraine’ in its manifestation and practically follow the same pattern as the latter, There is, however, one big difference between the two types of migraines in that ‘classis migraine’ is normally accompanied by a collection of migraine headaches symptoms that are called an aura. This aura, as described by many sufferers, can include an appearance of flashes, spark-like lights, or bright stars. Vision typically becomes unclear.

Common symptoms of the classic migraines headaches in addition to the pain include the individual having difficulty in speaking, detecting of strange smells and experiencing weakness. These auras can last anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes before the headache starts. Sometimes they can overlap and at times the aura may occur but a headache doesn’t.

Migraines can affect anyone but studies indicate that approximately three times as many women will get them as men. They are often found to run in families. The pattern of how often these headaches may occur vary greatly from one person to the next. Some may experience it only once or twice a year but others may suffer from it on a weekly basis. Children can also get migraines but the pain may may be more diffused instead of localized. These migraine headaches are normally accompanied by symptoms such as vomiting and dizziness.  

In recent years the incidence of migraines has increased dramatically, across the board, in all groups. Studies have shown that these migraine attacks can be prevented if timely intervention actions are taken before the attacks. Hence, it important for you to be aware of the wide spectrum of migraine headaches symptoms and to take necessary timely intervention to prevent the migraine headaches from happening.

Three times as many women as men have migraines. More than 80% of people with migraines (called migraineurs ) have other members in the family who have them too. Interestingly however, only one out of four studies included in a recent review concluded that individually prescribed homeopathic remedies significantly reduces the frequency, severity, and duration of migraine symptoms. Some of these effective remedies are listed below. Migraine victims alone lose over 157 million workdays because of headache pain.

Unlike migraine, the pain does not increase when you are exercising. Prescription medications for migraines are generally not considered safe for use in pregnant women. Epidemiological, pathophysiological, and clinical evidence link estrogen to migraine headaches. Triptans appear to provide acute relief and also may be useful for headache prevention.

Migraines are painful
Migraine headaches can cause those spots, and a radiologist will often write “spots consistant with migrainous condition” in the notes. These capillary bleeds could be the result of rough handling to your brain from that big car accident you had, or a roller-coaster ride, or playing football, or someone punching you in the face, or your mom dropping you on your head when you were a toddler, or you falling out of that tree when you were playing Superman and thought you could fly. A specific type of headache can turn nasty during sneaky sex, according to Lorenzo Pinessi of the Italian Migraine Society. He said it affects about 15% of the Italian population, mostly men. I have chronic migraine headaches and I was first prescribed Imitrex. All 4 times I gave it a chance it did not work.

Rather, widely divergent causes, such as stress, migraine, or brain tumors, would quite rapidly be seen to be associated with quite different diseases. Similarly, it may be time to start thinking of a variety of different pathways leading to RA rather than searching for one single explanation. Many people take these medications at the first signs of a migraine headache, and they are able to avoid any serious problems from the awful pain of a migraine headache. These medications have provided relief to people so they will not have to neglect their responsibilities until the pain subsides. Some of the symptoms associated with migraine headaches , such as nausea (80%), vomiting (50%), yawning, irritability, hypotension, and hyperactivity, can be associated with dopamine receptor activation. Dopamine receptor hypersensitivity has been shown experimentally with dopamine agonists such as apomorphine, bromocriptine, and pergolide.

The neurologic symptoms typically occur five to 20 minutes before the headache and last up to 60 minutes. Serotonin alterations are more subtle in patients with cluster headache than in migraine. Medina et al (1979) found modest elevations of serotonin in whole blood during attacks of cluster headache, whereas platelet serotonin levels fall precipitously during migraine attacks. Migraine is the most common cause of intermittent severe headache. Migraines occur in 5% of men and 15% of women.

Diet could be helpful
The benefits of a change in diet are not limited only to migraine patients. I usually see complete relief of headaches from an unidentified cause within days after a change in diet. Some women experience success at relieving the symptoms of migraines by taking a cool shower. It is believed that the cold water will help to shrink the throbbing blood vessels. Anything from weather changes to the draining of the nasal passages can cause these intense headaches that are often mistaken for migraines. Eye strain occurs when a sinus headache is present with vomiting, nausea and fever.

There are a lot of reasons why you may be on a search for information about migraines.

You may for example suffer from migraine headaches yourself or someone you know and care about might be afflicted by migraines. You might have recently had a family member diagnosed as having migraines or might be a student doing a research paper about this all too common form of headache. Regardless of why you are looking into the topic of migraines there is plenty of information on the subject.

Migraine is a medical disorder called a neurological syndrome and its principle symptoms for most individuals are generally very painful headaches and nausea. This reasonably common condition is found less frequently in men than in women.

A migraine headache produces a pain that is usually felt on just one side of the head and is by and large said to be throbbing or pulsating in nature. The headache will generally last anything from 4 hours to 72 hours and may be moderate to severe in intensity. There may also be other accompanying symptoms such as vomiting or sensitivity to sound or light.

There is another aspect of migraines and that is the presence of an “aura” in at least thirty percent of individuals suffering from migraines. The aura happens prior to the onset of the migraine and might include such things as the appearance of bright lights, zigzag lines or distorted shapes in various different colors and sizes that appear in the normal line of vision. Your field of vision might also reduce and can appear like tunnel vision or possibly a curtain-like effect often over one eye or dark spots that slowly spread.

You may also experience auditory changes such as hearing voices or environmental sounds such as buzzing. You may also experience weird smells or possible feelings of numbness or tingling to one side of the face or arms and legs. You may experience a sense of being separated from your own body or a feeling like your arms and legs are moving independently from your body. You may feel anxiety or fear alongside the aura or an unsteadiness or weakness. On occasions individuals experiencing an aura are unable to understand or comprehend words being spoken to them and can become exceedingly tired and sweat profusely or feel warmth throughout the body.

As well as talking about migraines with or without an aura there are several other ways of describing migraines.

Familial hemiplegic migraines for instance are those which are caused by ion channel mutations. Individuals suffering from this type of migraine as a rule experience limb weakness on one side of the body with visual, sensory or speech problems.

Another type of migraine is the abdominal migraine in which children have many of the symptoms of migraines with the exception of the head pain. Typical symptoms such as nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting may last from 1 to 72 hours.

Lastly, menstrual and acephalgic migraines are two other reasonably common forms of migraine. An acephalgic migraine is one in which an individual as a rule experiences an aura but does not experience a headache. Menstrual migraines have two characteristics and are either menstrual related migraines (MRM) or pure menstrual migraines (PMM). The menstrual related migraine is moderate to severe in pain intensity and occurs around the time of the monthly period and at other times too. The pure menstrual migraine appears only around the time of the woman’s monthly period.

If you suffer from migraine headaches you know how debilitating they can be. You have probably tried a number of migraine treatments with little or no relief as well, which makes you feel like banging your head against the wall.

Why not, it couldn’t hurt any worse, right? You dread the moment you get the first sign, or aura, of a migraine coming on. You start to see spots, feel sensitive to light, smells, or sounds, and may feel dizzy or nauseated.

You just want to find a dark room and tuck yourself into bed somewhere. Migraine sufferers are unable to function at work, school, or anywhere else for that matter. According to The National Migraine Association, also known as MAGNUM (http://www.migraines.org), reports that 36 million people in the United States suffer from migraine headaches.

With improved recognition of symptoms and diagnosis by health care providers, a 60% increase in migraine sufferers has been noted over the past decade. Migraines are different in each individual and not everyone experiences the same symptoms, which is why some migraine treatments are more effective than others, making the process somewhat complicated.

Migraine headaches are a neurological disease with biological causes that are often hereditary. Migraine treatments have improved immensely over the years, but are not effective for everyone, not to mention the side effects that some people experience.

Migraine treatments are divided into separate group. There are preventive or prophylactic medications and alternative therapies for migraine treatment, and there are those that work to ward off symptoms once a migraine has ensued. Prescribed medications used in migraine treatment are beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, anti-depressants, and Depakote (an anti-seizure drug).

Alternative prophylactic migraine treatments include feverfew leaf, butterbur root, vitamin B12, and magnesium supplementation. New research is also looking to the gut, which may be the origin of migraine headaches in some sufferers.

If preventive therapy is not completely effective, prescription medications such as Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Relpax, Midrin, and Migranal can be used which lessen the severity and duration of migraines by initiating cerebral vasoconstriction.

If migraine treatment is sought in a physician’s office or emergency room, a narcotic injection can be administered, such as Stadol, Phenergan, or Vistril, which are non-vasoconstricting agents used in the event other treatments are contraindicated.

These are all effective migraine treatments, but remember that not all will help every migraine sufferer. Other alternative treatments such acupuncture, biofeedback, and chiropractic manipulation have also proven to be effective migraine treatments in some patients.

Avoiding certain migraine triggers is an important intervention that can be used by all “migrainuers”, such as avoiding certain foods and alcoholic beverages than have caused migraines in the past, and wearing sunglasses in bright sunlight.

If you suffer from migraine headaches and you are not getting relief from your current migraine treatment regimen, then schedule a consultation with your health care provider. It is possible to get better relief and have fewer episodes, which will greatly improve your emotional outlook and quality of life.

Migraine without aura is a common migraine without aura but exhibits the same symptoms as a classic migraine except that it does not exhibit any aura.

People who primarily suffer from migraine with aura may also have attacks of migraine without aura. Headache with the features of “migraine without aura” usually follows the aura symptoms. Less commonly, the aura may occur without a subsequent headache or the headache may be non-migrainous in type.

Migraine with aura is a classical migraine preceded by an aura before the attack. The aura occurs for about 10-30 minutes and then is usually followed by a headache. It is quite similar to a common migraine except in the aspect of the aura.

About 15% of migraine sufferers have a early warning that the headache is coming on. This change in brain function is called an “aura”. It is usually a visual symptom, such as an arc of sparkling (scintillating) zig-zag lines or a blotting out of vision or both. The aura is due to changes that take place in the cortex, the outer layer of the brain. This slowly spreading depression of nerve cell activity is believed to account for the pattern of development of the typical aura.

Auras set in about 20-30 minutes before the migraine attack. Some patients also describe the presence of a strange odor, before the onset of a migraine. They also experience a tingling sensation in an arm or leg.

In the classic migraine aura, symptoms build up gradually and move slowly from one visual region or one part of the body to another. For example, the migraine aura sufferer may first notice a black spot in the field of vision. This black spot is often surrounded by flashing lights or bright zig-zag lines as mentioned.

What starts this sequence of events that leads to the aura and migraine? The answers to thisquestion are not fully understood. Migraine sufferers have an inborn susceptibility to factors that normally do not trigger headaches.

In people with migraines, changes in body chemistry, such as menstruation, certain foods, and dozens of environmental influences, such as a change in weather, may trigger a migraine attack. A migraine trigger is any factor that, on exposure or withdrawal, leads to the development of an acute migraine headache. Triggers may be categorized as behavioral, environmental, infectious, dietary, chemical, or hormonal. In medical literature, these factors are known as ‘precipitants.’

Neither type of migraine denotes a life-threatening disorder but, they can be chronic and recurrent, thus interfering with a person’s daily lifestyle.

Both migraine types have the usual pain, nausea, vomiting and intolerance to light and sound, which is worsened by any physical activity.

Treatment? The treatment for migraines begins with simple painkillers for headache and anti-emetics for nausea, and avoidance of triggers if present. Specific anti-migraine drugs can be used to treat migraine. Homeopathic Drugs and Special all natural ingredient products such as those at the Centre for Pain Relief in Burlington, New Jersey have proven effective. If the migraine condition is severe and frequent enough, preventative drugs might be considered.
The most commonly used “reversal” medicines are triptans. Triptans work by boosting the effects of the brain chemical serotonin, which reduces the severity and duration of an attack. Propranolol, a beta blocker, and Topiramate have proven effective for migraine sufferers as well.

When it comes to treatment however, “Migraine is the most misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mistreated condition in medical practice,” states Dr. Seymour Diamond, M.D., who is the executive chairman for the National Headache Foundation and director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago.

As always, talk to your doctor about whether or not you have with Aura or without Aura to find the medication that works best for you.