How to Treat Migraine in a Nutritional Manner

By Carly on Saturday, August 28, 2010
Filled Under: Migraine Articles

All of us know that a Migraine can be very frustrating and devastating. Migraine makes a person suffer like hell because he/she can’t do anything but writhe all over with pain. The usual method that people adopt is to take pain relievers for getting rid of migraine. However, these alternatives may have harmful side effects if taken for long. A natural therapy for treating migraine has much to offer!

Alongside conventional treatments, there are several natural remedies for migraine. There are various kinds of foods thought to be the “triggers” or cause of migraine. The “trigger” food include chocolate, eggs, citrus fruits, meat like beef, pork, chicken, turkey and fish, wheat, nuts, tomatoes, onions, corn etc. About 20-50% of adults are shown to get relief from their migraine attacks by avoiding the trigger foods. So, by making some alterations in your diet, you can get rid of this problem.

Another tip for controlling your migraine pain is to do breathing exercises. Slow down your breath and let the breathing become deep and long. It improves the circulation of blood to the head region which greatly improves the headache condition offering good relief. Many people have noticed that that stress or strong emotions trigger their migraines. I know that you can’t do anything about your hectic working schedules but you can take proper precautions for dealing with migraine problems. For instance, vitamin B5 is important in a nutritional approach to stress management and vitamin C aids anti-stress hormone production.

A nutrient known as CoQ10 has been found effective for treating migraine. CoQ10 is a naturally occurring substance similar in structure to vitamin K. Its main functions in are in energy production and as an antioxidant. In migraine it’s thought to help by improving blood circulation to the brain. Natural sources of this nutrient include beef, chicken, ham, pork, salmon, sardines, mackerel, egg, and spinach.

Well, above are some of the factors that should be taken into notice for treating your migraine in a natural manner. A few simple efforts can bring about a big difference for dealing with migraine problem!

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Identify And Treat Ocular Migraines

By Carly on Friday, July 9, 2010
Filled Under: Migraine Articles

Identify and treat ocular migraines

Ophthalmic (eye) migraines are really usual and often painless, although the solo term \”migraine\” normally brings to mind a dangerous kind of headache.

But with eye-related migraines, visual disturbances with or without headache pain too can accompany migraine processes believed to be related to varieties in blood flow in the brain.

These visual problems affiliated with migraines technically are known as ophthalmic migraines, but are much more typically (though incorrectly) called ocular migraines. Since most laypeople understand the term better, this article refers to the condition as \”how do i know if i have an ocular migraine?.\”

The biological causes of migraines are unknown, but numerous precipitating factors have been discovered. Stress, premenstrual alterations, alcohol consumption, hunger, or the use of oral contraceptives can induce migraines in some persons.

Certain foods may produce attacks; these include chocolate, red wine, milk, aged cheese, chicken livers, meats preserved in nitrates, or foods prepared with monosodium glutamate. Certain persons report that exposure to sunlight or workout can trigger attacks.

The symptoms of ocular migraines vary from person to person, and may include seeing zigzagging lines or patterns, especially at the outer edges of your vision, seeing shimmering or colored lights, loss of vision in one spot or off to one side. With typical migraines, but uncommonly with ocular migraines, you can have severe pain following these symptoms. You may too have vomiting or nausea. Ocular migraines normally require no treatment, other than rest until the symptoms pass.

Your doctor will routinely get a full history and perform a thorough physical exam to rule out systemic causes of the headache. Your ophthalmologist will verify that no eye-related problems are bringing on the headache.

Stress alleviation, control of blood pressure, or medication to maintain appropriate hormonal levels may be needed. New glasses or different work lighting may be prescribed by your doctor.

If you have persistent headaches, it\’s important to consult your medical physician about them for a medical evaluation.

The management of a migraine consists of avoiding any precipitating factors, together with prophylactic or symptomatic pharmacologic treatment, if needed.

During acute attacks, several patients find it helpful to rest in a quiet, darkened room \’till symptoms subside.

A simple analgesic (e.g., aspirin) consumed right away oftentimes offers easing, but treatment with extracranial vasoconstrictors or other drugs is sometimes essential.

Cafergot, a combination of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine, is frequently particularly useful. A drug known as ergotamine has been used effectively for acute migraine. Sometimes, an analgesic painkiller is used in combination with it. Ergotamine can bring on headaches and other side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, cramps and tingling sensations. It should be employed only a couple of times a week and not at all during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Sumatriptan is a fast-acting agent that can abort attacks when given subcutaneously (under the skin) by an autoinjection device. It should be avoided in pregnancy.

If migraine headaches take place more than 2 or 3 times a month, prophylactic treatment may be necessary. Medications include aspirin, propranolol or amitriptyline.

For more information, visit Eye migraine.

How To Treat Ocular Migraines?

By Carly on Monday, July 5, 2010
Filled Under: Migraine Articles

If you have unbearable pain in the area around your eyes and along the side of your head, you may be suffering from ocular migraines, also known as optical migraines. Although the exact cause of ocular migraines is unclear, some factors have been identified. In most cases, ocular migraines are caused by either an expansion or contraction of blood vessels in the head and brain. Along with the pain mentioned above, ocular migraines can also be characterized by Nausea, Double vision, Sparks, Bright lights or zigzags of light.

Different factors cause ocular migraines in different people. Ocular migraines that doesn’t hurt but effects your vision and is very frustrating because you can’t focus and lights flash or things in site swirl. Ocular migraines are very frightening the first few times. They should not last for 2 months straight. Although you can get one every day that last a few minutes or an hour or more. Ocular migraines include adopting a low stress lifestyle, eliminating trigger foods and eating a good healthy migraine diet. This would include high quality fish oil supplements to reduce the inflammation and balance hormones.

The natural solution and treatment for ocular migraines is basically the same as the recommendation for a classic migraine headache. For the vast majority of people, these diet and lifestyle changes should be enough to dramatically decrease both the frequency and severity of migraines. In time, using natural solutions, you should be able to eliminate all migraine headaches from your life. However, if your ocular migraines persist, be sure to consult a doctor.

For more information about Ocular Migraines, visit Ocular Migraines Website.

Aina Hazirah

How to Prevent and Treat Migraine Headaches

By Carly on Thursday, April 29, 2010
Filled Under: Migraine Articles

For the millions of migraine sufferers in the United States alone, any sort of migraine treatment is better than nothing. A migraine can come on with or without any sort of noticeable trigger and stay for hours or days at a time. The unspeakable throbbing in the head, sensitivity to light and sound, and debilitating consequences for daily life lead to interesting perspectives on prevention and treatment.

Traditional migraines can occur with or without an aura, meaning they can have (or not have) any visual disturbances. Such visual disturbances include blind spots, seeing colors, or shades of gray and/or black. An ocular migraine includes those types of visual “hallucinations” but they only occur in one eye. The changes to vision are not permanent in either situation, but often send most migraine sufferers to medical clinics. Lewis Carroll, of Alice in Wonderland fame, cited migraine hallucinations as primary sources for the creation of the classic children’s book. Migraines, with or without an aura, occur because of changes in the brain’s blood vessel. Blood vessels swell, causing inflammation, which then constricts the blood vessels even more. The optical changes noticed in traditional migraines are because of the occipital cortex perceiving changes in vision due to blood vessels and inflammation. With an ocular migraine, however, the visual changes occur in the retinal blood vessels, which are inflamed, and causing visual disturbances.

According to migraine experts, the most common triggers for migraine headaches include stress, lack of sleep, and skipping meals. Other triggers include weather or altitude changes, pollution, smells, any sort of sleep problems, and other senses, like lighting. Foods that include aspartame or MSG (monosodium glutamate) also have been identified as triggers to migraines. Another large trigger is smoking, as it constricts already small blood vessels. Migraines tend to effect women more so than men; estrogen increases the chances of migraines, research states. However, it is unclear how estrogen does this. Some women find that decreased levels of estrogen will cause migraines while others say that too much estrogen caused the problem. Many women find that their natural menses cycle will effect when their next migraine will occur.

Experts say that prevention is the easiest way to deal with a migraine. This means identifying your own pattern of migraine headaches and triggers. Some experts prescribe or recommend non-migraine medications daily in order to prevent migraine headaches. Doctors also state there is a distinct “window of opportunity” in which migraines are starting and can be most easily treated, without them running their course. This timeframe is limited to the first hour of the headache. However, experts admit most migraine sufferers do not want to bring on the unspeakable and convince themselves that they are only having a tension headache.

Once a migraine has started, several types of medication can be used to treat them. Over the counter medications, such as Tylenol or Advil, have helped some migraines while still others utilize other anti-inflammatory agents to treat migraines. These medications focus on helping the body deal with the pain of a migraine. New medications called triptans provide the treatment of the blood vessels, which essentially helps to stop the migraine at its root cause. Such medications include sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, and naratriptan. However, the triptan classification does not help with ocular migraines and could intensify the vision problems leading to vision loss.

However, some migraine sufferers do not feel comfortable always relying on medications to prevent or treat migraines. Doctors suggest, and highly encourage, patients to stay on a consistent schedule for meals and sleeping; disturbances with those daily events could lead to more stress and/or migraines themselves. Others encourage utilizing supplements such as magnesium, riboflavin, and coenzyme Q10. However, they stress that correct dosages should be maintained for at least three months before its intended effects can be perceived. Doctors suggest 500 mg of magnesium, 400 of riboflavin (B-12), and 150 mg of coenzyme Q10. Other types of herbs have anecdotal evidence of assistance in preventative measures; those include butterbur or feverfew. Doctors do warn that there are limited enforcement procedures of herbs; one brand could be more potent than another, so doctors suggest caution and using a reputable brand name. Still other migraine sufferers use acupuncture to relieve migraine pressure and Botox, as its primary usage is paralysis of muscles. Studies are being done to support the anecdotal evidence suggested by Botox promoters. Doctors feel that ocular migraine patients could find sunglasses, either simple or prescription, based on which wavelengths they seem to be having difficulties with.

Despite the once widespread belief that migraines were “just another headache” many advances have been made to understand and treat the source of the problem. As always, consult your doctor for your individual case before adjusting your migraine treatment. Adverse side effects should always be communicated with your doctor.

Isabel Baldry is a freelance writer who writes passionately about a number of subjects. She has contributed more about how to prevent and treat migraines here.

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