While in most cases, headaches are not serious, they are nevertheless disturbing and sometimes disabling. So let us clarify the two most common types: the tension headache and migraine.
Tension headache
More common in women, blood pressure headache is a common problem often associated with psychosomatic factors such as stress, anxiety and fatigue. It may also be linked to depression. (more…)
There are several factors driving the onset of migraines, including stress, changes in routine, performed in excess physical exertion, disorders such as nervousness, anxiety and excitement, and few or too many hours of sleep.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIGRAINE AND HEADACHE
• Headache: Headaches are common, intermittent and moderate.
Overall, the sore appears on the front and back of the head.
• Migraine: The pain starts in the eye, around it or in the temple, and extends to one side, accompanied by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
Moreover, the pains are preceded, in general, changes in mood and vision of black dots flashing. Sometimes the person has a weakness on one side of the body. (more…)
There are many treatments and medications available to those who suffer from Migraines. The important first step to finding relief is to receive a diagnosis of Migraines from your doctor or medical health professional. After the diagnosis is made a treatment plan can be devised based on your symptoms.
There are two categories of medications that are typically a part of most treatment plans for those who suffer from Migraines. These categories are pain-relieving drugs and Preventative medications. Pain-relieving drugs are used to abort the acute type of headaches are taken while a migraine attack is already in progress. The purpose of these drugs is to stop or at least minimize the symptoms you experience during a migraine attack. Preventative medications are part of the treatment plan that involves a strategy to manage the frequency or severity of your Migraines. The hope is that by managing the frequency and severity of your symptoms you will be able to control the debilitating nature of your migraine attacks and thus function better at work, school or in your normal daily routine. Doctors usually include this program of preventive medications if patients experience two or more attacks a month in which they are not able to function normally because of the migraine attacks. Patients who use pain-relieving drugs more than twice a week are usually good candidates for Preventative medications.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, and certain children are not advised to take certain medications and should always be under the care of a physician or other healthcare professional when medicating for Migraines or other medical conditions or diseases.
Your doctor will help to determine which category of drug treatment is best for you based on your symptoms and your history of medications taken to date and whether or not they brought you relief.
Commonly used pain-relieving drugs:
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
Anti-nausea medications - oral or Rectal
Butalbital medications that are combinations of aspirin and Acetaminophen or Codeine contain caffeine or along with other pain relieve. These preparations have a high risk for the patient Experiencing rebound headaches and should therefore be used sparingly.
Opiates are preparations that contain Narcotics, Codeine are used especially when individuals suffer from intense Migraines and are unable to take triptans or ergot. Opiates are habit-forming and should only be used under a doctor’s care and are to be used only when all other pain-relieving medications have failed to bring relief.
Preventative medications:
Non-medicated treatments include using a chiropractor, biofeedback, acupuncture, aromatherapy, myotherapy, nutritional treatment to eliminate food sensitivity, and thus psychology therapy.
The treatment approach of Ayurveda is different from other medical systems. Ayurveda does not treat the disease but depends on the health conditions of individual patients.
Internal preparations, external treatments and Panchakarma treatments (cleansing operations) will be collected for the treatment of migraine. This is done after a diagnosis detailliierten according to Ayurvedic methods. These are the disease duration, previous illnesses, the mental constitution, the sleep rhythm, appetite, eating habits, activities, sensory organs, the heart rate, quality of faeces and urine, and the course of the cycle of women, etc. in detail. Thus information about the involvement of doshas and the severity of the disease win. The treatment depends on these factors.
Internal preparations
Various herbal preparations such as decoctions, powders, tablets and tonics will be administered if it is not a chronic illness is. These drugs act directly on the upper part of the body, especially on the head. Their effect is limited to certain properties (Rasa, Guna, Veerya, Vipaka and Prabhava), which they in the body from the time of consumption to the complete digestion unfold.
External Panchakarma treatments and cures
Topical treatments with internal preparations are very effective in the treatment of chronic disease. Applications where different types of paste on the forehead to be applied to help a fast pain relief. The preparations normalize the hyperactivity of the nerve cells and regulate the blood circulation to the brain. Special treatments such as Shirodhara, Thalam, Shirovasty, Talapodichil etc., are in Kerala have been developed in order to nourish the nervous system and thereby the Vata function to normal. Other systemic disorders are observed and treated.
For chronic migraine toxins are deposited in the head area and the sensory organs affected. Due to the consternation of the sense organs to cause hypersensitivity to light, sounds and smells, and mood swings. Panchakarma treatments that remove toxins and strengthen the nervous system. Nasya (administration of herbal preparations through the nostrils) is one of the treatments applied directly to the nerve influence and remove toxins that are in the paranasal sinuses have accumulated. In the mucous membranes of the sinuses are many nerve endings. The medizinierten oils, which are administered Nasya, act directly on the nerve endings and pacify Vata. The special preparations for Nasya treatments used to remove the secretions, which accumulate in the sinuses, and thus solve the pressure which has built there. Other treatments such as Panchakarma Vasti (enema) or Virechana (evacuation) also remove the toxins from the body.
After the cleaning treatments are immunregulierende certain drugs, known as Rasayana, administered. Rasayana preparations enhance the immune system and the perception of sensory organs.
Migraine triggered by other factors such as psychological problems, digestive problems, blood pressure, eye problems, immune problems, menstrual disorders, etc., will be soothed if they appropriately treated.
Tanacetum parthenium is a small plant at first glance that mimics the appearance of the chamomile. Its broad yellow center is surrounded by small white petals that give rise to this misconception easy. Colloquially known as Feverfew, the herb has been used for hundreds of years as a fever reducer known in folk medicine. As such it has earned a reputation for opening up the blood vessels of the body, allowing for an Unfettered flow of oxygenated blood and thus a removal of sickness and infection causing substances, and therefore is a staple in fever treatments.
The blood vessel Dilation functionality is now So put to good use by migraine sufferers. In the past, the substance of choice for this job which is caffeine. This presupposed that the migraine suffers had cut out caffeine out of the daily lifestyle and therefore was highly susceptible to the chemical effects caffeine would have on the brain and its constricting capillaries. Accompanying the use of caffeine were the usual side effects of an overdose, such as jitter, insomnia, trouble focusing, and also nausea. Feverfew accomplish the very same reaction of the capillaries, yet it does not force the side effects onto the migraine suffers.
The downside to using the herb sometimes known as the migraine herb rests in the failure to act as quickly as caffeine. While the latter substance with virtually influence the body immediately, Feverfew requires a daily use well ahead of the actual trigger event. This makes it a perfect preventive measure, but will fail to yield results during appreciable to actual migraine attack. On the Flipside, since some migraine headaches in women are triggered during menstruation, the use of Feverfew is known to not only prevent the actual migraine but also reduce the pain associated with menstrual Cramps.
There are some warnings associated with the use of Feverfew, and migraine sufferers who are taking blood thinner or are at risk for heart attacks may need to discuss this herbal use with their physicians prior to deciding on this course of treatment. As a matter of fact, doctors sometimes strongly caution those who take a daily aspirin table against the use of this substance since it may make for an Unhealthy combination in the blood stream.
In addition to the foregoing, there are some studies that suggest that a sudden change in the dosage of Feverfew may actually become a trigger event and cause a migraine headache. As such, the naturally occurring chemical compounds in this herb migraine need to be lessened in the body on a gradual basis rather than a radical withdrawal. Some migraine patients have actually compared the withdrawal like that of caffeine on the body and the headaches associated with the removal of the chemicals in the body as just that severe. Confer with your doctor prior to supplementing your diet with Feverfew, and also discuss your use of such supplementation if you want to stop taking them. The gradual withdrawal may actually be assisted with the use of caffeine, if needed.
Preventing migraine, especially migraine headaches, is a quest that has millions of participants. It is surprising that the full extent of the neurological disorder known as migraine is not fully understood, but the various facets that exist within the condition are so intricately intertwined that one of discovery opens up more questions that it offers up useable answers.
In spite of the confusion that exists in medical circles, there are recognized some aspects of the disorder which make natural migraine prevention not only possible, but actually preferable.
* Enhance your sleep, overall wellbeing, and protection against the formation of migraine headaches with melatonin. Sleep is vital for proper bodily function and even more so for the muscle relaxation that can only come from a well rested body. Melatonin is a natural substance that the body manufactures and which helps with sleep, but in some cases the body’s natural production of the substance may be insufficient. Studies have proven not only melatonin to be a sleep aid but also a migraine pain inhibitor.
* Nightly hot baths infused with aromatherapy oils. Stress is the number one trigger for headaches and relaxation is a key component for staying healthy and pain free. Migraine sufferers who combine the relaxing properties of a hot bath with the holistic treatment offered by aromatherapy know that this is a powerful one - two punch.
* Trigger avoidance of controllable events. Stress is a condition that should be avoided but can not always be controlled. As such, it can be mitigated and dealt with later on, but the migraine suffers only has limited power when it comes to dealing with stress. Other triggers, however, are entirely under the control of the person encountering them. Nicotine, chocolate, alcohol, and nuts are all known triggers which may affect migraine sufferers to certain extents. It is therefore advisable to avoid them completely.
* Hydration with regular water. Sure, there are those studies that claim even fruit juices and sodas would count as proper hydration, but anyone who has ever suffered from even moderate dehydration knows that what the body really crave is cool - not cold - and clear water. Oftentimes Headaches accompany dehydration, but for migraine sufferers the dehydration may actually bypass the normal headache stage and lead straight to a migraine headache.
There is obviously no guarantee that you will avoid the next migraine pain if you follow one or more of these suggestions. On the other hand, you are bette ring your odds of avoiding a migraine attack if you observe the warnings, avoid the triggers, and provide your body muscles and the relaxation they require to function normally. This form of natural migraine prevention does not cost much money, can be done by virtually anyone, and has little, if any, side effects. There are some studies suggest that melatonin is not a substance advisable for everyone, but a doctor will be able to tell you if you are able to use it or if you should forego this particular bit of holistic migraine prevention.