Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Migraines - Balanced Brain Chemistry Provides Relief

Migraine suffers can find help with an old formula that keeps the brain clear of pain, fogginess, and memory lapses. Appears to reduce these symptoms and build clarity, concise thinking, and help recover maximum functionality. Reduces accumulations of stress by-products and thus diminishes the occurence of migraines. Also seems to help stimulate clear thought, memory recall, and top-performance in most mental gymnastics of work and school.

As a recovered victim of learning disabilities, stress disorder, and brain chemistry challenges, I was forced to find a simple remedy to the many symptoms of brain imbalance. Recovering from the grief of a fiancée's death at 19, I spiraled into all these symptoms with no apparent way out. ADD and ADHD were words that hadn't even been invented at that time. We began researching what caused these symptoms.

What we didn't know then was that stress overloads the brain with accumulated waste from burning up to 50% of the body's fuel. When we're thinking, the brain's neurons fire across the synapses to produce thought. Like other body cells, the brain cells are dependent on sufficient metabolic fuel and oxygen to work properly. However, when we put the brain on overload with worries and stress, the brain cells begin to lose efficiency due to accumulated waste products from accelerated fuel processing. The result can be brain fatigue, brain fog, lack of focus, lowering of concentration, abnormal behavior, with accompanying headaches and migraines.

Similar to muscles overworked, the neurons produce a by-product similar to the lactic acid that causes muscle soreness after strenuous workouts. In the case of the brain, this by-product begins to coat the cellular membrane with a substance that limits cellular efficiency. Waste product elimination slows and the membrane's coating multiplies. Cell membranes normally are only two molecules thick which allows permeability; waste coatings thicken and further limit this permeability. This thickening also limits the intake of food and oxygen so the cell must reduce metabolism. Cellular energy as well as your energy begin to wane.

We were driven to finding a cure for my chemical imbalance. What we found in 1971 was an article by Abram Hoffer, a Canadian psychologist, that indicated brain chemistry imbalance could be restored by the use of niacin, vitamin C and L-Glutamic Acid. His article explained that niacin helps the brain cells to fire with adequate strength to cross the synaptic gap between neurons. Vitamin C allows assists all our body's' cells to deal with stress.

The most amazing part of his discovery was that over-stressed brain activity produces cellular ammonia as a by-product from too much thought. Overwork causes the brain neuron's cellular membrane to become coated sufficiently with ammonia to limit their ingestion of oxygen and nutrition and their elimination of waste products. Cells become sluggish from lack of respiration (breathing in oxygen and fuel and then expelling waste) Don't you get tired when you're out of breath or constipated?

What Hoffer postulated was that abnormalities of brain chemistry could lead to learning disabilities, personality disorders, hyperactivity, and worse. Could it be that much of our psychological challenges as a society be simple imbalances of brain chemistry? Can an author clear "writer's block" or an artist get beyond their creativity lockup? Perhaps even more dire symptoms such as schizophrenia, bi-polar personalities and other psychological disorders are affected by nourishing the brain tissue.

A recent client had been plagued by migraines her entire life. She had no history of head trauma. She didn't smoke or drink alcohol to excess. However, she did have a heavy stress load from operating multiple retail businesses. She made endless lists of to-do's that kept her brain overly active eighteen hours a day. Periodically she'd reach a point of exhaustion and spiral into a migraine, back pain and serious indigestion. If left to run its course without intervention, the migraine and accompaning discomforts would require a couple to a few days to clear while she remained bedridden.

As she related her symptoms to me, I suggested we intervene with her migraine and try an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory remedy combined with L-Glutamic, niacin(imide) or Vit-B3(a), and Vit-C. A couple nights later another migraine crashed into her so she quickly took one ibuprophen, L-Glutamic, Vit-C and niacinimide. She was astounded how quickly her migraine slowed. The pain stopped its advance enough to allow her to sleep and the next morning she awoke clear of pain and other migraine symptoms.

L-Glutamic acid apparently converts the ammonia coating the cellular membranes and recycles it into a form of fuel the brain uses for energy. Once the ammonia contaminant is gone, normal brain activity is once again available and most abnormal symptoms disappear or are vastly lessened. What occurred is once the cell's membrane can breathe in the "good" fuel and oxygen and expel the "bad" waste products, the brain cells can operate normally. Cells operate best in this optimal environment of complete respiration. Breathing in energy and oxygen normalizes the chemistry and energizes the brain cells. The energized and chemically balanced brain cells provide the clearest thinking patterns.

The proof of this formula came clear to me when I used Dr. Hoffer's formula to supercharge my brain. I always got the "nerves" before testing. Often I over thought my studies and then froze when test time arrived. However, the first time I used this formula on an accounting exam, I went from a C-grade to an "A". It seems as though I had full recall of my studies so the answers were on the tip of my tongue. I was so convinced of this formula's benefits that I used it for all my high-stress activities and my overall performance was vastly improved; almost a full grade-point..

Yes, one should avoid endless churning of the mind. Brains, like muscles, have their exercise limits too but our stressful living patterns often overlook this obvious fact. Whenever you experience lessening of thought and creativity, give yourself a mental vacation for 5-10 minutes and get your mind off of your challenges. If its early morning or mid-afternoon, consider feeding your brain some nutritional fuel that will allow the brain-cell's chemistry to normalize and allow you full function. Dr. Hoffer suggests the dosage of 500 mg of niacin, 1000-2000 mg vitamin C

, and 500 mg of L-Glutamic Acid twice daily can return the brain to normal functions within a few hours to a few days depending on the severity of the original symptoms.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

about the author

Jake, Craig Jacobson, has spent the last seven years researching and refining his nutrition and laser scan therapy. He provides coaching to clients seeking to lower their disease symptoms. His success with more difficult health challenges has extended to providing his first laser subject with significant symptom recover from 25 years of multiple sclerosis. She has progressed from a wheelchair to standing exercises that should return her ability to walk.

Health News:

Hair Loss Women Remedies - Which Actually Work?
In this article I'm going to shed light on some hair loss women remedies. Its a very difficult process for women to find the right hair loss product. There are lot...

Are you experiencing headaches caused by stress?

Are you experiencing headaches? Are they being caused by stress? Do you know what causes your stress headaches and how to get rid of them? This article discusses the major sources of stress headaches and how you can counteract their affects.

Stress used to affect me in many ways. One was my neck would get tight. This would often lead to the second way stress often affected me which was having a headache. These two responses to stress would then lead to other maladies like severe grumpiness and insomnia.

So let me ask you, do you seem to get headaches frequently?  Not migraine headaches that incapacitate you, but common headaches that pound in your head and ruin your day. Companies that make pain relievers would tell us that all we need is another pill and our troubles will be all gone but all they do is mask the symptoms and your problem remains. So stop looking for another pill to pop and try to identify the source of these headaches, which, like mine, may be brought on by stress.

The following are three sources of stress that can lead to chronic headaches

1. Stress and Tension – Like I told you, this was the one that got me. Stress has a way of building up. After a while, just like a sink that has a clog, eventually, it overflows and you begin to feel tension in your muscles. This tension spreads until your neck aches, your shoulders are tired and your head begins to throb.

The physical explanation for this pain is actually decreased blood flow to you head, but that’s not the real cause. The real root cause is stress.  Any doctor will tell you that if you want to stop the tension headaches, you have to take time to relax.

Every day schedule some time for a break or two from work. They are just as important to getting your work done as the time you spend doing the work. Studies show that they will help you focus and give you the energy you need to complete your work. So take a walk or get up and stretch. Just do something different for 10 or 15 minutes. It’ll do you a world of good.

Try to leave work at work and don’t bring it home with you. Give yourself twenty minutes to unwind when you get home. If possible, lie down or recline in a comfortable chair. Put a cool gel pack over your eyes and think about anything except your to-do list and your problems of the day. You may prefer to use that time to meditate or pray. If you can’t take the time to relax when you get home, stop by a park or somewhere peaceful on the way home and take 10 to 20 minutes to decompress before arriving at home. Just give yourself time to transition so that you can enjoy your dinner and prepare for a good nights sleep. All of these things will help reduce your stress levels and tension headaches.

2. Insomnia – When I was hyper-stressed a few years ago I hardly slept at all. At first I thought it was a good thing because I was getting so much done but after a while it just wore me out. What I found was you simply have to have a good night's sleep. That means at least 8 hours, not 5 and a half hours and a 10 minute cat nap. You need enough restful sleep to allow your brain to refresh and your body to repair itself from what you put them through during the day. If you aren't getting enough sleep or good quality sleep, then you are a prime candidate for headaches. And please, don't try to self-medicate with over-the-counter sleep aids. See your doctor or a mental health professional to find out the reasons for your sleep problem and do something about it.

3. Undiagnosed Medical Condition – Sometimes a headache may be a warning sign that something is going on in your body that needs to be addressed. This is particularly true if you have not had headaches often in the past and suddenly you have them daily. If this happens then you need to get a medical checkup and find out why. Don't panic and think that a headache must mean a brain tumor, it’s probably not, but it could be. More likely it's a symptom of something less severe like a viral infection. Either way, you need to pay attention to the headaches and understand that your body is desperately trying to get your attention.

Some other contributors to headaches are smoking, consuming too much alcohol and regularly partaking in illegal drugs. Your body doesn’t like all those chemicals and being treated with such disregard. Fad diets and highly restrictive diets can also throw your body out of balance so much that you start to get headaches.

The long and short of this is listen to the message that your headache is trying to tell you and then do something to gain long term relief. You’ll live better and longer

, and headache free.

If you are experiencing stress and anxiety in your life I have a FREE stress reduction e-course. 

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

about the author

A few years ago, I got divorced, I quit my job, both my parents died and my daughter, who was 15 at the time, decided to move in with me. I couldn’t sleep, my head constantly hurt, my cholesterol was 230 and I was 33 pounds overweight.

After examining my lifestyle, I decided to return to exercise using Tai Chi and Chi Kung a minimum of twice a day. For those of you that aren’t familiar with these terms, they are two Chinese martial arts that help develop calmness and internal energy.

Since I have been studying hypnosis since I was in college in the late 70‘s, I made a decision to use this powerful method to help calm my mind, so I began recording and listening to my own self hypnosis sessions. Today I am in wonderful shape and I feel fantastic! You can get information about how I did it in my free stress reduction e-Course.

Health News:

Hair Loss Vitamins That Can Actually Help
Hair loss is a problem that afflicts people around the world. Fortunately though there are many hair loss products that are available these days, which are of immense...

Beating Migraine Pain

I'm going to help you get past your migraines to a place of relief.

I wanted to talk to you about beating migraine pain.
If you've never experienced a migraine than you really don't understand
what the pain is like. The best way to describe is that it is
crippling. When you have a regular headache, you can still do things,
but when you have a migraine you have to lie down or you're going to
collapse. It hurts really badly. People travel the country looking for
solutions from anyone that will offer it to them. Most of the things
are snake oil, but there are some specific and free things you can do
to ease the pain. I'm going to talk to you about beating migraine pain.

There
is one specific thing you should pick up about your migraine and that
it has symptoms that happen before hand. Just like you can feel it in
your bones that you're going to get sick soon

, you can feel when a
migraine will be coming. At this point you have to act immediately. Go
lie down before the migraine arrives. I've found when I've done this
that the migraine is much less intense and often much shorter. Anything
to limit the migraine is a good thing in my book.

Another tip for
beating migraine pain is simply pinching where your nose meets the
forehead. You have to do this before the migraine arrives. I find it
releases a lot of the pressure from your sinuses. Surprisingly simple
pressure like this can bring on a migraine and giving your nose a pinch
is really a simple thing to do to prevent it.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

about the author

Learn more about the Migraine Headache Cure

Health News:

Do Hair Loss Vitamins Work?
Sudden hair loss can be a major life changing issue for most people. Especially when the hair loss is unexpected or happens rapidly. Many people will go to drastic...

What Causes Migraine Headaches?

Migraine headaches can be debilitating issue that interferes severely with daily functioning and quality of life. Preventing and treating migraine headaches, however, can be done effectively with a wide range of both over the counter and prescription drugs.
The exact causes of migraine headaches are still something of a mystery in the medical community, but it is widely held that serotonin levels in the brain play a significant role in the formation of migraine headaches. Low serotonin levels can frequently lead to a migraine headache episode.
A migraine headache can oftentimes be accompanied by an "aura." An aura occurs with what are called classic migraine headaches. In a classic migraine attack, the sufferer may experience changes in vision, such as strange colors or spots that develop. Tenderness in the scalp is another sign of an oncoming migraine headache.
Mood swings are also common, such as depression or irritability. These subtle symptoms can manifest as early as a day before the episode. The following migraine headaches are typically fairly intense, but do not last very long.
Common migraine headaches are a more prolonged variation of the problem, and can last for long periods of time. This can be seriously debilitating, and can make daily functioning difficult. Fortunately, many medications exist to alleviate migraine pain. Sleep and plenty of fluids are crucial factors in migraine episode prevention.
During an attack, be sure to remain in a dark and quiet environment. Use a cold compress to reduce the tension, and massage the scalp with a fair amount of pressure. Emotional and physical stress are known to play a role in migraine development.
Some foods are also believed to be behind causes of migraine headaches. Physicians recommend, for example, that red wine should be avoided by sufferers of migraine headaches. Canned and processed meat are also known as frequent causes of migraine headaches. Causes of migraine headaches can also include excess amounts of caffeine, aged cheese, or cultured dairy products. If you suffer regular migraine headaches, see a physician for a full list of foods and beverages that should be avoided.

By: Chad Moussette

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Now that you've gathered some knowledge about what causes migraine headaches, go and take a closer look at causes, symptoms, treatment and different types of headaches at causeofheadaches.com.

Health News:

The Bad Breath Treatment
Having bad breath is not merely bothersome but it can also create a big deal of shame. The moment when you realize that you are suffering from this condition, the very...

How To Deal With Headaches - Cluster Headache Treatment

For a small portion of sufferers, cluster headaches can be a debilitating condition that strikes without warning. Cluster headaches can strike seemingly random intervals, for which they gain their name. Patients can go years without a single cluster headache, and suddenly suffer them for a period of weeks on end.
The exact cause of cluster headaches is not known, although it is thought that stress, alcohol, and drugs can all play a role in promoting an attack. Even without these factors, however, a series of cluster headaches can befall a patient at any time in their life. A cluster headache can be easily identified by the pain level.
A sufferer of a cluster headache will often have a runny nose or eyes. The pain tends to focus behind one eye, and is often described as feeling like an icepick. This extremely uncomfortable sensation can become very intense, often times triggering a pain crisis in the patient. The pain is often intense enough to trigger great emotional stress. Immediate treatment is very important. Sedatives and pain killers should be the first line of defense against cluster headaches.
Cluster headache treatment is a difficult process because of the seemingly random nature of their attacks. Instead of always remaining on medication, cluster headache treatment is typically limited to lifestyle choices. Avoiding drugs and alcohol is an important first step in avoiding a triggering of cluster headaches. Although prevention is difficult, cluster headache treatment measures such as powerful pain killers can be necessary to have on hand.
Frequent cluster headaches are a definite sign that a visit to the doctor is in order. Although cluster headaches can occur without any discernable cause, they may sometimes be a sign of a deeper neurological issue. If this is the case, it is important that treatment be sought as soon as possible. Some forms of stress management can also help to reduce cluster headache occurence.
Although the role of stress in cluster headache treatment cannot be known for certain, it is thought to play a role, and could potentially have an effect on the cluster variety of headaches. Significant emotional stress is known to cause a variety of physiological symptoms, and could play an important role in cluster headaches as well.

By: Chad Moussette

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Now that you've gained some knowledge about cluster headache treatment, go and read about at causes, symptoms, treatment and different kinds of headaches at causeofheadaches.com.

Health News:

Are Used and Reactivated Thermage Tips Safe?
Thermage’s skin tightening treatments have ushered in a new type of treatment for plastic surgeons and medical spas; radio fequency skin tightening.
But,...

Top 5 Headache Triggers - How To Prevent And Even Cure Headaches

Hmm... Headaches. A few people I know are famous for giving me some!

But for those of you who suffer from headaches often, today I will provide some pain relief for you, and you WONT have to spend money or ingest pills.

Speaking of spending money... Did you know that North Americans spend $4 billion/year on off-the-shelf pain relievers? And a quarter of that amount goes towards head-ache relief pills. Isn't that shocking? No wonder so many people have chemical imbalances and serious health problems. First thing you need do is STOP taking so many drugs. Prevention should be your top priority (which is what we'll discuss here).

If that doesn't work, seek natural remedies... not band-aid solutions. A naturopathic doctor is a great start. Drugs have their place, in a time of emergency, but regularly you can seek a more healthier solution to your problem.

Ok on with the Top 5 list.

1. Stress: This one should be obvious. Is there anything that stress DOESN'T cause? It's a repeat offender in many health related cases and headaches are NO exception! If you suffer from stress, then do something about it! Oh and believe me, the ONLY person who can cure stress from your life is YOU. Drugs do not cure stress, they merely change your chemistry and nothing else.

First, find your SOURCE of stress... Then create an action plan to nip that problem at the bud. Don't dilly-dally around! Stress causes your nerves to get all frayed... Which causes tension. This tension leads to headaches and can also trigger migraines.

Ha, well that's got to suck! You see there is a reason I don't get many headaches. Here are some of my favorite cures for stress-related headaches:

" Workout. That's right, get that behind up and moving! I notice that when I workout I am clam, relaxed and free. All that heavy breathing causes oxygen to rush to my brain and I feel at ease. It's a proven fact that working out is a great stress reliever.

" Meditate. Yup... I meditate. I can even float while doing so. You might not reach the same level of deep mental connection but still... Take 5 minutes and take deep breaths while thinking about NOTHING. Can you do that? (Hint: it's MUCH harder than it sounds. Try it... Try thinking about NOTHING. Empty your mind)

" Do something you like. Take some time off; Watch a movie, play a game, spend some time with those that like being around you (god forbid). I like to read books, grab a beer with the boys, do some gymnastics, play a video game or two, write... Etc.

2. Your Eating Habits: This one is simple to understand yet is probably the hardest one to fix since most people do NOT have healthy eating habits. Think about it for a second... If you eat junk, you will FEEL like junk. It doesn't take doctors, scientists or studies to prove this fact... although they have, just in case you weren't convinced for some odd reason.

Some foods or ingredients that cause headaches: processed meats, caffeine, red wine, chocolate, citrus fruits, processed cheese, snow peas and monosodium glutamate (MSG).

3. Eye Strain: Let's accept it, we live in the 21st century. Computers aren't for science geeks and loners anymore. They are an essential tool in our daily part of life and if you cannot use one... Then I don't know how you are reading this.

So what's my point? My point is don't stop using computers all together but TAKE BREAKS. Were not MEANT to look at a bright screen for hours. In fact, the easiest way to do this is have a timer, every 90 minutes it should go off where you get up and take a 15-20 minute break.

Eye strain is not only from computers though, if you have bad vision and don't have corrective lenses or glasses... This will cause major headaches. Personally I need contacts to see things in the distance, and if I go for too long without them my head starts to feel wonky because I'm trying just too damn hard to make out what's happening.

Make sure your vision is corrected properly.

4. Sleep: This one will surprise you. Getting too LITTLE sleep or too MUCH sleep can cause headaches. So basically... Don't be a moron and run on 3 hours of sleep and don't be a chump and stay in bed for 14 hours. Stick to your body clock and make sure you get 8-10 hours per night... And STICK TO IT. Even on holidays.

5. Sitting: Yeah... Who woulda guessed? Sitting for too long or being lazy can cause headaches! This is specially true when you are seated for too long in an awkward position (such as an uncomfortable chair). This can cause your muscles to tense up and give you tension headaches.

Fixing this is easy... Get up every now and then and stretch, move around, do a light workout, etc.

If you are at an office, go over to that cute girl at the front desk and strike up a conversation and teach her a small dance move. Go on...she won't mind.

The point is, do something to get that body moving.

So there you have it... I just saved the folks that buy pain-relievers like candy about $1 billion dollars annually. I'll gladly accept that as a donation within the next 48 hours. In return I'll fly you down for a personal coaching session. I think that's pretty fair.

Also, realize that those tips are ACTIVE steps you would need to take if you suffer from headaches, but what if you took PROPER preventative measures... so that you did not have to deal with those problems in the first place?

That is why you need to incur a lifestyle that is ALREADY active and naturally healthy and therefore your headache problems will disappear.

To get started on an active lifestyle, check out this Free Health & Fitness Book Report

Do you think I have to actively get up and stretch? NO... I stretch everyday.
Do you think I have to actively go and meditate when I feel a headache is coming on? NO... I meditate every morning.
Do I have to actively TRY and do the things I love to relieve stress? Nope.. I live a healthy and stress free life.
Do you think I have to actively think about eating healthy? Not at all... Its on auto-pilot!

DO YOU SEE MY POINT HERE?

Living a health lifestyle will mitigate your problem at the ROOT. I don't have headache problems because of my lifestyle.

So start doing the same and you can become just like me. Almost. - FJ

Buy Cafergot

By: Fit Jerk

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

From The Flawless Fitness Book

Health News:

Easy Home Treatments For Acne Scar Marks!
Acne is one of the most common skin problems most people face. The scars and the pores of acne are nothing but the aftermath effect of the damage cause by this skin...