Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Introduction to Migraines

Migraine is a severe form headache. There are many types of treatments and medications for it. See some of them here.

Migraine is the neurological syndrome of headaches, bodily perceptions and nausea. It is a French word derived from two words. The Greek word called hemicrania means half skull, and the English word megrim means severe headache. The very common type of migraine is a headache. It usually lasts from 4 to 72 hours. The common symptoms of this include photophobia, vomit nausea and hyperacusis.

There have been many other symptoms of migraine that may be experienced by a patient. Some become extra sensitive to light, noise and foul odors. Others may have blurred visions. Upset stomach, loss of appetite and abdominal pain can also be experienced. It is possible for some to experience fever, fatigue and dizziness. There are many other symptoms usually just taken for granted.

The initial treatment can be analgesic for those who are suffering migraine headaches. People suffering nausea can have anti-emetic for starters. It is also best to avoid triggering conditions. Paracetamol or the one we call the non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug (NSAIDs) can also be an effective remedy. These are just over the counter medicines and cheap to buy.

Other migraine treatments include serotonin agents or what we call the triptans, anti-depressants, ergot alkaloids and steroids. There are also other agents you can use, that could only be administered with prescription from your doctor. Doctors would usually prescribe Amidrine for those with severe headache. Those vomiting could be given injections or anti-emetics.

There are also herbal treatments for migraine though with no actual scientific basis. There are only what they call open label study for evidences. One of the more popular herbal treatments is called the Cannabis. It is more of a prevention, taken when one is stressed or over working to prevent headaches.

There will be times when a treatment may seem ineffective. It could be that that person already developed immunity for that certain brand or pill. He should try shifting to another form of treatment, one which his body is not accustomed to yet.

For those who suffer high blood pressure due to migraine, they are given the Inderal or Covera medications. For antidepressants, there are Elavil and Pamelor as the leading medicines. There are also medications for anti-seizure; these are Neurontin, Depakote and Topamax.

The above mentioned medications are just some of the available medications that are given to migraine patience. There are many other medications that are given to the migraine patience. Some of them are discussed below.

Imitrex could alleviate severe migraine attacks. It is not prescribed to people who have uncontrolled hypertension, risk of coronary artery disease and hemiplegic migraine. It is not good to take if you have taken other triptans or ergotamine within 24 hours. Exercise caution before drinking the pill. Make sure you are well rested first. The doctor must see to it that the patient does not have kidney and liver diseases also. The heartbeat should be regular. The patient should have no heart disease nor with any records of a previous stroke attack.

Migraines are caused by many factors. For women, it is possible to have this just before having her menstruation. Some would experience it when working in front of the computer too much. The eyes are strained unnecessarily and cause the head to throb painfully. Whatever the reason may be, make sure that you do not become overly dependent on drugs. Consult your doctor first before self-medicating.

For more information on Migraine Treatments and Migraine Medicationsplease visit our website.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/medicine-articles/introduction-to-migraines-1331819.html

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Chiropractor in Bolingbrook, IL | Holistic Remedies for Headaches

There are a few things that everyone on this planet has in common; we all come into the world the same way, we will all die one day and we all get headaches.  One more thing, we also all hate headaches.  

Depending upon how bad your head hurts, it can be mildly irritating or it can shut down your entire day.  Since not many of us can have our entire day shut down due to a headache, you need a way to get rid of the pain fast.  There are some great holistic remedies to help rid you of your headaches, if you would rather not use over the counter drugs.

The best tip to rid yourself of a headache is to sleep.  If at all possible, take a break from your busy day and take a nap.  Often, this is all that is needed for the body to solve whatever the problem is that is causing the headache.  The best place to choose for the nap is somewhere quiet and dark, or at least as close as humanly possible.

If a quiet place for a nap is not a possibility, another alternative might be to find a quiet place (where ever you may be), take a deep breath, close your eyes and rest your head in the palms of your hands.  Relax.  Continue to take the deep breaths while keeping your eyes closed.

Sometimes, this is enough to put the aching head at bay.  While this isn’t a substitute for a good long nap, it can often stave off the headache until a nap can be taken.

The next time you suffer from a headache, you may want to try applying a warm compress to the area where the pain is the strongest.  Many times a headache is caused by a restriction of the blood flow; a warm compress can help the body open the blood vessels in a specific area, thereby increasing the blood flow.  As the blood flow is increased, the headache tends to decrease.

The blood flow restriction cure also works with the consumption of caffeine.  While caffeine may not necessarily be considered a holistic remedy, it can do wonders for anyone suffering from a headache.  For this reason, caffeine is the main ingredient of many over the counter drugs that are marketed as headache pain relief.  

If you have recently (or are currently) attempted to wean yourself from caffeine use, this may be the only relief available to you.  It is best not to quite caffeine "cold turkey", this should be done slowly or headaches are sure to appear.

If you haven’t had a chance to eat for the day, this could cause a drop in blood sugar, resulting in a headache.  Try to eat something nutritious and good for you.  This could be all that is needed to obtain complete pain relief.

If you have tried these and other remedies with no relief, or if your headache continues, it may be time to consult your doctor.

Do you suffer from chronic low back pain, headaches, spinal surgery, or want to lose weight? The Incorporation of Progressive Rehabilitation with latest in chiropractic care will help. Use of non-surgical spinal decompression, nutritional counseling, weight loss with the Triple Pledge Satisfaction.
For more info, go to
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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/chiropractor-in-bolingbrook-il-holistic-remedies-for-headaches-1359937.html

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Friday, October 23, 2009

Headaches and Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMD/TMJ)

Have you ever had a headache that was so bad you could feel your pulse in you temples? This may be a tension headache due to TMD/TMJ. TMD is basically any disorder or malfunctioning of the temporomandibular joint, which is the joint that connects the jaw to the skull. It is thought to give you headaches because of all the stress and overworking of the muscles in the jaw, neck, shoulders, and face.

Why does TMD/TMJ cause headaches?

When the jaw joints are misaligned all of the muscles around them are overworked and stressed. This straining reaches out to the other muscles and nerves in the region causing tension. This lessens blood flow to the affected region. The body tries to compensate by sending more blood to the area raising blood pressure to high and creating these tension headaches. These are sometimes referred to as vascular headaches. Also, constantly grinding your teeth can overwork your jaw muscles and joints, leading to a joint problem that can lead to many other symptoms, including headaches.

Often these headaches are misdiagnosed by a doctor, not a dentist, as migraines and they might prescribe pain medication along with physical therapy. This will only mask the problem, leading to temporary relief, but the long term problem which may be TMD, will remain. Too many people are choosing to live with the short term answer and not take care of the real problem which would benefit them greatly in the future.

A dentist, especially a neuromuscular dentist, would start by figuring out if your jaw is in its optimal position. If he/she figures out that you do have TMD you could be well on your way to long-term recovery and pain free living. Many people don’t figure that a dentist could fix their headache problem, but if you understand that all of these muscles and joints work together, then just the littlest problem with this system can throw the whole process off and lead to pain.

The jaw and face area is a very complex working of bones, joints, muscles, and nerves. A neuromuscular dentist knows this and is trained to deal with all of these problems to relieve your headaches and other TMD related pain. By realigning your bite and repositioning your jaw joints you could be on your way to headache free living.

If you live in the Reston, Fairfax, or Tysons Corner areas and you think that your headaches might be TMD/TMJ related, please visit the website of experienced neuromuscular dentist Dr. Michael Chung today.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/dental-care-articles/headaches-and-temporomandibular-joint-disorder-tmdtmj-1317455.html

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