It's a Headache, Isn't It?
Sometimes, a headache is just that - a headache. Other times, a headache can be a symptom of another condition. In addition, there are different kinds of headaches, and treatments for them vary. For these reasons, timely and accurate diagnosis is important if not critical. Review: The Headache Prevention Cookbook.
Food triggers can play a huge role in headaches and Migraines, but they can be very difficult to identify. The Headache Prevention Cookbook does an excellent job of explaining these trigggers and has a sound plan for identification. Review: The Headache Prevention Cookbook by Dr. David Ryan Marks, a headache and Migraine prevention program consisting of identifying food triggers and avoiding them with excellent recipes by Dr. Laura Marks or creating your own. Head Pain: NOT To Be Ignored.
Migraine and the degree to which it increases risk of stroke is a topic on which expert opinions vary. There is, however, agreement that migraine does increase the risk, and that status migrainousus increases the risk even further. If you're having the "worst Migraine of your life" or your Migraine pain has gone more than 72 hours with less that a solid four hours pain-free while awake, be safe and check it out. Topamax: Use With Caution
On September 26, 2001, Joseph Hulihan, M.D., Director of CNS Research at Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. issued a warning statement to health care professionals warning of some startling potential side effects of Topamax. A syndrome consisting of acute myopia associated with secondary angle closure glaucoma has been reported in patients receiving Topamax. Symptoms include acute onset of decreased visual acuity and/or ocular pain. Disability: When Migraines Stop You
Aplying for disability beneifts is neither a simple process nor a short one. People with migraines face the additional challenge that migraine is an invisible disability with no difinitive diagnostic tests. Don't give up though. More Migraineurs are being approved, some of them on the first attempt, which is unusual for any disability application. Over-the-Counter Drugs and Head Pain
Headaches and Migraines can be so intolerable that it's easy to think that only prescription medications will work to relieve the pain, but over-the-counter (OTC) medications are often very helpful, and may be all you need for many episodes. Especially when taken early, these medications can be quite effective. Information and buying tips about OTC medications. Is It Migraine? Tension? What?
Over 90% of us will experience headache of some kind at some time in our lives. It is estimated that, in the United States, there are 100 million people who are afflicted with a chronic head pain disorder. There are over 32 million Migraineurs alone. There are different kinds of head pain, requiring differing treatments. Proper diagnosis is essential to our overall health and to obtain the best possible treatment for our head pain, whatever type it is. OxyContin®: What's the REAL Issue?
Through all the controversy surrounding OxyContin® abuse, a group of people have been watching with apprehension and fear, afraid their needs and rights are going to be lost in the frenzy. They're chronic pain patients, some of them suffering from migraine or other headache disorders,people whose lives are made bearable only by this time-release pain reliever . . . people who might literally commit suicide if the relief of OxyContin® were not available to them. Midrin or Imitrex for Aborting Migraine?
Midrin or Imitrex? A recent study compared Midrin and Imitrex taken at first sign of attack and concluded that Midrin may have a slight advantage in early treatment of mild-to-moderate migraine. Poison your migraine? Botox injections for use in migraine prevention.
When many people hear the words Botulinum Toxin, the first thing they think of is botulism, an often fatal form of food poisoning. Botulism is caused by some strains of Clostridium botulinum, bacteria that is generally found in badly canned foods. In recent years, however, scientists have discovered that a certain strain of Clostridium botulinum can safely be used as a drug to prevent migraine attacks. Arghhhhh! Rebound Headaches!
Your head hurts. What are you likely to do? Take medications? That's one of the logical things to do. Right? Right. There is something to consider before you take that medication though -- the dreaded rebound headache. Rebound headaches are one of those adding insult to injury things. They're caused by taking certain medications too often. Sometimes just taking a drug for two or three consecutive days can cause rebound. Adolescent Head Pain? Is it Monday? Why Kids Suffer More on Mondays
Data collected from 35 headache clinics was used to analyze the headache patterns of 1,932 adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. Dr. Paul Winner, the lead researcher said that surprisingly little was known about teen migraines despite the frequency of these severe, debilitating headaches and Migraines. The most common day for adolescents to suffer a headache or Migraine was found to be Monday. Encouraging Migraine News Part II: What's Developed from the New Research.
Encouraging Migraine News Part II: What's Developed from the New Research. The U.S. Headache Consortium has been formulated guidelines for both patients and the physicians who treat them for Migraines. According to Dr. Silberstein, the guidelines are, "designed to help patients be their own advocates in seeking care." The guidelines for physicians, "include assigning a grade to tell all of the medications available and are designed to help physicians best treat their patients with Migraine. Encouraging Migraine News Part I: New Research and Its Implications
Encouraging Migraine News Part I: The New Research and Its Implications. Advanced imaging technology has led to the discovery that migraine sufferers have unusually excitable brain nerve cells (neurons). When a migraine is triggered, those neurons suddenly fire electrical pulses that ripple from the back of the brain, across the top, then back down to the brainstem where vital pain centers are located. The pain of migraine is caused by the inflamed blood vessels, brainstem stimulation, or both. Orgasm, Headache and Migraine: Does the "Big O" affect headaches and Migraine?
Orgasm & Headache/Migraine: Does the "Big O" cause or cure headaches and migraine? We've all heard the old joke, "Not tonight, dear. I have a headache." Right? Surprisingly enough, for some people, there definitely is a correlation between sexual activity and headache or migraine. For some, orgasm can bring on head pain; for others, orgasm can relieve it. "Sinus Headache" May Be Migraine
"Sinus Headache" May Be Migraine: At the Annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (May 9, 2001), the findings of a study conducted by The Headache Care Center in Springfield, Missouri were presented.* A startling 97% of the participants, self-described sinus headache sufferers, actually had symptoms consistent with migraine attacks as defined by the criteria of the International Headache Society. OxyContin: The Saga Continues!
OxyContin: The Saga Continues! Who's being hurt, and what's being done? Much has happened since I reported in February. Abuse has become wider spread; the DEA has gotten into the act; and Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin, has gone to great lengths to address the problems. Information available now is more accurate, less hype. Early death figures attributed to abuse of OxyContin have now been shown to include deaths in which alcohol and other drugs were as big a factor as OxyContin. Amerge To Prevent Menstrual Migraine
Amerge To Prevent Menstrual Migraine: If your cycle is predictable, this may be an answer! An article in the March, 2001 issue of Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain is an encouraging report of the study, "Naratriptan (Amerge) as Short-Term Prophylaxis of Menstrually Associated Migraine: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study." Triptans: Overview and Profiles
Triptans: Overview and Profiles. December 28, 1992, marked a new era for Migraine and Cluster sufferers. The FDA approved the first of a class of medications that many Migraineurs would come to call "miracle drugs." That drug was the injectable form of sumatriptan (Imitrex, Imigran), the first of the triptans. There are now seven triptans available, increasing the options for us to find at least one that will abort our Migraines and cluster headaches. Let's Study Kids' Head Pain: Symptoms, Diagnosis, Triggers, Treatment
Let's Study Children's Head Pain: Diagnosing Children's Head Pain. Headaches may be symptoms of other physical conditions. For that reason, it is VITAL that they be properly diagnosed promptly and correctly so that they can be treated appropriately. Children's symptoms may be different than adults'. It can be especially difficult to diagnose children because they are often unable to communicate their symptoms and needs as well as adults.
Chronic Daily Headache and Snoring
Chronic Daily Headache and Snoring: A recent study showed Chronic Daily Headache subjects were more likely to be habitual(daily)snorers. It's a vicious cycle. Headache can be caused by sleep disorders and sleep disorders can cause headache. 5-HTP: Check Before You Swallow
5-HTP is a potentially valuable dietary supplement that promotes the body's production of serotonin. For some people, it can be helpful for headache and Migraine prevention. However, it shouldn't be taken with triptans, SSRI's, or some other prescription medications. It's important to treat such supplements as you would any other drug. Ask the Clinician: Answers to Readers' Questions
Ask the Clinician with Dr. John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert for About Headaches and Migraine: Question and Answer #1 for 11/24/03. Answers to reader questions about headaches and Migraine disease Are Frivolous Lawsuits Driving Up Healthcare Costs?
Are Frivolous Lawsuits Driving Up Healthcare Costs? A new A new nonprofit organization, "Lawsuit Abuse Makes Us Sick," says they are and invites all to their Million Email March on Washington, D.C. A senior counselor for the group, Dr. Elizabeth Connell wants Americans to know how frivolous lawsuits threaten our healthcare system by driving up costs, jeopardizing medical innovation, limiting access to healthcare and making doctors afraid to practice medicine. Exploding Eye: Cluster Headaches
They've caused their victims to pace the floor in agony, unable to lie down; literally bang their heads against a wall; even, on rare occasions, to commit suicide to escape the pain. They're cluster headaches -- shorter than Migraine, but often even more painful and debilitating. It's truth, not myth, that some sufferers have committed suicide to escape the pain. | 