Natural remedies examined

Many people suffer from migraine headaches but just what are migraine headaches and why do we get them?

In excess of twenty-nine million Americans suffer from migraine headaches and that represents just about 10 percent of the population. Migraine headaches afflict women about 3 times more often than men and they are not restricted to adults with a considerable number of children experiencing them as well. A migraine attack lasts anything from a few hours to three or four days and with longer attacks victims generally experience secondary effects for longer periods. In spite of the fact that migraine headaches are so common close to 50% of all victims do not bother to see a doctor about the condition.

One frequent symptom of a a migraine headache is an acute and throbbing pain on one side of the head which is usually localized close to the temple. This pain is also often accompanied by various other symptoms like nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to noise and light.

The precise causes of migraine headaches are not known and, despite the fact that for a long time it was suspected they were the result of a dilation of the blood vessels, Current research now favors alternative explanations. In addition, though there is no sound consensus of opinion, many researchers consider that the condition is a genetic disorder that affects how certain brain chemicals like serotonin act upon the nerve cells.

The complexity in unraveling the mystery of migraine headaches is amplified by the simple fact that migraines come in two different forms.

The first type is called ‘classical migraine’ and is connected with something which professionals call an ‘aura’. This has nothing to do with spiritual fields surrounding the body but refers to the symptoms sufferers experience just before the arrival of a headache. For these migraine victims it is normal to have visual hallucinations like bright spots and flashing lights or even to experience loss of vision immediately before the arrival of a headache.

When these visual symptoms are absent victims suffer from the second class of headaches.

Attempting to pinpoint precisely what causes migraines is anything but easy although data collected over the years might point to the eventual answer. For example, individuals who do not get enough sleep can be at higher risk, as are individuals who have too much sleep which has been linked to a higher incidence. Migraine attacks are also generally linked to eating certain foods such as cheese and to missing meals.

Many researchers also think that some hormonal factors have a bearing on the start and severity of attacks and one piece of evidence to support this is the far higher incidence of migraine headaches among women than men. Indeed, one particular study reported an incidence of 17% in men against only 6% in men. Furthermore, studies have revealed a link between the contraceptive pill and migraines and it is known that Estrogen, which is a major ingredient in birth control pills, has an effect upon blood vessels.

However the list of trigger factors does not end here and simple everyday activities like walking up a flight of stairs or more intensive physical exertion can trigger an attack, as can stress, extremes of cold and heat and flashing lights and loud noises. It has also been noted that migraine headaches occur more often when there is a combination of these triggers present.

Luckily, there are a number of medical treatments available, though none has been shown to be tremendously effective in all cases, and completing a diary of when attacks occur will often help you to identify lifestyle changes which might help in curing migraines. Where lifestyle changes on their own do not do the trick then there are a number of medicines that your doctor can prescribe to help.

TheMigraineHeadacheCenter.com provides migrane headache information including details of migraine treatments

By Donald Saunders Published: 4/24/2008

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Almost everyone has an occasional headache, but when headaches affect work performance, it may be something more. Simply completing tasks might be difficult, let alone maintaining productivity. Yet frequent, bad headaches affect more working Americans than you may think.

A new survey of more than 1,400 working adults shows that of those who have bad headaches, more than one-third have at least one per month, and about half of these people report that their headaches made them work less effectively or decreased their productivity. Despite this significant impact on their work performance, fewer than one in five have sought medical attention for their headaches.

A natural cure is now available – click here to see more.

The survey provides a first-hand perspective of the workplace consequences of frequent, bad headaches, defined as a bad headache occurring at least once per month. Of the 508 survey respondents who said they get frequent, bad headaches:

• More than three-quarters said they developed a bad headache at work.

• One-third have had to leave work early or have rested in their office because of a bad headache.

• Over one-quarter have called in sick because of a bad headache.

Many respondents reported headache symptoms that are consistent with migraine headache:

• About half reported moderate to severe or throbbing head pain.

• More than 40 percent noted pain on one side of the head.

• One-third cited sensitivity to light and sound.

"What I found interesting about the survey findings is the extent to which frequent, bad headache sufferers described symptoms consistent with migraine, yet had not talked to a doctor about their headaches," said Dr. Merle Diamond, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago. "There are an estimated 14 million Americans who suffer from migraines and who have not yet been diagnosed. When frequent, bad headaches include symptoms like moderate to severe pain, pain on one side of the head and sensitivity to light and sound, they may be migraines."

For years researchers have acknowledged that migraine is often misunderstood, misdiagnosed and underdiagnosed. The Landmark Study, published in Headache, evaluated more than 1,200 patients who visited a physician about their headaches and found that 9 out of 10 patients had migraine or probable migraine and one in four did not get the proper diagnosis. This failure to diagnose migraines may be due in part to a lack of understanding of migraine, and the similarity in symptoms to other, better-recognized conditions.

"Headaches that occur more than two to three times per week or impact work or social activities should be evaluated by a physician," continued Dr. Diamond.

Inadequately or Untreated Migraines Are a Cost Burden for Employers

In the United States, employers face a considerable cost burden as a consequence of migraine. According to results presented at the 48th Annual Meeting of the American Headache Society this past June, migraines cost employers nearly $10 billion a year due to migraine-related absenteeism. Migraine-specific medications may be prescribed in an effort to manage migraine symptoms and, as a result, may allow employees to work more effectively than if their migraines are left untreated.

Important Safety Information About Imitrex for Migraine Headaches

Imitrex is approved for the acute treatment of migraines, with and without aura, in adults. Patients should not take Imitrex if they have certain types of heart disease, history of stroke or TIAs, peripheral vascular disease, Raynaud’s syndrome, or blood pressure that is uncontrolled. Patients with risk factors for heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or being a smoker, should be evaluated by a doctor before taking Imitrex. Very rarely, certain people, even some without heart disease, have had serious heart-related problems. Patients who are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications should talk to their doctor.

By: Stacey Moore

Please see full prescribing information available at www.imitrex. com. For more information about migraines, visit www.headachequiz.com. "I encourage anyone with frequent, bad headaches to visit www.head achequiz.com, take the short test, and share the results with a physician. If they are diagnosed with migraines, there are effective migraine-specific medicines, such as Imitrex (sumatriptan succinate) Tablets."

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Over the Counter Medications

Your first form of treatment procedure for migraine headaches should focus on over the counter medications. There are quite a few to choose from, so test each and see if any of them work. One more idea is to experiment with the foods that you are eating and see if a food allergy may be at the very least the culprit.

Botox Treatments

More than that there are different tested treatment alternatives found to be effective by migraine sufferers. One of these treatments requires administration of botox injections in the law muscles. If your migraines are connected to involuntary clenching of these muscles, this treatment may provide some relief.

Another Treatment Procedure

One treatment found to be effective by many people is medicinal marijuana. Believe it or not, some people swear by it and as medicines go this one can be the most gratifying to take. Think that you don’t have to smoke it, because it is non-poisonous but do not fail to have some food available for when the ‘munchies’ strike.

Powerful Narcotic Pain Treatments

For a more radical scheme, there are many migraine sufferers who are claiming to have found relief through powerful narcotic pain medicines. However; bear in mind that this should only be considered as a last course of action, since most of these types of drugs are highly addictive.

By: AntoniousFranheimmer

For a natural cure, look here

Written by Antonious Franheimmer. Now you can learn all about Migraine Headaches as well as Migraine Treatment Options

Technorati Tags: alternative migraine treatment, migraine headache relief, migraine headache treatment, migraine headaches

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Before you select a method of treatment for migraine headache relief, you need to be aware that not all treatments are the same. You do have the ability to decide your own course of treatment.

I have tried virtually every treatment available, and I can tell you there are some that have worked very well, while others actually made my problem even worse.

Migraine Headaches Relief – The Drawbacks Of Migraine Headache Treatment

1) The Only Solution For Relief For Migraines is Medication

If we become ill, we visit a doctor. The doctor prescribes medicine.

If this is the kind of mindset you have, then your solution for will be medication.

This solution will lead to 3 results:

1. Your current migraine will be immediately relieved
2. A disastrous cycle of headaches will rebound that will seem almost impossible to escape
3. You will end up frustrated with all medications for migraine headaches relief

2) Inability To Identify Triggers

Any good treatment for migraines relief SHOULD begin with identifying your personal migraine triggers. But, in my experience, not one doctor I have ever consulted put the first emphasis on identifying my personal triggers.

And, in all of my years of experience, I have found this to be the ONLY effective CURE. Instead, each and every doctor gave me a prescription for one medication or another – many prescribing 2 or more drugs at the same time.

Over the course of 10 years, this has been the automatic treatment for migraine headaches relief from EVERY doctor I visited.

The FIRST step in any treatment for migraine headaches relief must be identifying and eliminating ALL of your personal triggers. This will benefit you much more than any medication EVER will.

3) Afraid of All Medications

If the alternative is blindly taking every medication prescribed, it’s better to avoid all medications.

But…an effective treatment for migraines will include the occasional use of abortive migraine medication. Zomig, Axert, and Imitrex are a few examples. In addition, Aleve will be periodically advised to give the Triptan, or abortive medication, an effective boost.

But if you are already following a treatment that includes NO medication, this is much preferred than following a treatment with LOADS of migraine medication.

4) Not Questioning Your Treatment For Migraine Headaches Relief

We’re raised not to question doctors. It’s a rare doctor indeed that relishes in having his authority or judgment questioned.

This is especially so when you want to ask questions of your doctor after he prescribes your treatment.

But your doctor is not the one that has to deal with the consequences of the plan of treatment. And he is well compensated for the few short minutes you get to bask in his presence. If a question comes to your mind, you need to ask it.

If you want to know why a particular medication is giving you certain reactions, then ask.

If you want to why you are suffering even more migraines since the onset of your treatment for migraine headaches relief, that question needs to be asked as well.

If you are not satisfied with the answers and treatment you are getting from your current doctor, you shouldn’t hesitate to see another doctor.

Just like any other profession in this world, not all doctors have the same level of skill.

5) Not Trusting What Your Own Body Is Telling You About Your Treatment For Migraine Headaches Relief

When I was child, my parents instructed me to do as the doctor advised.

But after 10 years of taking medications for migraine headaches I realized a couple of things. The first was that the more medications I took for migraine headaches relief, the more frequent and severe my migraines became. The second thing I realized what that I had tried virtually medical treatment available.

I had not listened to what my body had been telling me all along.

See, if you can answer this one simple question: When was the last time you had a migraine headache and didn’t take a pill?

When was the last time you considered a natural treatment for migraine headaches relief?

You have the ability to decide which treatment for migraine headaches relief is right for you.

Conclusion

An effective treatment for migraine headaches relief requires a Triptan prescription that works best for you

But even these are not very often necessary if you follow a proper path for migraine relief. The last thing you want is to get caught in the rebound cycle.

There is not one person is this world that should naturally suffer more than a few migraines a month (even that is too much).

There is not one person in this world that should be taking pills every day as their treatment for migraine headaches relief.

There is a better way.

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