Archive for the ‘sleep’ Category
Monday, October 6th, 2008
Genetics: Younger kids are predisposed if their parents have a migraine condition. If one parent has migraines, there is a 40 percent risk that the child will get them, according to the Diamond Headache Clinic. If both parents experience migraines, the probability of the child getting them rises to 70 percent.
Stress: “Nowadays, society is just way too busy and over-stimulated and stressed. People with sensitive nervous systems are easily affected by anything that causes adrenaline to speed up,” Diamond said. “All the medicine in the world isn’t going to help if you’re still going 100 mph because the body needs a cool-down time so it can detoxify.”
Her clinic sees an influx of adolescent patients at the beginning and end of the academic year, when anxiety over homework and extracurriculars is the greatest. This held true for Jennie Kamrath. Her migraines were not nearly as pronounced on the weekends and during extended breaks from school.
Diet: Certain foods or beverages with caffeine, chocolate, yellow cheeses, nitrates, artificial sweeteners and additives can aggravate the condition. And for many children and adolescents, these processed, sugary items are consumed in large quantities, which has unsettling biochemical consequences, Diamond said.
Also, the timing of meals can play a role. “For some of my kids I take care of, this is a big issue,” Diamond said. “They’re getting up at 6:30, 7, eating, and then eating again at 10:30 if they have an early lunch period. They may not have food again until after 4, and that’s a long time to go without caloric intake.”
Sleep: An irregular pattern or an inadequate number of hours can do a lot of harm for those who experience migraines, Sperry said. Again, anything interrupting the physiological norm will have health ramifications.
Light: Bright or fluorescent lighting is the kiss of death, Jennie Kamrath said.
Odors: Overpowering scents such as cleaning products, perfumes, smoke and chlorine can activate migraines, too, Sperry said.
Hormones: Before puberty, boys and girls experience chronic headaches equally, according to the Diamond Headache Clinic. But after teen girls begin menstruating, they are three times more likely to suffer from them than their male classmates because of the hormonal shifts.
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Tuesday, September 30th, 2008
Understanding your headache triggers can help you avoid foods and situations that cause your migraines. Keep a headache diary to help identify the source or trigger of your symptoms. Then modify your environment or habits to avoid future headaches.
Other tips for preventing migraines include:
* Avoid smoking
* Avoid alcohol
* Avoid artificial sweeteners and other known food-related triggers
* Get regular exercise
* Get plenty of sleep each night
* Learn to relax and reduce stress — some patients have found that biofeedback and self-hypnosis helps reduce the number of migraine attacks
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Monday, September 22nd, 2008
A lot of people get migraines — about 11 out of 100. The headaches tend to first appear between the ages of 10 and 46. Occasionally, migraines may occur later in life in a person with no history of such headaches. Migraines occur more often in women than men, and may run in families. Women may have fewer migraines when they are pregnant. Most women with such headaches have fewer attacks during the last two trimesters of pregnancy.
A migraine is caused by abnormal brain activity, which is triggered by stress, certain foods, environmental factors, or something else. However, the exact chain of events remains unclear.
Scientists used to believe that migraines were due to changes in blood vessels within the brain. Today, most medical experts believe the attack actually begins in the brain itself, where it involves various nerve pathways and chemicals. The changes affect blood flow in the brain and surrounding tissues.
Migraine attacks may be triggered by:
* Alcohol
* Allergic reactions
* Bright lights
* Certain odors or perfumes
* Changes in hormone levels (which can occur during a woman’s menstrual cycle or with the use of birth control pills)
* Changes in sleep patterns
* Exercise
* Loud noises
* Missed meals
* Physical or emotional stress
* Smoking or exposure to smoke
Certain foods and preservatives in foods may trigger migraines in some people. Food-related triggers may include:
* Any processed, fermented, pickled, or marinated foods
* Baked goods
* Chocolate
* Dairy products
* Foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG)
* Foods containing tyramine, which includes red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and certain beans
* Fruits (avocado, banana, citrus fruit)
* Meats containing nitrates (bacon, hot dogs, salami, cured meats)
* Nuts
* Onions
* Peanut butter
This list may not be all-inclusive.
True migraine headaches are not a result of a brain tumor or other serious medical problem. However, only an experienced health care provider can determine whether your symptoms are due to a migraine or another condition.
Symptoms
Vision disturbances, or aura, are considered a “warning sign” that a migraine is coming. The aura occurs in both eyes and may involve any of all of the following:
* A temporary blind spot
* Blurred vision
* Eye pain
* Seeing stars or zigzag lines
* Tunnel vision
Not every person with migraines has an aura. Those who do usually develop one about 10-15 minutes before the headache. However, it may occur just a few minutes to 24 hours beforehand.
Migraine headaches can be dull or severe. The pain may be felt behind the eye or in the back of the head and neck. For many patients, the headaches start on the same side each time. The headaches usually:
* Feel throbbing, pounding, or pulsating
* Are worse on one side of the head
* Start as a dull ache and gets worse within minutes to hours
* Last 6 to 48 hours
Other symptoms that may occur with the headache include:
* Chills
* Increased urination
* Fatigue
* Loss of appetite
* Nausea and vomiting
* Numbness, tingling, or weakness
* Problems concentrating, trouble finding words
* Sensitivity to light or sound
* Sweating
Symptoms that may linger even after the migraine has gone away include:
* Feeling mentally dull, like your thinking is not clear or sharp
* Increased need for sleep
* Neck pain
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Wednesday, September 17th, 2008
Here’s an idea you may be happy to get your head around: Doctors have more ways than ever to relieve headaches. That’s just as well, considering that the National Institutes of Health estimates that 45 million Americans suffer chronic headaches.
Headaches result when muscles and blood vessels outside your skull put pressure on your nerves, sending a “pain message” to your brain.
Try these tips
Get A Good Night’s Sleep: Your nervous system requires sleep to function properly. A regular schedule of seven to nine hours of sleep a night will keep your body’s sleep-wake cycle in order. Changes to your sleep schedule can cause cluster headaches, which occur without warning and are characterized by a sudden, sharp pain that can reach maximum intensity within minutes of onset.
Reduce Tension: Muscles in the neck, shoulder and scalp tighten and contract as a response to stress. This anxiety-induced reaction can lead to tension headaches. I use breathing exercises to reduce stress. To rid your body of tension, try this: Take slow, deep breaths to clear your mind.
See Your Doctor: Go to the emergency room for headaches that start after a head or neck injury or cause difficulties with speech. If headaches occur at least three times a month, or you experience an abrupt, severe headache, see your doctor.
Save Money
If the cost of treating your headaches is adding to your tension, consider this: There’s a health care discount program that offers savings on prescriptions, vision care, dental care, complementary and alternative health care treatments, vitamins and supplements by mail and more than 1,500 fitness clubs nationwide. Called HealthSaver, the program is not an insurance product or service and it’s offered by Affinion Group, a leader in membership, insurance and loyalty marketing businesses.
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Friday, September 5th, 2008
To identify and avoid headache triggers:
* Manage your stress as best you can. Many people report getting a tension headache during a stressful event. You may not be able to control stressful events, but you may be able to control your response to those events. Relaxation exercises, biofeedback, or acupuncture may help reduce your stress level.
* Seek treatment for depression or anxiety. Taking antidepressants may reduce the number of tension headaches you experience as well as relieve your symptoms of depression and anxiety.
* Keep a headache diary. This may help identify tension headache triggers such as stress, depression, anxiety, eyestrain, poor posture, physical activities, and the general state of your health. If you suffer only occasional headaches, you may want to report on certain things, such as what was going on in your life at the time or what physical activity you were doing when a headache occurred. If you suffer from multiple headaches, you may want to keep a daily headache diary. It may take only a few months before you can identify your tension headache triggers.
* Get regular exercise, but try to avoid extremely vigorous exercise, which can trigger a tension headache. If you experience a tension headache while exercising or shortly after exercising, write down the activity you were doing, what you ate that day, and how much stress or anxiety you were experiencing in your life.
* Keep a regular sleep schedule. Fatigue, too much sleep, an irregular sleep schedule, or waking up frequently during the night may trigger tension headaches. This may be a trigger that you are able to control.
* Eat regularly and well. Eating nutritious foods regularly may help prevent tension headaches in some people. Going for long periods without eating, or eating certain foods, can trigger a headache.
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Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008
By identifying and avoiding tension headache triggers, you can help reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches. While some triggers may be out of your control, others are easily avoidable. The following points can help you prevent a tension headache:
* Keep a headache diary to identify your tension headache triggers.
* Manage stress.
* Seek treatment for any underlying depression or anxiety.
* Sleep, exercise, and eat on a regular schedule.
* Practice good posture to reduce neck strain.
* Reduce eyestrain from computers at work and at home.
* Stop clenching your jaw to reduce muscle tension in your face.
What are common tension headache triggers?
Tension headaches can result from muscles tightening in the back of the neck or head because of stress, anxiety, fatigue, hunger, anger, poor posture, or overexertion.
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Tuesday, August 26th, 2008
A friend of mine suffers from frequent migraines due to a severe softball accident many years ago. Its awful to see her go through such pain; popping pills in an attempt to alleviate the pain. So I decided to do some research that my help her and other migraine sufferers to get through the pain in their head.
Consider the possibilities:
Seemingly unrelated problems sometimes bring headaches on. Dental disorders like cavities or abscesses, eyestrain or infections are common culprits. When your head hurts, consider whether the ache could have started somewhere else.
De-Stress your life:
95% of headaches are brought on by tension, research shows. In most cases, its not a tense situation, but how you respond to it. Attempt to manage your stress to keep those pesky headaches at bay.
Go with the flow:
One technique found to be particularly useful in dealing with headaches is visualization exercises in which you “go with the flow” of pain. Most people by fighting it. This may make the pain worse. If you flow with the pain, instead of fighting it, you give it the opportunity to flow right out of your body. Try this easy method: In a quiet room, lie on a carpeted floor or a bed. Close your eyes. Imagine yourself standing at the top of a stairway looking down into a beautiful, peaceful place. Slowly count backward from 10 to one. On each count, take a deep breath and imagine yourself descending one step. Go ahead and notice the pain, but continue walking down the steps.
As you take the last step down, notice that you have entered a beautiful garden filled with fragrant flowers, beautiful trees and a sparkling stream. Continue to breathe deeply, walk slowly toward the stream. Stand or sit by its side while you watch and listen to the gently rippling waters. Now imagine your headache pain connecting to and flowing into those waters. This may hurt, but just try to casually notice the hurt.
As the pain begins to flow, notice how the river gently washes it away.
Don’t drink too much:
Alcohol constricts the blood vessels in your brain. More than a drink or two can constrict them to the point of pain. And excessive drinking, of course, often leads to the mother of all headaches, the hangover.
Don’t smoke:
Smoking constricts your blood vessels and fills your lungs with carbon monoxide instead of oxygen. If that doesn’t give you a headache, some of the numerous other poisonous ingredients may do the job. Smoking injures your air channels, which can make you prone to sinus headaches.
Brush it away:
A simple scalp brushing can help treat and even prevent headaches. Use a brush with firm bristles. Start at the front of your head. Instead of long brush strokes, move the brush in little circles in one spot, then move it down to the next spot and repeat until you’ve brushed your entire scalp.
Sleep just enough:
No two people are exactly the same. For some, too much sleep can sometimes cause headaches. In fact, midday naps are notorious for bringing migraines. On the other hand, for some people sleep is the best antidote for a headache.
Stand up straight:
Poor posture, especially in your shoulders and neck, can scrunch up muscles and give you a headache. Practice good posture. Throughout the day, pay attention to how you’re sitting or standing and correct yourself if necessary.
Stretch your face:
A little muscle action can counteract tension in your head. Act like a kid: make weird faces to stretch your mouth, cheeks and forehead.
Take herb and homeopathic medications:
A nice, warm cup of rosemary tea can relieve a headache. For something more medicinal yet altogether natural, a homeopathic pharmacist or physician can prepare you a special concoction. Natrum muriaticum is said to relieve throbbing. China officinalis is used to treat light-or odor-induced headaches.
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Monday, August 18th, 2008
Your head hurts. Again. You rub your eyes, twist your neck around and listen to the cracking and snapping noises in your neck. Why do you have another headache?
Headaches can happen for many reasons. You may have eyestrain from spending too much time on your laptop, you could have an inflammation of your sinus cavities or it could be a life-threatening condition like a tumor, brain cancer, or encephalitis. You can also get a headache if you’re dehydrated or hungry.
More than likely it’s simply a tension headache.
Tension headaches are caused by tightening in the muscles in shoulders, neck, scalp and jaw. I’ll bet you didn’t realize that you had muscles in your scalp, much less that they could contract. These are tension headaches. The contractions of these muscles are often due to stress, depression or anxiety. If you’re working too much, not getting enough rest, not eating properly or using alcohol or drugs you’re probably more prone to getting tension headaches. Migraines and cluster headaches appear to be related to swelling of blood vessels. The pain comes from the blood vessel walls, membrane coverings of the brain and the muscles in the scalp and neck. Your brain itself actually cannot feel pain. Inflammation of your sinuses is also a common cause of headaches.
In your quest to determine the cause of your headaches, it’s a good idea to keep a headache journal. Get a little notebook and write down every time every time you get a headache. What did you eat before it happened? What activities were you engaged in? Did your vision change? Did you become sensitive to light? You’ll be able to see patterns of what may bring on your pain, like stress, food triggers, medications, and menstrual cycles. Foods that have been found to trigger certain headaches are chocolate, cheese and MSG (monosodium glutamate). Your mileage may vary in what triggers your headaches.
Your tension headache can be caused by engaging in an activity that requires you to keep your head in the same position for an extended period of time—like using a computer or a microscope or any other repetitive action. It could also be caused by sleeping in an odd position, clenching your jaw, grinding your teeth while asleep or sleeping in a cold room.
Once you know what causes your headaches, you’re more likely to be able to avoid them in the future.
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Saturday, June 28th, 2008
Taking good care of yourself can help prevent most types of headaches.
* Avoid headache triggers. If you’re not sure what triggers your headaches, keep a headache diary. Include details about every headache. When did it start? What were you doing at the time? What did you eat that day? How did you sleep the night before? What’s your stress level? How long did it last? What, if anything, provided relief? Eventually, you may begin to see a pattern — and take steps to prevent future headaches.
* Get enough sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day — even on weekends. If you’re not tired at bedtime, don’t fight it. Read or watch television until you become drowsy and fall asleep naturally.
* Don’t skip meals. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Eat lunch and dinner at about the same time every day.
* Exercise regularly. Physical activity causes your body to release chemicals that block pain signals to your brain. With your doctor’s OK, choose activities you enjoy — such as walking, swimming or cycling. To avoid injury, start slowly.
* Reduce stress. Get organized. Simplify your schedule. Plan ahead. When the going gets tough, stay positive.
* Relax. Try yoga, meditation or relaxation exercises. Set aside time to slow down. Listen to music, read a book or take a hot bath.
* Quit smoking. If you smoke, talk to your doctor about quitting. Smoking can trigger headaches or make them worse.
Complementary and alternative medicine
For many people, complementary or alternative therapies offer welcome relief from headache pain. It’s important to be cautious, however. Not all complementary or alternative therapies have been studied as headache treatments, and others need further research.
* Acupuncture. This ancient technique uses hair-thin needles to promote the release of natural painkillers and other chemicals in the central nervous system. There is some evidence that it can help control headaches and other conditions that cause chronic pain.
* Hypnosis. During a hypnosis session, a trained hypnotist might suggest ways to decrease your perception of pain and increase your ability to cope with it — such as visualizing a calm, safe place when a headache strikes.
* Meditation. During meditation, you focus on a simple activity, such as breathing or repeating a single word or phrase. The practice creates a deeply restful state in which your breathing slows and your muscles relax — which can help you manage pain and reduce the stress that can trigger or worsen a headache.
* Massage. Massage can reduce stress, relieve tension and promote relaxation. Although its value as a headache treatment hasn’t been fully determined, massage may be particularly helpful if you have tight, tender muscles in the back of your head, neck and shoulders.
* Herbs, vitamins and minerals. Some dietary supplements — including magnesium, feverfew and butterbur — seem to help prevent or treat some types of headaches, but there’s little scientific support for these claims. And ongoing challenges in regards to quality of supplements in the United States makes decisions about using herbs even more complicated. If you’re considering using supplements to treat headaches, check with your doctor. Some supplements may interfere with the effectiveness of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or have other harmful effects.
* Chiropractic care. Spinal manipulation can effectively treat some types of pain, but studies don’t support claims that chiropractic care relieves headaches. Chiropractic manipulation of the neck has been associated with injury to the blood vessels supplying the brain. Rarely, this may cause a stroke.
If you’d like to try a complementary or alternative therapy, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Rebound headaches are also called medication overuse headaches.
These types of headaches tend to:
* Occur every day, often waking you in the early morning
* Hurt worst at the beginning of the headache, as your medication wears off
* Persist throughout the day
Other signs and symptoms may include:
* Nausea
* Anxiety
* Restlessness, irritability and difficulty concentrating
* Memory problems
* Depression
* Trouble sleeping
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