Conventional medication treatments for migraine are often expensive, have nasty side effects and frequently are ineffective. This may mean you will have to seek alternative remedies for your migraine - very often these are more effective in allowing you to resume your normal daily activity.
The causes of migraine headache are unknown. Nobody knows precisely what is the trigger. But prevention very often is useful as it will reduce the severity of the attacks and also their frequency. The symptoms will vary and very often are connected in some way to the patient\'s diet, stress levels and his or her immune responses
The conventional treatment for migraine is painkillers , the best known ones which are Sumatripan or Imitrex. Drug treatment for migraine is classified as abortive (aimed at relieving acute attacks) and prophylactic (aimed at preventing episodic migraine from becoming recurrent and preventing recurrences in patients with chronic migraine). Treatment for migraine differs greatly, it has been found, depending on whether the prescribing physician is a general practitioner or a neurologist.
When an attack comes on, it is useful to find a quiet dark room and apply ice to your forehead. No trials have been done as yet on these measures as they are non pharmological and nobody is interested as they are not likely to make money from this ! Migraine sufferers are always trying to find ways to prevent migraine attacks.
Diet will come under a lot of scutiny and every migraineur (migraine sufferer) will have identified certain foods which seem to bring on an attack. Explaining to your boss that you are a migraineur will also help as you will need more breaks. Time lost here will be nothing to the time you have to take off if you actually get an attack. Look at your posture and your seating arrangements at the computer as tightening neck muscles and slouching can bring on an attack.
Feverfew has been used for a long tme in Europe as a cure for arthritis, headache, migraine and also as a general painkiller. Manual therapies such as acupuncture, hypnosis and shiatsu are also used with success in treating migraine. Another natural remedy is the herbal solution one where the nutrients are used to treat this condition.
The mineral magnesium which is found in fish, soya, nuts , seeds and whole grains has been found to be on of the most promising nutrients for treating migraine. Reserachers have also found that if you mix fish oil with magnesium taurate, then this is one of the most effective alternative remedies available. This mineral seems to be able to reduce the number of spasms in the blood vessels which cause the pain. Vitamin B2 is also showing promising results.
Migraineurs are unhappy taking conventional medications for a long period because of the side effects. Some seek a complete change and a herbal remedy could well be the solution.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Migraine Headache Medication- Time To Consider Herbal Remedies
Monday, November 19, 2007
Not Now, I Have A Headache
Home Remedies - Facts or Quacks?
That's what I recently asked myself. Myths and legends often have their basis in a grain of truth. Are home remedies based on truth too? A little research provided this unusual perspective on one of our most frequently-used medicines.
Are We Barking Up The Wrong Tree?
Not if it's a willow tree! Chewing on willow bark to reduce fever and inflammation dates back to the time of Hippocrates (400 BC). Willow bark was used as a medicine in China and Europe for centuries because of its ability to relieve pain and lower fever. Early American settlers even found Native Americans gathering bark from willow trees to treat the same conditions.
What's So Special About Willow Bark?
Willow trees, including the white, black, purple and violet species, contain a chemical called salicin. Chewing or pulping this bark releases the salicin. Once the bark is ingested, the body converts the salicin from the willow bark into salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is still used today to treat fevers, decrease inflammation, and even help heart disease.
There's no need to gnaw on a tree like a beaver every time you have a headache. Nor is it necessary for drug companies to plant, grow, and harvest groves of willow trees and remove the bark. Today salicylic acid is produced synthetically in chemical factories as little white pills of acetylsalicylic acid. Perhaps you know it by its more common name...
Introducing The Miracle Drug - Aspirin!
That's right - centuries of chewing on willow bark led to the creation of one of our most widely-used medicines: aspirin. Once the amazing curative abilities of the active ingredient in willow bark were recognized, ways were found to mass-produce it as a cheap yet effective product.
Originally hailed as a wonder drug, aspirin was found to have multiple medical uses. It serves as a pain reliever, fever reducer, reduces inflammation, and even acts to thin the blood to help prevent heart attacks. That's a lot of power in seemingly ordinary willow tree bark.
Amazingly, this was not a discovery by a single person. As we had discussed above, many groups of people around the world were using this home remedy (or even cave remedy!) for thousands of years. This is definitely one home remedy I would classify as a fact, not a quack.
It makes me wonder though: how many trees did they have to chew on before they found the right one?
You can find free home remedies using the resources below. They might not be miracle drugs, but they can help you avoid the cost and embarrassment of common illnesses.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Can The Cure For Headaches Be Worse Than The Pain?
Most people are oblivious to the fact that pain-killers can kill more than just pain. Whether you are searching for medications to relieve your migraine headaches, lose weight or eliminate your stomach aches being cautious could save you a lot of grief.
Many drugs that were previously available only through prescription are now available over-the-counter. Today drugs are so common and easily obtained people just assume they are safe. After all, would multi-million dollar companies offer drugs for sale if they weren't safe? Wouldn't the FDA ban medications that could harm or possibly even kill you? Sure, if they knew they were dangerous. But the method of determining which drugs are safe and which drugs are deadly may surprise you. Many times the tests are determined through the use of guinea pigs, which very likely includes you.
Drugs are allowed for sale to the public with the assumption that they are safe. Then, once the public begins using a particular drug in masses the negative side effects will start appearing, side effects that can include dizziness, nausea, internal bleeding, blood pressure increases, heart problems and even death. Not too long ago there were diet pills containing ephedrine that the public was going crazy for. But ephedrine failed its "public test" when it was discovered that it caused death. Tylenol (active ingredient: acetaminophen) is often used for migraine headache relief, but kills people every year because of the liver damage it can cause. Even Ibuprofen and aspirin, pain killers often used for migraine headaches, can be deadly for some. Although the risk is small it is still a risk that should not be taken lightly.
The October 1995 Archives of Internal Medicine reveal the startling results of a study that reviewed the overall effects of prescription drugs on health and well-being. According to the authors, "drug related illness" (from LEGAL drugs) should be considered a "leading disease" in its own right. In 1992, about 200,000 people in the United States died as a result of complications from legal prescription medicine. This does not include over-the-counter drugs or illegal drugs.
Incorrectly prescribed medications kill approximately 180,000 people each year. Only about 1,500 people died when the Titanic sank and yet this horrific and preventable event was, and still is, world news. It changed forever the perception and practice of sea travel, ship construction and passenger safety. But when 180,000 people die, the equivalent of about 120 Titanics sinking each year, hardly anyone even takes notice. As reported in 1994 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, incorrectly prescribed medications kill an estimated 180,000 people each year. This claims more American lives annually than crime and car accidents combined.
Some people experience such severe migraine headaches they seek the help of a doctor. But doctors are not immune to errors either. The Journal of the American Medical Association reported recently that iatrogenic illness (illness caused by medical errors or reactions to drugs and medical treatment) has become the third largest killer of Americans, exceeded only by heart disease and cancer.
A team of medical doctors, lawyers and analysts at Harvard University conducted the largest and most comprehensive investigation of medical malpractice and concluded that 75,000 Americans are killed every year by medical treatment through gross negligence. That is equivalent to 50 Titanics sinking per year. For all their successes, doctors must contend with the fact that many people become sick from either medical errors or reactions to their drugs or medical treatment. Where are the headlines? The outcries?
And the number of deaths due to drugs continues to rise. USA Today, on February 27, 1998, reported that the number of deaths caused by prescription drug errors increased at a rate only exceeded by the number of deaths caused by AIDS. In 1983, 1 out of 539 outpatient deaths was due to a medication error (wrong dosage or wrong drug). By 1993 however, 1 out of every 131 outpatient deaths was due to a medication error.
Admittedly, doctors do save lives and help ease people's pain. They perform a great duty that should not go unheralded. But pain sufferers should start taking responsibility for their own actions. Nobody is more concerned about your health than you are, not the doctor, not the nurses, not your neighbors. Search out and study all of the information that is available before taking a medication that could cause bodily harm. Pain sufferers should ponder both the pros and the cons, the possible pain relief and the possible dangers of the drugs they may end up ingesting.
Deepak Chopra, M.D. in his book Quantum Healing states "The frustrating reality, as far as medical researchers are concerned, is that we already know that the living body is the best pharmacy ever devised. It produces diuretics, painkillers, tranquilizers, sleeping pills, antibiotics, and indeed everything manufactured by the drug companies, but it makes them much, much better. The dosage is always right and given on time; side effects are minimal or nonexistent; and the directions for using the drug are included in the drug itself, as part of its built-in intelligence."
"Is the possible pain relief worth the risk?" This is the question that you should be asking yourself.
Helpful Tips Offering Relief From Migraine Headaches
Migraine headaches affect millions of individuals around the world. They are extremely painful and hard to bear. Migraines can last anywhere from one hour to three or four days. Within that time, it may literally be impossible for migraine suffers to function properly. Although relief might not come right away, there are many options available that soothe or cure migraine headaches.
A migraine is classified as a serve headache that can often impair one's judgment. When a migraine occurs, suffers regularly experience the following symptoms:
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• difficulty seeing
It is not uncommon for migrane suffers to be unable to look at lights or the sun without suffering intense pain. Migrane headache may be brought on by a variety of things. Children and adults are susceptible to migraines, and they often happen unexpectedly. Migraines can be brought on by stress, certain foods, a poor eating habits, or hormones. Migraine headaches are also hereditary, therefore, there are many families may experience migraine headaches at the same time.
The best way to get relief from migraine headaches is by speaking to your physician. If you suspect that you are suffering from migraines, you most likely are, however, many treatment options must first be prescribed by a healthcare professional. There are physicians who specialize in migraines and other head related pains, however, your family physician can often diagnose and offer treatment options for receiving relief from migraine headaches.
Over the counter pain killers are the best available option for getting quick relief from migraine headaches without visiting a physician. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen are common over-the-counter drug medications that are available at most drug or department stores,and they can normally be purchased at a fairly low price. If you regularly suffer from migraine headaches, it may be a good idea to have some of this medication on hand. There are even over the counter medications designed specifically for relief from migraine headaches. It is important to remember that an excessive dosage of these over-the-counter drugs can cause liver or stomach damage. They relieve, but do not cure, your migraine headaches, nor do they preven them from returning. Over-the-counter medications offer temporary relief for your migraine headaches, often until you have been properly examined and treated by a physician.
One of the easiest ways to receive relief from migraine headaches is by sleeping. Although it will not eliminate your pain, rest and relaxation is an effective way to help minimize or reduce the excruciating pain of migraine headaches. If you are able to take a break, laying down or just resting inside a dark, quiet room may allow you to order your thoughts and to reduce your stress levels. Sleeping or resting may offer much needed pain relief from migraine headaches.
If you are unable to control the pain associated with your migraine headaches, it is extremely important that you contact your physician. Beta blockers, along with other medications, offer quick relief from migraine headaches, however, they are only available with a prescription. If you experience migraines, do not suffer any longer than you need to. Contact your physician or healthcare professional for effective ways to receive relief from your migraine headaches.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Relieving Tension Headaches
What causes tension headaches is not known, however the common assumption is that they are caused by muscle tension in the head and neck. Although muscle tension may be a related cause, there are many forms of tension headaches and recent thinking is that there is more than one cause for this type of headache.
One theory is a malfunctioning pain filter that is found in the brain stem may cause the pain. The thought is that the brain misinterprets information, from muscles, and interprets that signal as pain.
Serotonin is thought to be one of main molecules involved. This is evidenced by the fact that tension headaches can be successfully treated with some antidepressants. Teeth clenching is another theory as a cause for tension type headaches and migraine as it causes chronic contraction of the temporalis muscle.
Nonprescription painkillers such as aspirin, acetaminophen or ibuprofen commonly relieve tension headaches. When severe muscle contraction occurs, stronger prescription drugs may be needed. However, there are side effects associated with these stronger drugs, namely drowsiness and slower reflexes. Therefore, most physicians will only recommend using strong medications for short periods of time and usually not for more than a few days.
Stress management can be very effective. Some people find exercises or meditation to be very relaxing. Biofeedback may improve relaxation exercises and can prove helpful for chronic tension headaches.
Other preventive measures you can try include keeping warm if your headache is associated with the cold. Try using a different pillow or changing your sleeping position. Adopt correct posture when reading, working or doing other activities that may cause headache. Exercise your neck and shoulder muscles when doing prolonged typing, computer work and when doing any close-up work. Getting enough sleep and massaging sore muscles can help reduce a headache occurring. Hot or cold showers or baths may relieve headaches too, so it's worth experimenting to see if either help you.
Over-the-counter medication such as aspirin, ibruprofen, or acetominophen may relieve pain if the above-mentioned preemptive measures are ineffective. Sometimes antidepressant medication may be advised for the relief of chronic headaches.
Keeping a diary of your headaches can help identify the source of chronic headaches. When you suffer with a headache write down the date and time the headache began. Also write down what you ate and how much sleep you got over the previous 24 hours. If you noticed any unusual symptoms or felt under stress, make a note of it too. Also, keep a record of how long the headache lasted and what made it stop. Having a headache diary available can act as a tracking device and you may find patterns that you should do more to avoid.
Some lifestyle changes may be necessary to reduce tension headaches. This may include getting enough rest and exercise and possibly a change in job or free time activities.
If you are suffering with headaches or migraines, you should first consult your primary care physician before taking other steps.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Living With And Treating Migraine Headaches
Stress leads the list of all psychological triggers for migraine headaches and may be the most common migraine trigger of all. Understanding stress and how it effects your life could help you cope better with migraines.
Think of specific things you can add to or take away from your daily routine to reduce stress and help avoid migraine headache pain. Keep a note of the results and discuss them with your doctor.
Get enough rest. One of the best ways to do this is set regular bedtime and waking up times each day so that your body clock regulates itself. It may take 2 to 3 weeks for your body to adapt to this new routine, so it is important to set times and stick with them. Gradually, as your body begins to get used to these times your stress levels should reduce along with the frequency of migraine headaches.
Find an exercise you enjoy and stick with it. Exercise not only fortifies your body, but helps with "resting" your mind. You tend to forget all your worries when exercising. Try mild aerobic exercise such as brisk walking, for 20 to 30 minutes, 3 to 4 times a week.
Eat sensibly and have regular meals. Eat foods that are migraine trigger-free for you. Cut down on processed and overly sugary items. To avoid temptation, don't have them in the house. Keep in mind that processed and sugary foods are not good for your body and can actually increase stress levels.
Headaches can be caused by ordinary foods that most of us eat every day. But cutting out common food triggers from your diet does not mean that you have to sacrifice tasty meals.
When it comes to migraines, decaffeinated coffee, fruit juice and sparkling water are better choices for beverages than caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. If you choose to have an alcoholic drink, stick with single measures and alternate an alcoholic drink with water.
Dairy products can also be common triggers for migraines. Try reducing or cutting out dairy items from your diet for a month to see if this makes a difference to your migraines.
Meats such as corned beef, hot dogs and pickled herring are "cured meats," and contain an ingredient called sodium nitrate, which can trigger a headache. Instead, consider poultry or freshly purchased and prepared meats.
Identify areas of stress in your life and begin working to improve them. Share your problems, concerns, and thoughts with others. Don't keep them to yourself. Sharing a problem can provide almost instant relief and you may find that others have constructive suggestions for solving issues. Also, have the courage to say "no" to people who place unwanted demands on your time.
Learn how to relax. If you sit down to rest, do not immediately pick up the phone, read a magazine or turn on the TV. Try out relaxation tapes to help you unwind and relax. You'll find them at most music or bookstores. You can also search the Internet for tapes specifically designed to help prevent migraine headaches.
If you are suffering with Migraines, you should first consult your primary care physician before taking other steps.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Can Meditation Bring You Relief From Headache?
Over the counter medications accept my salutations! You have done enough of service in your own way, to the best of your ability and judgment. You have done everything, but my headache stands intact....Perhaps you don't understand the root cause of headache.
Take a lesson in meditation so that you get an opportunity to analyze the reasons for your failures.
Meditation is trying to reach the level of absolute concentration. You try to reach a level whereupon you are in a position to understand and direct your consciousness.
...But before that, well understand the nature of your headache.
Mind is nothing but a bundle of thoughts. Negative thoughts and positive thoughts! When the weight and pressure of the negative thoughts is more than the positive thoughts, you have stress. As a result, you have headache.
Through meditation, the positive thoughts get recharged and slowly the negative thoughts find their way out one by one.
The relation between headache and meditation is very easy to understand through an example. It is as simple as tying and untying a knot. Stress was not dropped on your mind from the heaven. You have achieved it by your wrong living. Try to understand for yourself what made you have this experience of stress. Try to analyze it point by point. Think upon it. Try to workout the possible solutions. In fact, the process of meditation has already commenced within you, when you make such efforts. Your sincere pursuit is bound to take you to the path of confronting your headache in a positive way.
Your physical body and the mind work in tandem. Feelings of stress and anxiety direct the nervous system to initiate the response, positive or negative. Stress or no stress situation, headache is the direct outcome of such a situation.
When you are in the process of meditation, you begin to feel that your muscles are relaxed. The flood of stress chemicals in the body, such as endorphins, begins to subside. The pain-killing medications, which have been playing their dubious role on your mind, with a false sense of cure, stand exposed. Meditation sharpens the quality of discrimination, and when once you are able to recognize what is good and what is bad in every aspect of life, you are nearer to your goal of achieving peace.
Initially, meditation looks like a long term treatment, but when you pursue your avowed goal, the results achieved will be permanent.
Therefore in many countries, prominently in Australia, meditation has been accepted as a prominent tool to control headache. The researchers and the scientists are beginning to realize the truth, that the solution for headache lies in understanding the mind, not ruthlessly subverting it, by painkiller medications and injections. The approach of force, will not work well.
"Brutal force has not won anything durable," said Adolf Hitler. The context of his utterances may be different, but this rule applicable to your headache also. Strong, suppressive medications will not give permanent results.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
How To Prevent Headache?
But the attack of headache is so sudden and violent, where is the time to prevent it?
Headache arrives unnoticed and ultimately departs and you forget everything, the causes of its arrival! You have never tried to analyze, why you are repeatedly having the bouts of headache. Preventing headache is not one of the items in your agenda.
You have to do certain things, follow certain regimen to get rid of yourself the headache problems. You just treat the pain, without going to its root causes. You believe you are an active, bright person. That was so, till 9.00 a.m. this morning and you were making brisk preparations to go to your office duty. Suddenly, you are confronted with a nagging, throbbing headache, which would not let you do anything! What can be done, except applying for a day's leave? But, that has not solved the problem throughout the day, you suffer and suffer more. Will it be alright by tomorrow?
For the time being, you have solved the problem by taking antibiotics, but by evening again, it has resurfaced! This has happened to you a number of times in the past.
So, now you have to budget your time, according to your revised plans to live a head-ache free life!
From where do you start?
Do proper exercise at a fixed time of the day. Try your best to live a tension-free life. Avoid stress. What causes the headache? Try to identify the factors. Is it food, alcohol or oversleeping? Yes, sleeping many times cures and at times causes headache. Taking pain killers so often, your body's natural ability to fight the diseases may vanish if you test it with painkillers. Painkillers are not faithful health agents! They also suppress the pain, without affording it a permanent cure. And when the pain resurfaces, it will arrive with double force!
Herbal products and supplements have been proved to be effective in preventing headaches. Learn relaxation therapy from an expert yoga teacher. Some of the techniques those are bound to be helpful for you to prevent headaches are visualization, meditation, deep breathing exercises and many more. Daily practice of such techniques is a must.
Preventing headache is not a course of medicines, it is a discipline!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Know Headaches Caused By Food You Eat
The choice of food among human beings has a peculiarity. I like bitter gourd. You hate it. I like coffee, but you love to have black tea. If you consume the food you don't like, under pressure, you have headache. You eat the food according to your choice. You have no headache at all!
Many headaches are food-related. The type of food that you take, have direct body-mind relation and effects.
Take the type of headache known as Hypoglycemia. When you have low blood sugar, you have this type of headache. So, diabetic patients, take care!
If you are taking high doses of insulin you need to monitor it carefully. Since this headache is related to your blood sugar level, a glass of orange juice should bring you immediate relief.
Alternatively, any food stuff that provides simple carbohydrate to your body mechanism, will take care of both, your low blood sugar as well headache!
Another type of head ache related to food, is due to caffeine withdrawal.
Well, you have been drinking at least 6 to 7 cups of coffee/tea per day, and you have again made the New Year Resolution (just as you made resolutions, without success, during the last several years) to give up such drinks. This year's resolution is now week old, and you feel as if someone is pounding your head with the hammer. The headache is unbearable. When the going was good, your caffeine friend, gave you lots of encouragement. That's what you thought! Now when you wish to give it up for valid treasons, relating to deterioration of your health, Caffeine is showing its ill temper by giving you constant headache.
{mosgoogle left} For this headache, there is no instant solution. Don't implement your resolution in one go, by breaking your coffee cup, as a sort of violent protest. Do it slowly and steadily. The chances are that you will win over the headache.
Foods such as old cheese and yeast extracts and red wine have a substance called Tyramine, which causes headache. Deficiency in the enzyme oxidase, which is known as Histamine intolerance can cause chronic headache.
Many types of allergies are responsible for various types of headaches. Food items in their pure form may not be the cause of headache. But many food items contain additives and artificial flavors. These items are the direct causes of headache.
If you consume any food item, fruits and vegetables in the most natural form, as far as possible, you have possibly solved the problem of headache once for all.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Common Headache Medications Are Normally Based On Either Asprin Or Paracetamol
Common headaches such as migraines and fever headache, just like other sicknesses, also have their own cure and prescribed medications. Most of the times, headache medications are restricted from public access openly, which means that only upon the doctor or medical expert's prescription it is allowed to be given to someone. However, there's one headache medication which is normally publicly available, and that would be none other than Paracetamol.
The Most Commonly Found Tablets
In certain European and Asian countries, this medication comes in a famous form called the "Panadol," which is found in tablets of either 500mg or a maximum of 1000mg each. Paracetamol as we know comes normally in the form of tablet all around the world. It is hard to take it in liquid form, due to the bitter taste after leaving the tongue.
Besides that, aspirin is the next most famous medication for common headaches, which also comes in the form of tablet. Unlike Paracetamol tablets which come in white, aspirin usually has color; the most famous one being yellow. And aspirin is not just limited to headaches, but can be used for many others types of pains as well. Although Paracetamol also can do the job well, aspirin is better because it works more efficiently in making sure the blood flow is smoothened and the clogs are removed.
How are the Headache Medications Categorized and Taken?
There are three different ways of how headache medications are categorized. This will help you to find the best medicine for you. The first type is those used for symptomatic relief. This type of medications is used to treat headache pains and the accompanying symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and so on.
The second type is those used for abortive therapy. This would include the common headache medications we saw above; the Paracetamol and aspirin. They are, as we know, used to stop the headache; usually temporarily.
The third type of medication is those used for preventive therapy. As the name suggests, the medicines here are used to prevent the headache, normally taken when you have fever, to avoid the headache from coming, or similar situations like that.
Keep in mind, these headache medications are always best taken with the prescribed recommendations. This means that it is not enough for you to know the right headache medications, but also what is the right food which goes along. You basically need to follow the correct dietary lifestyle, and go for exercises and relaxation therapies.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Headache Pain Relief Alternatives To Medication
When a person has a headache they will reach for their over-the-counter pain reliever to soothe their aching head. Which method of headache pain relief they choose depends on the individual, drug stores and pharmaceutical departments carry a large variety of pain relievers, all advertising to relieve pain in a unique way.
According to one report there is virtually no difference in the headache pain relieving qualities of any one over-the-counter medication save to the individual. Some people have sensitivities to one product or another, but the dosage and active ingredient of each pain reliever is virtually the same.
The report also indicated that the many different tablet forms or claims that the formula is specified for such needs as back pain are also advertising only, the products will still contain the same amount of active ingredient and the only real choice is the person's preference of ingestion.
There are also topical headache pain relief medications which are said to immediately relive headaches. This product contains potassium dichromate and white bryony as pain relievers. Nearly every person who has reviewed this product has claimed it works efficiently to relieve headache pain.
Alternate Headache Pain Relief Methods
Some people do not react well to medications, even the safer over-the-counter medications, and choose to seek alternate headache pain relief. Some methods include acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic sessions, and yoga.
Acupuncture has been a popular homeopathic method of headache pain relief in countries such as China for thousands of years. Today acupuncture is available in alternate medical clinics all over the country.
Massage therapy for headache pain relief is a smart option for most headaches suffers, especially if the pain is from tension headaches. In most cases relieving the pain in the neck and shoulders associated with a tension headache is enough to alleviate the head pain all together.
Chiropractic sessions can relax the body and realign the neck and spine, this realignment can cause the tension of certain muscles to decrease again resulting in headache pain relief. Migraine headaches can be caused by all sorts of external factors, one of which is body pain. Sometimes relieving the pain can get rid of the headache.
Yoga is a meditative form of exercise which stretches and relaxes the body. This type of activity will relieve aching muscles and tension in the body therefore causing head pain relief of most types of headaches.
Talking with a medical professional is the best way to determine the exact cause of head pain and make a decisive head pain relief strategy. This strategy will eliminate the headaches or make treatment plan the patient and doctor agree is the most efficient.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Management Of Chronic Headache
Headache is a very common experienced phenomenon. Many headaches are secondary to underlying medical conditions and therefore, the management chronic headache presents significant difficulties to the physician because of the lack of effective therapies.
Chronic headache affects about 4-5% of adult in the United States. Chronic tension-type headaches (occipital-type headache) and chronic migraine are the most common types of chronic headache. Diagnosis of chronic headache is difficult due to the absence of physical measurements to establish the diagnosis. The overuse of medications to relieve acute headache can cause rebound headache.
Very important to have precise information about the location of the pain, the quality and intensity of the pain; pain triggers, and associated symptoms before implementing the treatment plan.
Chronic migraine has following characteristics:
• Lasting from 4 to 72 hours
• Unilateral location
• Pulsating quality
• Moderate to severe intensity
• Aggravation by walking stairs or routine physical activities
• Association with nausea and vomiting
• Photophobia
Migraine headache is commonly triggered by diet, menstrual cycle, and exposure to sunlight or prudent odor. Chronic migraine is defined as the occurrence of migraine attacks 15 or more times per month for more than 6 months.
Chronic tension-type headache has following characteristics:
• Pain with pressing quality
• Bilateral, occipital or any other location
• Mild to moderate intensity
• Is not aggravated by walking stairs or routine physical activities
• Associated with nausea but not vomiting
Tension-type headache is often associated with muscle tenderness in the neck, shoulder, upper arms, the jaw and face and the base of the skull. Chronic tension-type headache must occur more than 15 times per month for more than 6 months.
Treatment:
Chronic headache is very difficult to treat. In addition, many of the currently available treatment options lack efficacy. For the treatment of moderate to severe migraine pain, triptans are the treatment of choice. Opioids can also be useful as abortive medications when other therapies fail. In today days Botox injection is available as a treatment for chronic migraine as well. Tension-type (occipital) and cluster headache are usually treated with NSAIDS and muscle relaxant as an initial treatment options. Triptans reserved for the cases when initial treatment does not relive the pain. Botox injection plays a big role in current medical management for the treatment of tension-type headache. For the treatment of occipital headache the first line of treatment is pharmaceutical, and the second line of treatment is steroids and/or Botox injection to relive the muscle spasm damaging occipital nerves. The third line of treatment which is the most effective treatment of occipital headache in today days is peripheral nerve stimulation. Electrical stimulation of the occipital nerves permanently eliminates occipital-type of headache pain.
lowering cholesterol meds
Effective Headache Remedies And Treatments You Can Use
Everybody has definitely experienced a headache once in his or her lifetime. Since it is one of the indispensable and common illnesses everyone experiences, people have learned to find ways to relieve the discomfort brought by headache.
TREATING HEADACHES
Contrary to popular belief, headaches cannot be cured but they can be managed or controlled. Today, more and more medications have emerged that aim to stop the throbbing pain associated with it or stop the symptoms that have resulted from it.
Taking in medications is the most popular way of combating the pains brought about by headaches. People from the medical field have categorized these into two: the Prophylactic treatment that is done every day to reduce the severity and frequency of attacks and Abortive treatment that is done once the headache attack begins.
A physician usually suggests prophylactic treatment only if the person is experiencing numerous headache attacks monthly. Once you have undergone this treatment, the doctor will strictly monitor the possible side effects like lethargy, drastic weight gain, hallucinations, memory impairment, and water retention.
While taking in this medication, make sure that you don't combine it with any weight loss products. For starters, make sure that you are taking in low doses first before taking in large dose under prescription to test if it's working correctly. Your physician should also constantly monitor any drug or vitamin intake and see if these interfere with the medication.
Pregnant women are not allowed to take this kind of medication and make sure that the medication is discontinued once the headache becomes manageable.
Prophylactic treatment involves the use of Beta Blockers like tenormin, lopressor, and inderal, Calcium Channel Blockers like cardizem, dilacor, and procardia, Antidepressants like elavil and Zoloft, Serotonin Antagonists like Sansert, Anticonvulsants like tegretol, depakote, and dilantin, and Ergot derivatives like cafergot.
Abortive treatment, on the other hand, is considered the first line of defense against headaches by taking in over-the-counter painkillers like aspirin, acetaminophen like tylenol, panadol or ibuprofen. Usually, physicians prescribe a medication that is a combination of analgesic with other substances in order to increase its effects.
In order to relieve anxiety, abortive treatments also involve the usage of anti-inflammatory drugs known as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs that include naprosyn, anaprox, ponstel, meclomen, tolectin, and toradol which are helpful in treating headaches.
Although NSAIDs are used both symptomatically and prophylactically, experts warn future users that these may lead to side effects like gastrointestinal pains and disorder like diarrhea or constipation along with nausea or dizziness.
REMEDYING HEADACHES
Headaches are usually caused by physical and emotional stress. If you are dying to find a solution to your persistent headache, try taking in over the counter remedies like aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. But if you are not a big fan of prescribed or over the counter medications, try these home remedies for a change.
- Try using compresses or cold packs. For tension headaches the most common form of headache try applying a warm or cold compress to your forehead and the base of your neck to numb the pain.
- Try using heat. If cold compresses wouldn't work out for you, try using a warm washcloth or a hot water bottle can ease pain.
- Develop a routine of deep breathing exercises. If you suffer from headaches very often, try sitting in a darkened room, take in deep breaths using your nose, and let it pass through your mouth.
- Experience the wonders of acupressure. By squeezing the web of skin between and the thumb through acupressure, it can reduce the pains and can help you relax.
- Try relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, and biofeedback. By trying these relaxation techniques, the person who suffers from headache can feel the pain flowing out of the head. It can also help reduce stress.
- Relieve the affected area by applying ointment with heat. Ben-Gay or Icy Hot rubbed on forehead or on the base of the neck, can give a soothing warm feeling to your head.
- The power of music. Try listening to a relaxing music while lying down or resting.
- Exercise regularly. Physical activities like regular exercise can relieve stress because it can loosen up the knots and balls of pain in your head.
- Get enough sleep. Having six to eight hours of sleep can help you soothe your tired nerves. But, beware of sleeping more than 10 hours because it can cause major headache as well.
- If possible, use a neck pillow in bed. If you are prone to experiencing morning headaches, try using a neck pillow to your neck while you sleep.
- Totally eliminate caffeine, salt, MSG, and chocolate in your diet. Load up on lots of fruits, veggies, and water to keep your body well hydrated.
- If you can, avoid bright light because it leads to a major headache once your squint.
- Don't skip meals. Skipping meals can lead to low blood sugar. When your sugar level goes down, your blood vessels in the brain tightens that leads to headache.
- Don't eat foods that have nitrates, sulfites, and msg because these are primary headache causers. Also avoid aged cheeses and nuts so you won't experience headaches.
- Don't smoke and avoid smoke-filled rooms.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Some Headache Remedies Are Better Than Others
There are so many different headache remedies out there that we have to choose from, and although this is certainly a good thing, at the same time it can make it extremely difficult and even frustrating to be able to decide on which ones are the best and which ones are not worth thinking about.
There are several different things that you have to take into consideration when you are trying to figure out what the best headache remedies are, and one of the most major things that you need to realize is the fact that not all remedies work the same on all people, and so you have to really understand this.
The Different Headache Remedies
Basically, when it comes to headache remedies, you can either go naturally or more traditional - meaning pills and other forms of medication. You are really going to have to decide which before you can go any further in the process of finding yourself headache remedies, although you should know that you have plenty of options with both sides.
If you want to go natural, then you are going to want to make home remedies using only natural ingredients, and this is largely referring to herbs and spices. There are many different home remedies that you can use for headaches, and one that is probably one of the easiest, is that of green tea.
All you really need to do is boil yourself a cup of green tea, and drink it black, if you can, and the heat of the tea itself as well as the antioxidants that are present in green tea all work together to relive the pain that is caused by headaches.
If you are more interested in going with over-the-counter prescriptions and this sort of thing, then again you do have many options. You will most likely be prescribed a lower dosage of medication, and then if that does not seem to be working your doctor will most likely then prescribe you something stronger.
Throughout this process, you may get frustrated, because headaches can be extremely painful, and many people find that they just cannot find anything that helps ease the pain enough. However, you should try to stay calm and not get frustrated, and make sure that you remember that there are plenty of different options out there that you have to choose from, and that you are definitely going to find something that helps you.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
The Different Headache Treatment Options Include Green Tea
If you suffer from headaches, then you are definitely going to want to learn about all of the different headache treatment options that you have to choose from. There are many, however certain headache treatment options are going to work better for you than others, and so thus you obviously are going to want to figure this out.
The Different Headache Treatment Options
There are so many different headache treatment options that you have, and one of the best actually uses something that you most likely already have in your home - green tea.
Green tea has always been known for its incredibly healthy side effects, however not many people are aware of how great it is for headache treatment. Green tea has many antioxidants in it, which help to distress you and as well as relieve any pain and swelling from your head.
The best way to take the green tea if you are looking to get rid of headaches is to boil it and drink it hot, as the steam of the hot drink is also going to help relax and unwind you.
Another great form of treatment that is available for headaches is a cool cloth, and this is perhaps the oldest used form of treatment for this sort of problem. All you need to do here is take a facecloth and run cool water over it, and then place it on your forehead. Just make sure that you cool the cloth down again every time it starts to become warm.
Certain options are going to work better on other people and not you, and so in order to make the process easier on you overall, you are going to want to go into your doctor's so that you can speak to them about what they think the best ideas would be for you.
There are also plenty of medications that you can take to help with headaches, however if you are one of the many people who are more interested in curing your headaches naturally, then you should stick with methods such as the green tea and cold facecloth methods.
Just remember that even if you suffer from really bad headaches, there are many different forms of treatment that you can use, and so you really should not feel stressed out or as though there is nothing that you can do in order to feel better from your headaches, because that is certainly not true.
Possible Causes Of Headaches After Eating
Eating is something which many people enjoy immensely. This is obvious with the increase of overweight people in the world. Eating is a very social time as well. Family gatherings, church events, and business meetings often occur around some type of meal or snack.
These times should not be a time of physical suffering but often result in pain. Many people complain of suffering headaches after eating. This can be a very serious health issue and needs to be addressed to determine the cause of the headache after eating.
Headaches after eating may be caused by some simple food allergies or may be caused by something as severe as diabetes. If a person frequently finds that they get a headache after eating they need to consult a doctor to determine the cause and find possible cures.
Headaches Caused by Food
People often eat crazy diets in the current times. With rushed schedules full of work, family, church, sports and other hobbies people find that quick meals work best. The problem with these quick meals is that the foods eaten are often prepared, processed foods with several chemical additives.
These chemical additives are not necessarily bad as they do act as preservatives keeping the food fresh and bacteria free. Some people, though, find that they suffer headaches after eating these foods. There are even some natural foods that the general public eats which may cause headaches after eating for some individuals.
People find that they have intolerances to foods such as wheat, other grains, fruits, dairy products and a variety of other foods. If a person suffers headaches caused by foods it is important to go through a process of elimination. Food allergists can assist a person in eliminating probable food causes one by one from the diet until the guilty foods are found.
Headaches After Eating Related to Diabetes
Diabetes is a very serious disease which can be treated and controlled. It is important for a person who gets headaches after eating to rule out the diagnosis of diabetes. The headaches after eating in the case of diabetes are a symptom of high blood sugar. High blood sugar can cause many problems for an individual, the most severe being death.
High blood sugars left untreated can cause blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and many other problems. Early intervention in treating diabetes can prevent these problems. Getting headaches after eating can be an early sign that diabetes may be a problem.
If a person gets headaches after eating they should consult a physician to rule out diabetes as a possible cause. If diabetes is the cause of the headaches, dietary changes and medications can cure the problem very quickly.
Monday, October 22, 2007
I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream With An Ice Cream Headache
For anyone who has experienced the dull ache in their head after slurping an ice cream cone on a warm summer's day, the terms brain freeze or cold headache are probably not unfamiliar. However, did you know that an ice cream headache had a technical name as well?
An ice cream headache can also be referred to as Spheno Palatine Gangleoneuralgia. This type of headache is unique in that it occurs only after eating or drinking a food or beverage. These foods and beverages are not limited to ice cream; in fact, they can include many other cold or frozen foods, such as margaritas or slurpees. When these items are consumer quickly, the chance of acquiring an ice cream headache increases.
The Science Behind an Ice Cream Headache
When a cold food or beverage touches the roof of your mouth. This causes a group of nerves located on the roof of your mouth, known as pterygopalatine ganglion, to begin to spasm. These nerves send instructions to the blood vessels in the brain to dilate. Because headaches are caused by dilated blood vessels in the brain, this causes you to experience an ice cream headache.
The resulting ice cream headache typically ends within ten to twenty seconds; however, some ice cream headaches last fifteen to sixty seconds, and in rare cases an ice cream headache could last up to five minutes! The pain caused by this headache has been classified as "referred pain." Referred pain occurs when the site of the pain is different from the region where the pain was simulated.
Relieve the Pain
There are several methods that can be used to reduce the pain that comes from an ice cream headache. Some people say that the pain can be stopped by moving the tongue to the roof of your mouth in order to bring warmth to the area. Others say that, when sipped slowly, water at room temperature will do the trick. Laying your head to one side, and breathing rapidly while covering your mouth are also two suggested ways to overcome the pain caused by an ice cream headache.
How Common is an Ice Cream Headache?
It is thought that approximately thirty percent of the population experiences an ice cream headache. Many studies have determined that ice cream headaches are more common in people who experience migraines; for example, the data from one study states that ice cream headaches occur in ninety-one percent of those who experience migraine headaches, while they only occur in thirty-one percent of those who do not.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Truth About A Neck Spasm Headache
There are many different kinds of headaches, varying in severity. However, the most common type of headache is a tension headache, also known as a muscle contraction headache. These types of headaches are caused by spasms and tensions of muscles in the neck and shoulders, making "neck spasm headache" an accurate description of a tension headache.
While tension headaches are extremely common (sixty percent of people in a study claimed to experience one or more tension headaches in a week), they are difficult to diagnose and treat. It is important to understand the various ways that a neck spasm headache can be treated so that, if you suffer from these painful headaches, you can decide on the method of treatment that best fits your individual lifestyle and condition.
What Causes a Neck Spasm Headache?
A neck spasm headache or tension headache is caused by muscle spasms in the neck and shoulders that irritate nerves in the head. The irritated nerves generally produce pain at the scalp and base of the skull. You might be wondering what causes muscle spasms. Well, there is a wide range of causes for muscle spasms and they vary greatly in severity. One cause of muscle spasms leading to a neck spasm headache is a rear end motor vehicle accident.
This is one of the more serious causes of a muscle spasm. Such an accident places a large amount of force on the neck, and the muscles located in the neck tighten in response to the pressure. The neck muscles can remain in spasm long after other injuries have healed, and this is why a neck spasm headache resulting from a car accident many become chronic.
Less serious causes of the muscle spasms in the neck that could lead to a neck spasm headache include situations where the neck or spine may be held in one position for too long, such as when you sleep in a chair, work at a computer, or drive for a long period of time.
Treatment of a Neck Spasm Headache
There are several different methods used to treat a neck spasm headache. One of the more common ways is manipulative therapy, which usually reduces the muscle spasms and will return normal motion to the spine. Manipulative therapy is often performed by quickly stretching the muscles. However, other methods of manipulative therapy, such as "counter-strain" also exist. Manipulative therapy is a great treatment option for those patients who do not want to take medication.
vitamins information
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Different Types Of Headaches And Their Causes
Before taking in any medication or undergoing any treatment to bring relief to your aching head, make sure that you know first what are the different types of headache and possible causes of the common illness.
HOW ARE HEADACHES CATEGORIZED
Studies show that 90 percent of all types of headaches are classified as tension and muscle contraction. However, there most experts would agree that headache could be further classified into two broad categories: the primary and the secondary.
Primary headache includes migraine, cluster, and tension headache. Migraine headache are usually characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head, queasiness, over sensitivity to light and sound especially to bright lights and loud noises. Statistics say that 18 to 28 million Americans suffer from migraines and majority of which is women.
Aside from throbbing or pulsing pain, migraine is also characterized by visual disturbances, numbness of the face, nausea, and heavy vomiting. Usually triggered by food, stress, heat or cold temperature, strong smells, emotions, fatigue, or hormonal fluctuations, experts say that people who are anxious and depressed are more prone to migraine.
Tension headache, on the other hand, is considered as the common type of headache people suffer from. Characterized by a tight band of pressure around a person's head, heavy throbbing of temples, light and sound sensitivity, vomiting, general muscle aches, difficulty in falling asleep and staying asleep, chronic fatigue, irritability and disturbed concentration, tension headache is said is traced from physical or emotional stress.
Major lifestyle adjustments like having a regular physical activity or exercise, proper and balanced diet, proper stress management and maintaining good posture can help a person a lot to avoid tension headache.
If tension headache is the most common type of headache, cluster headache is the least common of all types. Greatly affecting men instead of women, cluster headaches are characterized by severe pain usually centered in one eye that leads to swelling and watering of the affected area and severe and unbearable pain in the head.
Triggered by alcohol and cigarettes, experts say that there is no concrete cause of this type yet. Treatment may include taking in medications similar to those used for migraine like sumatriptan, triptans, and the like.
The other classification of headache is called secondary headaches. Usually triggered by an underlying or existing disorder like infection, injury, or tumor, secondary headaches are known to be results major illnesses.
Secondary headaches are also considered as side effects of various disorders like a recent head injury, meningitis, sinus infection, brain tumor, eye diseases, spinal injury, arthritis, and the inflammation of the arteries or temporal arteritis.
In order to treat any type of headache, experts advise that you must know the possible causes first. Studies show that all types of headaches are usually chemical, emotional, or structural related problems.
1. Dental problems. One of the most common reasons of headaches is dental problem. Findings prove that if the teeth of a person's upper and lower jaw fail to meet properly, this can result to muscle tension that leads to headache.
Another dental-related cause of headache is the grinding or clenching of the teeth at night or bruxism. Because of the strain caused by heavy chewing or grinding, certain bones and muscles in the jaw are greatly stimulated that triggers headache.
What you can do is to increase your calcium and magnesium intake or use a plastic mouthpiece to reduce clenching and grinding. Aside from bruxism, another headache-related dental problem is known as temporomandibular disorder (TMD) cycle of pain, muscle spasms, and joint imbalance that involves the jaw and the skull and results to interruption of bones, cartilage and muscle activity. You can ask your dentist to evaluate this situation and recommend treatment options to solve the problem.
2. Chemical sensitivities. Chemicals found in different gadgets such as computers are one of the major triggers of headaches such as migraine.
Caffeine that is usually found in sodas, coffee, tea, chocolate, and some over the counter painkillers can also cause headaches. Try to eliminate all the sources of caffeine from your diet.
3. Magnesium deficiency. If a person suffers from magnesium deficiency, he/she may likely suffer from headaches compared to those who are not.
In order to maintain enough magnesium supply, avoid too much mental stress, drinking lots of coffee, eating sugary foods, a high sodium, carbohydrate and calcium diet, alcohol intake, drinking sodas, cigarette smoking, diuretics, and taking in drugs of all types.
4. Infections and bacterial disease. Infections in the different areas of the body such as the nose, throat, and ear can cause major headache.
Characterized by fever, nausea, muscle aches, chills, and diarrhea, Bacterial disease such as ehrlichiosis can be a major cause of headache. Make sure that you visit your physician to get proper treatment.
5. Muscle tension caused by stress and anxiety. Tensioned muscles usually cause headaches. What you can do is to veer away from things that can cause you stress and anxiety in order to avoid recurrent muscle tension.
6. Musculoskeletal system problems. Misalignments of a person's spine and neck can greatly affect his/her poor posture and muscle tension that lead to headache. Try chiropractic, osteopathy, and physiotherapy treatments to solve this problem.
7. Eye problems. Various eye problems greatly contribute to headache. Visit your optometrist or ophthalmologist is your eyes need glasses or contact lenses already.
8. Lack of sleep and bad sleeping habits. Without enough sleep, your body is always tired. Muscle tension can build up which leads to headaches. Try to get enough hours of sleep and make sure that you eliminate bad sleeping habits such as using too many pillow or pulling a blanket over your to avoid having a headache.
9. Menstruation. Fluctuations of female's hormone levels can also cause a great deal of headache. You can ask your doctor for helpful vitamins and supplements to solve this cause.
10. Neurological problems. Although it is a rare cause of headache, ask neurologists to examine you for possible brain tumors.
By conducting a series of tests such as CT or MRI, you can trace the possible cause of your recurrent headache. Other causes include migraine, sinusitis, fevers, glaucoma, and neuralgia. Other serious causes of headache may include meningitis, sub-arachnoid haemorrhage, stroke, blood pressure, brain tumor, and temporal arteritis.
About Headaches
What are tension headaches?
Tension headaches are headaches caused in people due to tension in mind. Most people describe it as a constant achy feeling on either side of head. Some people also feel tightness in their head and neck muscles. It often starts in middle of day and begins gradually and slowly. Some people also call it as stress headaches that means when people say that they have stress headaches they mean by saying this that they have tension headache. It may be severe or mild, but when it is severe it sometimes may be more painful and dangerous and do more harm than migraine headaches.
How to diagnose?
Tension headaches can be analyzed and diagnosed by the inspection of your doctor. Your doctor can tell the nature of your headaches by an examining you and studying the description of pain given by you. And to diagnose this problem technique like Blood Tests, X-Ray or brain scans are usually not required.
What treatment to take in which situations?
When your tension headaches are occasionally then simple pain reliever which can be taken without prescription can be useful. But while choosing these pain relievers you should first of all check the label for possible side effects which may be caused due to interactions with other medicines you are taking. So to avoid any such possibilities you must read the instructions on the label and follow them carefully. If you are still facing any problems regarding how to take the dosage you must consult your reliable doctor or pharmacist.
But if your tension headaches are not occasionally and occur everyday or at regular short intervals of time then these pain relievers will not give you the right treatment and so in this type of situation you should consult your doctor this is because the medicine which he will prescribe you will be more beneficial for relieving the pain at the time of these tension headaches. These medicines referred by your doctor not only help in relieving the pain but sometimes also useful in preventing these headaches to take serious forms. It is always advisable to treat the tension headaches when they are mild before they take some serious forms this is because in earlier stages these headaches can be cured more easily.
What other techniques could be useful to relive pain from tension headaches besides using medicines?
Besides taking medicines you can also use several other techniques to get relieve from pain in tension headaches. These techniques include:
Take enough sleep or rest
Put an ice pack on your neck or head at the time of these headaches
Regular exercises of 30-60 minutes 6 times a week will be useful in relieving the pain
Take everyday walk after meal or move on a long vacation to relieve yourself from your busy life.
Causes Of Sudden Severe Headaches And Vomiting
Headaches aren't a pleasant thing to have, not even minor ones, and when a heavy one hits, it can be debilitating. Migraine sufferers are familiar with the nasty effects that severe headaches can have, but for those who are not used to such headaches, it can be so overwhelming that it might be hard to know what to do.
When further hit by a combination of a sudden, severe headache and vomiting, it may be difficult to think about a course of action to take. However, the symptoms of a sudden severe headache and vomiting are often the sign of a serious medical concern, and actions should be taken immediately.
Possible Problems
Occasionally, the onset of sudden, severe headaches and vomiting do announce a migraine headache, and in that case, you should have something prescribed for the pain if it turns out to be a recurring problem. However, that doesn't make dealing with the sudden severe headache and vomiting seem any easier.
However, if it's the first occurrence of a sudden, severe headache and vomiting, you won't have a diagnosis from your doctor, nor will you have any painkillers prescribed, so for safety's sake, it's best to get to a hospital. The onset of a sudden severe headache and vomiting may be a sign of a form of head trauma known as subarachnoid bleeding.
This is bleeding between the brain and the skull. This particular injury happens most often after accidents in which the head was hit, and is severe enough that without proper medical care, a person could go into a coma or even die.
If a sudden, severe headache and vomiting comes with a fever as well, there's a chance that you may be suffering from meningitis, which is an affliction that affects the nervous system. This disease can cause enough damage to kill, and even if it doesn't, common problems resulting from meningitis include hearing loss.
If You're Suffering
Once again, if you're suffering from sudden, severe headache and vomiting, you need to make your way to an emergency medical facility. Given the extreme nature of the symptoms, for safety's sake, you should call for an ambulance or have a family member or neighbor drive you to the emergency room, since driving will be too difficult.
If you have to wait for help, it's best to elevate your head at an angle of about 30 degrees whenever you're not forced to deal with the nausea. Above all, as long as you seek help as soon as possible, you stand a good chance of receiving diagnosis and proper treatment for your sudden, severe headache and vomiting.
Cluster Headache Treatment Important Things you should know
Before using any of the cluster headache treatment available to you there's a couple of thing you should be aware of. But first I think it would be a good idea to better inform you about what cluster headaches really are before going into the different cluster headache treatment. Don't you think?
What are Cluster Headaches?
Cluster headaches also known as "Suicide headache" are considered some of the most extreme and painful headaches you can get. They usually occur in group or clusters in your head. The sufferers from these types of headaches experience symptoms like: Very severe headaches near one eye or around the temple area. The duration of those headaches can vary between fifteen minutes to three hours.
What are The Cluster Headaches Treatment Options?
Unfortunately there is not many options when it comes to cluster headache treatment. One of the best to date is know as "abortive treatment" and is quite simple. During the onset of a cluster headache the most common type of abortive treatment is the inhalation of pure oxygen.
This technique as been known to abort cluster headache attacks in as little as 5 minutes; however the downside is that you need to have oxygen ready at any time just in case you would have another attack.
Of course like any other condition there is always the use of over-the-counter medicine for this particular type of headaches. Unfortunately this kind of cluster headache treatment is not considered as being very effective. A lot of people complain that they tried all the different prescriptions and that none of them was able to remove the pain of the cluster headache.
Of all the headache types out there, cluster headaches are probably the worst kind. If you are suffering from this type of headache, I can imagine how hopeless you might feel. Unfortunately there is very small quantity of helpful treatments available to you.
Rest assured, there is hope for you. I know this is not an easy situation but you should avoid getting frustrated and remain calm about it. Of course it will take time and effort but you will eventually be able to find some form of treatment that will help you feel with the pain.
The best option for you would be to talk to your doctor. The diagnosis you will get will help you find the best treatment possible according to your condition.