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New Options for Migraine SufferersJan 20 '01 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line Migraine pain is not yet understood fully but new treatments are being developed, many of which can decrease the frequency and duration of migraine headaches or even cure them.
Those of us who suffer from migraines are usually a little amused when a co-worker or friend presses their fingers to their temple lightly and moans "oh, I have such a migraine." There’s a brief sadist moment when the temptation to scream "That’s a headache, idiot!" almost over comes us. Headache or Migraine? These episode do underline one important fact; any kind of headache is no fun. So what’s the difference between a migraine and a regular old headache? Headaches are caused by a muscle tightness in the head, neck or jaw or by pressure in the sinuses. The muscles in the head seize up, blocking blood flow and cause pain. Headache suffers can find relief by taking over the counter pain reliever. (By the way - more doctors do recommend acetaminophen (Tylenol) over aspirin.) Some headaches can be vanquished by nothing more than some light exercise, fresh air or a little caffeine. Migraines on the other hand, are less understood. Although they can be triggered by the same stimuli as a headache (stress, food additives like MSG or Amines) the response in the brain is very different. It causes an abnormal drop in a chemical in the brain known as serotonin. This causes the cells in the primitive par of our brain, the brain stem to shoot out electric impulses throughout the brain, when they hit the cerebral cortex, they are sent back to the brain stem and then re-sent as severe pain. No one really knows exactly why this happens. Migraines, if left untreated, can seriously impact your quality of life. Entire days have been lost as the sufferer lies in bed, nauseated, flinching physically at any sound or light change. A ticking clock is an instrument of torture and the reflection of a passing car flitting across the ceiling is a stabbing wound. Migraine Symptoms There are two types of migraine headaches. The most common is know as a migraine without aura. Although this sounds less intense, symptoms (in addition to a huge headache) include a severe sensitivity to light or noise and nausea ranging from mild to severe and vomiting. A migraine with aura has the same physical symptoms but also includes visual disturbance, a flashing behind the eyes, blurry vision or audio hallucination, weakness, dizziness, vertigo or difficulty speaking. This aura usually precedes the headache phase and can be a warning single to some sufferers. Migraine Treatment Since the exact reasons for migraines are not yet known, treatment is still difficult and varies from person to person. Some migraine sufferers get relief from over the counter migraine medicines which have a combination of acetaminophen and aspirin as well as a small dose of caffeine. I would highly recommend you seek your doctor’s help. He will prescribe either abortive medication which stops the migraine once it starts or preventive which can help stop a migraine before it occurs. Discuss your specific type of migraine with your doctor so that he can help you find what works best for you. Migraine Prevention Migraine can be triggered by any number of things. Sometimes a slight change in your lifestyle is enough to halt these triggers. Coffee for example, while it’s true that a small amount of caffeine constricts the blood vessels and can provide relief, too much caffeine opens these same vessels up, causing a migraine trigger. (Of course, if you’re hooked on caffeine, you’ll have headaches if you go cold turkey. And isn’t that just swell!) Diet too, can play an important roll in preventing migraines. Foods to look out for include; aged cheese, it has two chemicals, amines and tyrosine which are triggers; smoked, pickled or processed meat or fish, hot-dogs, sausage or liver which have a high amount of food additives; MSG, found in more than Chinese restaurants, it also occurs in heavily processed foods; citrus fruits, overripe bananas and sauerkraut have high amine content; yeast breads like sourdough; legumes (beans, dried peas, soy and lentil) and nuts or peanut butter. Alcohol also causes the blood vessels to expand and can trigger migraines. Especially since almost every variety of booze includes at least one of the chemical triggers, tyramine, phenols, sulfites and congeners. Studies have also shown that an increase of riboflavin (vitamin B2) in the diet showed a marked effect on the duration and frequency of migraines. And reducing your fat intake by up to 20% can also be very effective. It also helps to keep a diary of foods eaten the day of and before a migraine, different outside factors that may have contributed and any symptoms that might show up before the migraine begins. Women, because of the drop in estrogen around menstruation, are more prone. Avoiding any known triggers during this time can greatly reduce your chances of getting a migraine. Because many of the effective treatments for migraines are very new, many people still think they need to bear with this pain or stick with less potent mediation. This is not true, many of the new medications, supplements and lifestyle changes have cured long term suffers. It’s time to rethink your remedy  |
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