What Is A Migraine Headache?

A migraine is a severe, crippling headache that lasts for hours or days at a time. These headaches are a chronic medical condition for which there is no known cure but effective treatment can keep the symptoms at bay.

There are two types of migraines, those with an aura (common migraines) and those without an aura (classic migraines).

People that suffer from migraines with an aura will commonly see visual disturbances about a half an hour before the headache begins. These could take the form of shooting stars, blind sots, or zigzag lines. Other may have certain smells or cravings when an attack is impending.

When the migraine headache strikes, it often starts on one side of the head and may spread to the other side. The patient feels intense throbbing pain that is most severe around the temples. Other symptoms can accompany the headache like nausea, fatigue, irritability, numbness, weakness, dizziness, and sensitivity to light and noises.

Although the exact cause of migraines still is not known, it is thought that the pain is caused by a restriction of blood vessels in the brain caused by dilation that floods the brain with blood and causes headache pain. Certain foods seem to trigger this reaction. These foods are alcoholic drinks, MSG, meat with nitrates like lunch meat, fermented foods, aged cheese, nuts, and chocolate.

Diagnosis of migraines headache relies on history of symptoms and diagnostic tests given to rule out other medical conditions. A CT scan can rule out tumors and infections. An MRI might be done to look for strokes, aneurysms, tumors, and problems with the blood vessels in the brain. A spinal tap might be done if the doctor suspects the headaches are caused by meningitis or other infection.

There are prescription medications on the market to help treat migraine headaches. Because headaches occur at random times, drugs are most commonly prescribed to treat an attack that is underway. However, patients that have attacks twice a month or more may take medication to help prevent attacks from happening.

In addition, lifestyle changes can help treat migraine headaches. The patient must identify his triggers and avoid them in order to ward off headaches. In addition, he should get plenty of sleep, avoid smoking, get regular exercise, and practice stress reduction.

Some herbs have been used to treat migraines as well. Studies have been done with butterbur and they have found this herb may reduce the duration and frequency of attacks. However, there is some concern about taking this herb on a long term basis due to its affect on the liver.

Feverfew is a traditional herbal treatment for headaches in general and some advocate its use for migraines as well. Results from clinical studies have been mixed but one study showed people taking feverfew had a reduction in frequency and severity of symptoms. This herb must be taken with caution as it may cause increased risk of bleeding particularly when combined with other blood thinners.

Other herbs have been recommended for treating migraines although there are no clinical studies to substantiate these claims. Some of these include devil's claw, ginger, and willow bark. Medical advice should be sought before taking herbs for migraines especially if prescription medications are taken along with them.

Charles

Lower Your Blood Pressure and Heighten Your Life Expectancy

High blood pressure, or hypertension to give its proper name, is a condition that affects millions of people. Some people may not even be aware that they have it, and this in itself is one of the most dangerous aspects, because if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can and will cause problems in later life.

It can cause your health to be seriously debilitated, but most importantly, high blood pressure will cause damage to your vital organs, the heart in particular, leading to strokes, angina, and heart attack.

There is a direct correlation between how hard the heart has to work to pump blood around your body, and to the elasticity of your veins and arteries. As we grow older, our veins and arteries loose much of their elasticity, and harden, making it more difficult for the heart to work to pump blood through them, and thus creating hypertension.

This is one of the main reasons that the incidence of high blood pressure increases with age. Another contributory factor is high levels of cholesterol which causes our veins to "fur up" once again making the heart work harder.

It may seem somewhat strange when one considers that one in five of us suffer from high blood pressure, but that in 90% of cases, the actual cause is unknown. In the remaining 10% of cases, the cause can be any one of number of factors that include being overweight, smoking, diabetes, excessive alcohol intake, lack of regular exercise, eating too much salt, and having kidney disease.

It is also known that high blood pressure can be passed on through family genes, and that lifestyle, and stress in particular can contribute to experiencing hypertension.

However the good news is that hypertension, once diagnosed, can be controlled. It can be managed through a variety of remedies including a carefully controlled diet, lifestyle changes, regular exercise, and medications, either prescription drugs or natural herbal remedies.

From a personal point of view, if you have high blood pressure there are a number of things that you can do to alleviate the condition. Eating a healthy well balanced diet is very important, taking particular care to minimize your salt intake and eat plenty of green leafy vegetables.

Cut down on alcohol, or better still cut it out all together, and try to avoid too much stress both in your work environment and in the home too. Taking regular exercise is another proven way of relieving high blood pressure.

In terms of medications, there are a number of prescriptive medications, but unfortunately many of these have undesirable side effects. Natural herbal remedies are to be preferred, because they are indeed Mother Nature's gifts, and therefore will not cause any unpleasant side effects.

These include Arjuna, which promotes good, strong heart health, Guggul, which is proven to lower levels of cholesterol, and Garlic, which tests have indicated may help to lower cholesterol, can prevent blood clots from forming, (a major cause of stroke and heart attack), as well as being highly regarded for promoting heart health in general.

High blood pressure is very much a disease of the 21st century. By following the simple guidelines outlined above, you can manage hypertension and increase your life expectancy into the bargain.

Charles

Sleep Apnea – A Potentially Dangerous Sleep Disorder

Sleep apnea is a fairly common and potentially serous medical condition. People with this sleep disorder stop breathing on and off during the night while sleeping.

There are two types of sleep apnea. The most common is obstructive sleep apnea and the less common is central sleep apnea.

Central sleep apnea is caused by problems in the brain that disrupt signals to the respiratory muscles so no effort is made to breathe for a short time. Central sleep apnea accounts for less than five percent of all cases of sleep apnea.

It is most commonly caused by brain damage, cerebrovascular disease, heart disease, or drug overdose. Obstructive sleep apnea occurs when respiratory effort is made but air cannot flow into the lungs because of an obstruction of some sort.

Obstructive sleep apnea can be caused by obesity, nasal obstruction, drug overdose or anything that causes over relaxation or obstruction of the muscles of the throat.

Many people with sleep apnea display the symptom of being overly sleepy during the day because of lack of a restful night's sleep. They may also have insomnia at night and frequent headaches, especially in the morning. They may awaken abruptly, gasping for breath or wake up short of breath. They may also snore loudly and awaken with a dry mouth and sore throat.

Sleeping partners may actually observe periods when no respiratory movements are made or they may witness the sleeper struggling to draw air past the obstruction in the nose or throat.

A doctor may be able to diagnose sleep apnea based upon the history of symptoms. A definitive diagnosis can be made by means of a sleep study test or polysomnography. This test is performed at night while the patient sleeps. It is done in a sleep lab or in the patient's home in some cases.

The patient is connected to devices that measure the oxygen in the blood, heart rate, respiratory rate, chest movement, and airflow. It may also be necessary to determine the cause of the sleep apnea in order to properly treat it.

A neurological workup may be needed for cases of central sleep apnea.

Examination by an ear, nose, and throat specialist might be indicated for a patient with obstructive sleep apnea.

The primary treatment for sleep apnea is CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure). This is a medical device worn on the nose while sleeping that blows air into the airway in order to create a positive pressure that keeps the airways open and air flowing into the lungs.

Oral devices may be effective in some cases. These are put in the mouth and they pull the lower jaw forward in an effort to keep the airway open.

For some people, surgery might be the best option. This might be sinus surgery or laser surgery on the uvula. These surgeries remove blockages and trim away excess tissue that might be blocking the airway.

Lifestyle changes may also help combat sleep apnea. Losing weight is the first step since there is a strong link between obesity and this sleep disorder.

Avoiding drugs or alcohol before sleeping is also recommended. Sleeping with the head of the bed elevated and sleeping on one's side can also help keep the airways open while sleeping.

It is important that sleep apnea is diagnosed and treated properly otherwise serious complications can arise. Daytime sleepiness can make patients more susceptible to having accidents. The drop of oxygen levels caused by apnea puts a strain on the cardiovascular system and can lead to high blood pressure and even heart attack or stroke.

Charles