Healthy Living Guides » Migraine Information

Relaxation Techniques for Migraine Sufferers

staff — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 19:45:55 +0000

Stress is a common trigger for migraines. One method for relieving stress is relaxation. Easier said than done, right? When it comes to migraines, simply relaxing in a recliner isn’t enough. You need to think extreme relaxation.

Migraines and Exercise

staff — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 19:45:19 +0000

There are so many good reasons to begin an exercise program that you really don’t even need one more. Nevertheless, you are about to read one more: Exercise can help in the treatment of migraines.

Fragrance Triggers

staff — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 19:45:16 +0000

Of all the potential triggers for migraines, perhaps the most difficult to control are the ones involving aromas. Fragrant products are, in fact, frequent triggers for headaches, especially migraines. Unfortunately, it seems almost impossible to escape perfumes, colognes and any other of the million products that are enhanced with fragrances nowadays. Further making the situation worse is the fact that fragrances are encountered ever more increasingly in the workplace, as well other places where escape is akin to making your away off Alcatraz. Fragrances have by now made their way into practically every industry and business on the planet. They are used in just about every cleaning, laundry, and personal-care product known to man, so think you just have to escape women wearing too much perfume or men doused in cologne.

Migraines and Birth Control Pills

staff — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 19:44:46 +0000

Women who take the combined oral contraceptive pill have a slightly increased risk of suffering a stroke compared to the general risk. Women who also suffer from migraines have a slightly increased risk of stroke compared to the general risk and the risk even increases in women who suffer specifically from migraines with aura. Women who are taking the combined oral contraceptive and suffer from migraines of either kind, but especially those with aura run a slightly higher risk of stroke than do women who either take the pill and don’t suffer migraines or suffer migraines and don’t the pill. The risk is small, but it’s a good idea to be educated about these risks regardless.

Treating Migraines with Supplements

staff — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:44:45 +0000

It would be terrific to come across a magic pill that ends migraine headaches the moment they hit. But unless you marry a witch or find a genie on a beach somewhere, it ain’t going to happy any time soon. For the time being, the best approach to treating migraines is with prevention. Supplements are definitely the generals leading the way on this battlefield. Okay, we all know generals don’t lead the way on the battlefield anymore, but the metaphor is still apt.

MSG and Migraines

staff — Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:42:44 +0000

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) should always be considered a prime suspect when on the lookout for a food-related migraine trigger. With many studies claiming that a majority of migraines are triggered by food or food additives, it’s almost a given that MSG should be on your lookout list.

Prescription Medication and Migraine Relief

staff — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 20:47:40 +0000

New therapies to treat headache go back to the beginning of the last century when ergotamine tartrate was first isolated in a laboratory. It was this development which introduced clinical practice into treating migraines. Ergotamine works by constricting blood vessels in the head. About twenty-five years later researchers began to suspect that disturbances in the brain’s serotonin level played a role in migraine. The drug, methysergide, a serotonin antagonist that prevents migraine attacks, was introduced into clinical practice in 1958. In recent years, new technologies have made it possible for researchers to identify serotonin receptors throughout the body. It is now believed that serotonin levels actually decrease at the onset of a migraine attack, causing blood vessels to dilate and surrounding tissues to swell. This is that brings on the pain.

Sinus Headache or Migraine?

staff — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 20:46:15 +0000

Many people with migraines go for years without being properly diagnosed because they continue their erroneous assumption that what they are experiencing is merely a common sinus headache. One study found that a whopping 97% of people who described their headaches as sinus headaches were actually experiencing symptoms associated with migraines. The problem is that the symptoms of migraine headaches and sinus headaches often overlap, leading to confusion that can be very serious if your migraine goes undiagnosed. One reason behind this confusion may lie in the fact that the same nerves that carry migraine pain also travel to the sinuses. Pain in the sinuses, face or around the eyes can be felt during a migraine on one or both sides of the head. In addition, the nerves that cause stuffy or runny nose and watery eyes can be also be activated during a migraine.

Massage Therapy

staff — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:45:37 +0000

When it comes to migraines, a little massage never hurt. But then again, a little massage never hurt whether you suffer from migraines or not. Seriously though, massage therapy has proven quite helpful in relieving headache pain. In general, you don’t want to rely solely upon massage as the method for relief from your madness, but instead use it in conjunction with other therapies as well as medication and changes in your lifestyle.

Migraines with Coexisting Medical Conditions

staff — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 20:43:42 +0000

Coexisting medical conditions are multiple illnesses or health conditions that can occur at the same time. These conditions may be either or they may be independent from each other. One person with migraine may suffer from depression, while another migraine sufferer may have asthma. Both asthma and depression are coexisting conditions with migraine