Month: April 2022

Eliminating Migraine Headaches

Migraine headache sufferers can reduce or eliminate their migraine headaches by getting the proper amount of quality sleep. The chemical serotonin produced by the body is dependent on sleep and has been called the “feel good” chemical of the brain. Many people who have poor sleeping patterns will find that the body cannot produce this chemical without it and thus could end up suffering from a migraine attack.

Sleep quality is depended on certain factors being controlled or eliminated and they are stress, drugs and medications and noise. These things when under control can allow one to get the proper quality of rest that they need.

Lighting can also affect sleep quality and one cannot get good quality sleep with the lights on even if they think that this does not affect them. Turn off all the lights including the TV for a good quality night’s sleep.

There are those who have slept by having the TV on for many years and it is a hard habit to break. If one must have the TV on to fall asleep they should make sure to set the timer so that it goes off after about an hour. Once asleep the subconscious mind is aware of sounds and lights and when these things are eliminated the body can get the proper rest that it needs.

Stress is an element in our lives than can be difficult to eliminate but it can be reduced tremendously with the proper amount of exercise. Exercise has been known to be a great stress reducer.

If you get the right amount of exercise before sunset each day you can get a good quality of sleep at night. Do not, however, exercise just before bedtime as you may have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.

Certain medications can have their effects on our sleeping patterns. If you must take medication consult with your doctor about its effects on your sleep and if necessary the doctor will have you take them earlier in the day to reduce their effect on sleep. Caffeine is common drug that affects our sleep as well.

Reducing or eliminating caffeine consumption can greatly improve sleeping patterns. Do not consume caffeinated beverages after dinner and if you suffer from migraine headaches, caffeine has been known to trigger them, so eliminating or lessening consumption of it can help.…

Lack of Affordable Health Insurance Causes More Headaches For Migraine Patients

At times, some people minimize the necessity of health insurance. Can’t people just visit the hospital, regardless of their ability to pay? Emergency rooms are required to admit all comers. While that is true, emergency rooms are not ideal for treating chronic conditions. By the time people get there, they are often in dire straits. Treating them often ends up being more expensive and less effective at that point, since their health has worsened.

Migraine sufferers are a case in point. Their issues go beyond simple headaches; the throbbing pain can negatively impact their daily lives to a severe degree. As it turns out, hospital emergency rooms are more likely to provide substandard care for migraines. They are simply not equipped for such purposes. Patients with affordable health insurance are more likely to visit doctors or hospital outpatient departments.

The study from the Cambridge Health Alliance found that emergency rooms, where uninsured patients tend to receive their care, are five times as likely to offer worse treatment of migraines. That leads to the disparity of uninsured migraine patients being twice as likely to receive worse treatment.

Why do uninsured patients have worse outcomes? Emergency rooms do their best to treat the acute condition, giving a prescription for a narcotic that alleviates immediate symptoms. However, they do not typically prescribe the correct drugs found to decrease the chance of future moderate to severe headaches, such as DHE (dihydroergotamine). A primary care physician is more likely to have a steady relationship with a patient, and better able to help him or her manage their condition.

The authors of the study believe that up to 5.5 million patients will be assisted by a quality health insurance plan that covers severe migraine treatment.…

What’s the Difference Between Sinus Infection Symptoms and a Cold?

Are you thinking that you might have a sinus infection? There are certain ways that you can diagnose a sinus infection. Sinus infections come in different stages and you need to know whether you are at the earlier or the advanced stages of sinusitis.

Most people misinterpret a sinus infection as a cold since a lot of the symptoms are similar. The problem with this is a sinus infection needs to be treated with antibiotics. Your doctor may also prescribe a nasal spray to help you feel more comfortable until the infection is gone. Keep in mind that the longer you go without treating your sinus infection, the harder it will be to cure.

Here are some common ways to tell if you have a sinus infection:

• Yellowish discharge- if you feel some discharge at the back of your throat or you notice some yellowish discharge through your nose; then you might have sinusitis. If the discharge that comes out of your nose is not yellow then you might be in the early stages of sinusitis, so you must take control of the problem right away before it reaches its advanced stages.

• Headache- sinus headaches are certainly one of the many symptoms of sinusitis that are misdiagnosed. In most cases these headaches were mistaken for tension headaches and migraines. Sinus headaches either appear on one side of your head, the top of your head, or right across your forehead. Your sinus headache can make it hard for you to rotate or turn around if you don’t identify it early enough to treat it before you reach this stage. The headache cycle becomes hard to break as it gets into an automatic phase. The best way to get hold of this situation is to treat your sinus condition before it has a chance to worsen.

• Stuffy nose- Sinus congestion is one common symptom of sinusitis. When the sinus passages get blocked by dry mucous, everyday mucous continues to pack up and thus causing a stuffy nose. Do not take any sinus treatment that dries up the mucous or antihistamines as they will simply worsen the problem and even make your stuffy nose worse.

• Throat irritation – If you begin to feel some irritation in your throat, it may be caused by sinus discharge. Try to gargle with warm saltwater to relive this irritation. If it keeps coming back, then you may be getting a sinus infection.

• Coughing- Coughing from time to time during the day may be due to sinus drainage that irritates your cough reflex. The coughing helps to clear your throat but doesn’t help cure the problem. If the coughing continues for a couple weeks, you need to see your doctor.

You know your body better than anybody else. I’m also sure that you’ve had colds in the past. This means you should be familiar with the symptoms you experienced when you had a cold. If you notice symptoms out of the ordinary, then there’s a good chance you may have a sinus infection. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, so go see a doctor as soon as you think there’s a possibility that you have a sinus infection rather than a cold.…

Caffeine and Headaches – Caffeine Addictions – Short Medical Article

Coffee drinkers – Caution!

Whats the most frustrating physical problem you face in this modern stressful life?? Yes headache!! Common but disgusting.

Got a headache! Whats your first thought? Hmmm, a cup of coffee!! Coffee is the first choice to get relief from headache for many. This is because it is an easy- to- get remedy which gives immediate beneficial effects.

The main component of coffee is caffeine which jolts the central nervous system and act as a stimulant causing increase in alertness and awareness. It is used in many of the headache relievers like Excedrin and Fioricet.

Caffeine and its sources:

Caffeine is bitter crystalline alkaloid which acts as psychoactive stimulant.

It is present in many beverages like coffee, tea, soft drinks and energy drinks and also in small amounts in beans, leaves and fruits of some plants. Of these coffee occupies the first place.

Can Caffeine be a Cause of headaches:

The causes for headache can be stress, nutritional factors, and blood sugar levels commonly. Tension headache can be caused by muscle contraction in face, scalp, neck, shoulder and jaw when subjected to stress or even in cases of severe anxiety and depression. But migraine which is most common in women is caused by dilation of blood vessels.

Now an unexpected cause of headaches… caffeine!

Caffeine and headaches relation:

The most common occurrence of headache is due to blood vessels increasing in size and they gradually wreak havoc on the nerves surrounding them. So most of the headache relievers focus on bringing the blood vessels back to their normal size. Caffeine in small amounts can help to achieve this as it acts as vasoconstrictor.

But the darker side is caffeine when used in large amounts especially along with sugar can backfire and cause expansion of blood vessels and thereby resulting in headache.

Addictive nature of caffeine:

Can’t miss your morning cup of coffee? Or can’t start your work without enjoying your coffee daily? Then you are one of the millions suffering from caffeinism that is ‘addiction to caffeine’ or simply ‘caffeine dependency’.

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psychoactive substance all over the world. Unlike other abused drugs its consumption is legal and also unregulated in most of the countries. But caffeine can act as a slow poison.

Why addiction to caffeine?

Intakes of caffeine causes rush of adrenaline which results in boost of energy. But when we fail to take caffeine at the usual time, the adrenaline levels decrease and withdrawal symptoms start. This drags us to coffee shop again and the addiction starts.

When a regular coffee consumer goes without his/her fix, ‘caffeine withdrawal’ symptoms start to appear. These include drowsiness, coffee cravings, irritability, mood swings, headache and loss of appetite, upset stomach.

Overcoming caffeine withdrawal symptoms:

Best one is decreasing caffeine consumption gradually.

Taking additional vitamins like vitamin B 12, vitamin C and vitamin E, B-complex can help in detoxifying the body or mineral supplements

How much of caffeine is excess caffeine?

Generally 300mg of caffeine per day is agreed to be safe. This would be the amount in 2 cups of coffee. For pregnant woman this should more less.

Alternatives of coffee:

Green tea, licorice tea, black tea can be very helpful.…

Migraine Headache Relief – Prevent and Cure Naturally

It is estimated that 12 million Americans suffer from migraines. If you are one of these people like I am, migraine headache relief is an important but confusing subject. You want to prevent migraines from coming on in the first place, and get rid of them fast when they do. You’ve probably tried various over the counter options, and may have tried many prescription options as well. Unfortunately many of these options can cause trouble for your body when taken over a long period of time, and also have strong side effects that are almost as debilitating as the migraine itself. Another option you may not have tried yet are natural options for migraine headache relief. Natural options have the benefits of preventing and curing headaches with no side effects, and are often just as effective as over the counter and prescription options.

Prevent

Find your Triggers – There are a wide variety of things that can trigger a migraine. Foods are a common trigger of headaches. Things such as processed meats, alcohol, dried fish, caffeine, dairy products or grains. Other things that can trigger migraines are hormone level changes such as those that occur in menstruation or while taking birth control, changes in sleeping patterns, and dramatic weather changes. Keep a diary of your eating and sleeping habits, as well as other notes so you can determine what your triggers are and eliminate those that are within your control. By recognizing and eliminating triggers, migraine headache relief is within your grasp.

Homeopathic Remedies – Headaches are often caused by either constricted blood vessels or the presence of allergens and toxins in your body. By bringing and keeping your nervous system and liver in a healthy balance you can achieve migraine headache relief that is more effective than many prescription options. The herb feverfew has been found to prevent many migraines by limiting the production of prostaglandins, the brain chemicals responsible for contracting blood vessels. Another herb milk thistle, helps to support liver function and can allow your liver to more effectively filter allergens and toxins from your body. These homeopathic remedies do not work instantly, and are not terribly effective to cure migraines, but over time they have shown to be very effective in preventing migraines from occurring.

Cure

Aromatherapy – Once a migraine has come on, there are a whole range of options for migraine headache relief. Unfortunately many of these options come with the side effect of grogginess. Being sleepy and out of it is really not much better than having the migraine as far as getting things done and getting on with the business of daily life. Aromatherapy is a great option for migraine headache relief because many people find it highly effective and there are no side effects to deal with. A great combination of essential oils for migraine relief are Lavender, rosemary, and peppermint. Lavender relaxes tense muscles, Rosemary acts as a stimulant similar to caffeine to increase blood flow, and peppermint has a cooling effect. Combine these oils in equal amounts into a carrier oil and massage on neck, shoulders, and temples to experience amazing migraine headache relief.

Migraines don’t have to be a part of your daily life. You can get effective headache relief without the strong side effects of prescription medications or the potential damage to your body caused by overuse of over the counter medications. Using natural remedies to achieve migraine headache relief is a safe and effective option to explore. By keeping a diary of potential triggers, using herbal remedies to prevent headaches and aromatherapy to manage the migraines that do slip through, you will find that you can continue on with your daily life without interruption.…