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Migraine Solution
By peace | July 12, 2006
At some point in their lives, 90% of people will get a tension headache; migraines affect about 15% of the total population. Both headache types affect women three times as often as men.
Doctors aren’t entirely sure what causes headaches, but they now believe that tension and migraine headaches–even though they lie at opposite ends of the same spectrum–are related to one another. What’s more, both headache types are likely inherited: It appears that tension and migraine headache sufferers have a genetically predisposed defect that involves the brain chemical serotonin. This chemical, which seems to be on the tip of every scientist’s tongue these days, regulates your mood, how well you sleep, and the narrowing and widening of your blood vessels.
Here’s what likely happens when you get a migraine and probably a tension headache, too:
- An electrical wave sweeps over the brain.
- The electrical activity causes a surge in the serotonin level, which causes blood vessels to constrict.
- Serotonin seeps into the surrounding tissues, which lowers the level of serotonin in the brain.
- The blood vessels expand and the nerves in the brain become irritated by the lack of serotonin.
What brings on the electrical activity and the rise and fall in serotonin? The answer is triggers.
Common triggers for tension and migraine headaches include:
- Stress
- Worry
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Anger
- Too much or too little sleep
- Changes in weather and seasons
- Missing a meal
- Drinking too much caffeine
- Eating certain foods:
- chocolate
- aged cheeses
- citrus fruits
- pickled, fermented, or marinated foods
- cured meats (hot dogs, luncheon meats)
- cfmartame (NutraSweet)
- monosodium glutamate (MSG)
- Drinking alcohol (especially red wine)
- Getting too much sun or overexposure to bright, glaring indoor lights
- Female hormones:
- menstruation
- oral contraceptives
- estrogen replacement therapy
- pregnancy
- A change in altitude or pressure
- Strong odors (perfume, cigarette smoke, paint, etc.)
- Motion (in a car or boat)
Treatment
The best treatment for migraines is prevention (if precipitating factors can be identified).
All medications the patient is taking should be reviewed to determine if any could be contributing to these headaches.
The diet should be examined to identify foods commonly known to precipitate migraines, such as red wine, aged cheese, chocolate and nuts. If avoiding these factors is not effective, and the headaches occur frequently, a drug may be used to help prevent headaches.
Drugs used to prevent migraines include beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antidepressants, cyproheptadine and methysergide. Analgesics, such as aspirin or acetaminophen, may be used to reduce pain in less severe attacks. Metoclopramide has been used to help decrease the nausea and vomiting that accompanies migraines. In more severe attacks, ergotamine is used and can be given orally, by inhaler or suppositories (for patients with significant nausea and vomiting accompanying an attack). Ergotamine may also be given by injection if necessary. Ergotamine works by constricting the cranial blood vessels but has the potential for causing serious side effects. It must be carefully administered according to directions and should not exceed the recommended dosage for each attack.
Other drugs used in treating an acute migraine attack that does not respond to ergotamine include phenothiazines and corticosteroids. Narcotics are not recommended for routine treatment of migraines due to the potential for addiction. Sumatriptan is a newer drug treatment that is available as a tablet or an injectable product. It can provide relief within 10 minutes following injection.
Topics: All Posts, Diseases, Man's health, Woman's Health |
