5 Things You Need to Know About The Types of Migraine Headaches

1. Diagnose Your Aching Head

Migraines belong to a group called vascular headaches, probably caused by problems with blood vessels in the brain. Several types of migraines exist, and migraine headaches are as individual as the people who get them. Some people have one a year while others have them like clockwork. Sleep, exercise, food and even sneezing can trigger migraines. Migraines can also mimic other conditions, so it's important to get a definite diagnosis before starting any treatment. Both general practitioners and neurologists see people with migraines.

2. Locate the Throbbing Pain

The most common shared symptom is a dull ache that turns into a throbbing and even pulsating head pain. This is what people with common migraines feel, such as migraines without aura, the most frequently occurring type. Head pain is often at one temple, but it can alternate sides or travel to the back of the head. Pain may radiate from pressure against inflamed blood vessels. Nausea and sensitivity to light often accompany the throbbing. Migraine pain often incapacitates people who must retreat to a cool, dark room.

3. Lights, Action, Migraine

About 1/3 of the people with migraines get a preview of coming attractions from an aura before the pain begins. The aura tends to be some kind of visual disturbance, like flashing lights, tunnel vision or a temporary loss of vision. Auras can even be some type of hallucination. Up to 30 minutes later, intense pain happens at the temple or around the other eye. People who experience migraines with aura can also have numbness, tingling and confusion. Some people can curb the intensity of the migraine if they recognize the aura as a hint of things to come, take prescribed medication and lie down.

4. Consider Your Time of the Month

Young women with basilar artery migraines may suffer from a hormonal imbalance associated with their menstrual cycle. Signs that a hormonal migraine is about to hit can include dizziness, double vision and problems with coordination. Headache pain my travel to the back of the head and include vomiting. If migraine headaches start soon after you start hormones for birth control or menopause, talk to your doctor about alternatives. Some women find success in taking preventive medication about a week before their period starts.

5. The Eyes Have It

Several types of migraine headaches focus on the eyes, including ophthalmoplegic or ocular migraines. Pain centers on the eye and may even paralyze muscles around the eye to cause a droopy eyelid. Although rare, this type of migraine needs medical attention because there might be a problem with pressure on the nerves of the eye. Also referred to as retinal migraines, ocular migraines start with a visual disturbance like blind spots or temporary blindness. Afterwards, pain sometimes starts on the same side of the head. Ocular migraines occur more in older people, but any migraine involving the eyes needs an evaluation to rule out other problems.
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Last Updated: February 16, 2009

Karen Gibson, B.A., M.S.W., is a freelance writer with 20 years of writing experience who is passionate about nutrition and outdoor sports. She specializes is writing articles promoting a healthy lifestyle. Her work has been published in Backpacker magazine as well as on numerous national websites.

Article from Livestrong.com

Omega-3 Fats Improve Mental Well-Being in Menopause

Women who are in the throes of menopause can experience a range of debilitating symptoms, which can be psychological (for example, anxiety or depression) or physical (hot flushes and night sweats). Conventional medical treatment for menopause is centered on hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

However, concerns about the safety of HRT (for instance, it’s linked with an increased risk of breast cancer) and some doubts about how effective it is for quelling menopausal symptoms have led many women to seek alternatives.

One popular brand of natural medicine that offers something for menopausal women is herbal medicine. Quite a few herbs are recommended for menopausal symptoms, including black cohosh and St. John’s wort. There is evidence that supports the use of St. John’s wort as an antidepressant, and black cohosh has been shown to successfully treat menopausal symptoms.

One other treatment strategy that may have some merit in the treatment of menopause involves the omega-3 fats such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) found in oily fish. Omega-3 fats do seem to have some ability to reduce the risk of cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease and stroke, the risk of which is generally higher after the menopause. Omega-3 fats also seem to have the power to protect against depression and may even assist in the treatment of this condition.

In a study published in the most recent edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 120 menopausal women suffering from “psychological distress” were treated with omega-3 fats or placebo (sunflower oil) for 8 weeks [1]. The women taking omega-3 fats were given 1.05 g of EPA and 0.15 g of DHA per day.

Some of the women in this study suffered from depression severe enough to be diagnosed with a “major depressive episode.” Compared to placebo, individuals in this group were not significantly helped by taking omega-3 fats after eight weeks of treatment.

However, when the results from the rest of the women were analyzed, omega-3 treatment was associated with significant improvements in psychological well-being and reduced symptoms of depression. These results suggest that omega-3 supplementation may be beneficial for improving the psychological well-being of menopausal women.

Reference:

1. Lucas M, et al. Ethyl-eicosapentaenoic acid for the treatment of psychological distress and depressive symptoms in middle-aged women: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2009; 89: 641–651

Dr. John Briffa is a London-based physician and health writer with an interest in nutrition and natural medicine. His Web site is drbriffa.com

Last Updated
Feb 8, 2009

Managing High Blood Pressure With Chinese Medicine By China Research Group

Chinese medicine aims to correct the cause of high blood pressure—this is what “keeping blood pressure down in the right way” means.

Specialist in Chinese medicine Dr. Alex Perry from the Blue Sky Clinic, Canberra, says: “Chinese medicine would like to try—particularly in looking at the etiology of disease—[to] determine where the problem is coming from. If you can narrow it down to perhaps lifestyle or emotional factors, then you have a better approach than just lowering the blood pressure. ...”

Perry said, “There is a very strong mind-body connection. What is happening mentally, emotionally, [and] physically has a profound effect on physiology; high blood pressure is a good example.”

Lifestyle factors, including alcohol consumption, can influence blood pressure.
Herbal Treatments

There are numerous Chinese medicinal herbs used to treat high blood pressure. Their aim is to make the kidney excrete more urine; dilate blood vessels; regulate the nervous, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems; and regulate the blood supply of the internal organs and the brain.
The Shanghai Institute of Hypertension screened 498 medicinal herbs and found 136—including Stephania root, Apocynus lancifolium, Menispermum dauricum, Clerodendreon trichotomum, Uncaria sinensis, and Pheretima asperillum—and 56 herbal formulas that help lower blood pressure.

Perry said there were up to 20 different herbs that can be used in different combinations that act by soothing or pacifying the liver.

Ginseng has also been studied, and it has been found to either lower or raise blood pressure, so high blood pressure sufferers should consult their physicians before using it. Other treatments include cupping, qigong, and acupuncture.

“We generally do a combination of acupuncture and herbal treatment. Some Chinese medical practitioners use acupuncture alone; some use herbal medicine alone; some use a combination.”

However, Perry said, “In some cases where hypertension is quite dangerous, medication from Western medicine is perhaps more appropriate.”

Last Updated
Feb 6, 2009

How to stop cough in 5 minutes?

This is a must try....
We have all been kept awake by our own or someone else's cough. Try this and pass it on. The tip and not the cough.

ANYTHING is better than antibiotics. Even babies could benefit from this and the parents wouldn't worry about the safety of their child. And of course, it is harmless and free from any type of side-effects.
WOW! I was raised, and raised my kids with Vicks. How come I never knew this?

READ IT ALL. It works 100 percent of the time, although the scientists at the Canada Research council (who discovered it) aren't sure why.

Treatment:
To stop night time coughing in a child (or an adult, as we found out personally), put Vicks Vapor Rub generously on the bottom of the feet at bedtime and then cover with socks.

Even persistent, heavy, deep coughing will stop in about five minutes and stay stopped for many, many hours of relief.
This works 100 percent of the time, and is more effective in children than even very strong prescription cough medicines.

In addition it is extremely soothing and comforting and they will sleep soundly. I heard the head of the Canada Research Council describe these findings on the part of their scientists when they were investigating the effectiveness and usage of prescription cough medicines in children, as compared to alternative therapies like acupressure.

I just happened to tune in to a.m. Radio and picked up this guy talking about why cough medicines in kids often do more harm than good due to the chemical makeup of these strong drugs, so I listened.

It was a surprising finding and found to be more effective than prescribed medicines for children at bedtime, and in addition to have a soothing and calming effect on sick children who then went on to sleep soundly.

How to stop cough in 5 minutes!!! This is a must try...

Don't waste time regretting or expecting too much in your life..Yesterday is history.Tomorrow is a mystery.But Today is a gift - and that is why it is called the PRESENT..