Allergies and Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches have been so common currently. It is in fact a chronic condition having an effect on roughly 6% of men but 18% of women. The symptoms may be severe or moderate, affect the daily activities of the person, need a lot of rest and sleep and can last for days in many people. The reason for the migraine headache is still not understood in spite of a lot of research. However, it is believed that migraine is associated with the body chemicals that can cause dilation of the blood vessels in brain, thus leading to headaches finally.

It is recommended to recognize the difference between sinus migraines and migraines. The International Headache Society (IHS) states that sinus headaches can be classified as
? Colored nasal discharge due to sinus
? Abnormal CAT scan or x-rays of the sinuses
? Sinusitis symptoms and headache or pain only in the involved sinuses
? Headache will not occur after the sinusitis is treated.
Hence IHS links sinus headaches to sinusitis and not migraine. But many of the diagnoses of these headaches are not consistent with that of sinusitis. Therefore there is a chance for sinus heada

Best headache home remedies

There are a number of combinations to try on for a relief from migraine or from the pain due to migraine. The health conditions differ from individual to individual and hence the remedies also cannot be similar to everyone. It is not possible for a single remedy to work for everyone. The following gives a gist of the available home remedies. Identify the one which suits and it is a great help for migraineurs.

1. Aromatherapy

This serves to be the best out of all the existing remedies. But this varies from individual to individual. This is owing to the connection of different types of smells for different things by an individual. In spite of these differences, there are some specific smells that can be effective for relieving headache. Examples include lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus and sandalwood. These can be tried each separately or as combinations. Essential oils can be used for massaging, or candles or soaps for aroma can be used.

Botox for Migraine

Botox has gained popularity for the treatment of migraine only recently for a few years. It has been the best miraculous solution for some people. But there are still trial and errors in research which is not yet proved.

Botox is the botulinum toxin produced by a bacterium. In fact, this is extremely poisonous. If meat is not cooked or handled properly, this is a fatal disease if ingested. Research has evidence that botulinum toxin A, which is Botox has been used for many purposes.
In 1987, Jean and Alastair from Canada discovered its property to get rid of wrinkles. After this incident, botulinum toxin B was also used but in small doses for the same purpose. Later, Botox was found to decrease the frequency of attacks in migraineurs.
It was found that acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter, sends signals for the contraction of muscles. Botox does not permit the release of this neurotransmitter by binding to the nerve endings. As a result, the signals are not sent and the muscles relax. When treated properly, the muscles will be strong to perform their normal functions as well as they do not contract.

Connection between Migraine and Stroke

It has been identified since a few years that people suffering from migraine also have increased chances to obtain stroke. A lot of research has not yet shown the reason behind. Migraineurs may suffer from stroke in between a migraine attacks or after the "thunderclap headache" (more severe than a normal one and occurs very suddenly) or during the attack itself.

The people affected in such a stroke have been found to be women of age lower than 45. They do not possess the traditional risk factors meant for stroke like high BP, diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. Migraineurs are more prone to stroke in case they are also smokers or one who take constantly birth control pills.

Dealing with child migraines

Child migraines are equally terrifying as migraines in adults. More than 50% of the migraineurs would have experienced at least one attack as a child. Research has also proved that 5% people experience the attack before their age of 15. About one thirds of the children get migraine before 5. This proves that migraine seems much common in many people. Children who have a family history of migraine can get an attack as early as 4 months or before 2 years. But it is difficult to diagnose in infants.

It is always mistaken by many parents that their children just try to attract their attention, particularly when a friend of them or they themselves suffer from migraine. But the parent must remember the following

Diet headache migraine

There is certainly a connection between the food and the migraine headache. It is required to know the basics of diet so that the food items can be classified into essential and unessential. The food types are of two main types in the case of migraines.

1. Headache trigger foods

Such foods which can initiate the chain reaction of migraine are referred as headache trigger foods. Even though these food items do not cause an allergy, they can initiate an allergic reaction especially in the case of migraines. Diet requirements vary among individuals but some common foods have been identified that should be avoided for migraineurs. They are named differently

Herbal Treatment for Migraine

It might be surprising. But it is real! There are herbs which can be used in the effective treatment of migraine and other headaches. In fact, herbal medicine ages back to nearly thousands of years. Similar to migraine, herbs are also complex and it is difficult to understand the mechanism of their work. Hence it has been a trial and error study for a long time. Besides, this may vary from person to person. It becomes the responsibility of the patient to determine if it works for him.

The next important thing to be reminded is that though these herbs are gentler compared to drugs, higher doses can be harmful to the body and can even increase the pain. Hence the correct dosage needs to be known separately for every one. Some herbs can create problems if taken in a combination. This hence needs to be confirmed with a doctor.
The following herbs are effective in the treatment of migraine.

History of Migraine Headache

Migraine has been around in this world for a very long time. Considering the symptoms of migraine, it seems that it is one of the ancient known diseases and Migraine is just newly named. The Babylonian writings (3000 BC) as well as papyrus scrolls (1550 BC) which were interred together with a mummy gave a detailed account of migraine symptoms similar to what occurs now.

The Father of Medicine, Hippocrates (460 BC) explained that migraine was observed to start with a shining beam observed usually in a single eye pursued by a critical pain starting at the temples, entering the head and then down through the neck. He explained that migraine could be conquered by regular exercises.

How to handle the barometric pressure headache?

Migraine has many triggers. One such trigger is barometric pressure. Any changes in the pressure may lead to migraine attacks in some people. The headache caused by barometric pressure is a difficult one to deal with. It has been proved before long time that weather changes can affect the body. Though there are many people prone to this attack, scientists are still unable to discover the actual reason.

However, it has been found that the changes in pressure can lead to changes in the levels of oxygen. The most probable reason may be that the blood vessels will expand or contract in order to compensate the change in oxygen levels. Size changes in blood vessels can occur as a result of blood flow changes. This can lead to migraine attacks. This is the reason behind headaches for some people while flying or hiking or travelling.

Menstrual migraine

Menstrual migraine has been misdiagnosed for a very long time and even now in spite of so many years of migraine research. It has been treated poorly and only recently, this condition is changing. Even in menstrual migraine, there are two types, one the true menstrual migraine and the other Menstrually Related or Associated migraine.

Research has indicated that women are most prone to migraine attacks compared to men. The reason behind this is that women have more hormonal changes comparatively.