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Headaches and Migraine: Life Interrupted (poll responses)

James — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 18:46:20 +0000

What have you missed out on because of a headache or migraine attack? That was our most recent poll question. Here are the responses:

As you can see, it’s the family that suffers most. Family events accounted for at least 42% of events missed, including holiday get-togethers, weddings and funerals. Work related events such as job interviews got over 12%. And those enjoyable outings like concerts or sports events were missed by 11%.

Of course, the poll was asking what the most important event was that you’ve missed. This will vary from person to person. But it should also be pointed out that most of us miss many of these events, not just one.

Perhaps more often than not, we still attend the event, but do not enjoy it / are less productive / don’t really appreciate it.

Thanks for your responses! Would you like to share about a specific event that you’ve missed? Leave a comment!

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Headaches and Migraine: Life Interrupted (poll responses)

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Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches – New low price!

James — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:06:56 +0000

Teri Robert’s migraine and headache classic Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You…That You Need to Know (Living Well (Collins)) is on sale! I’ve never seen it at such a low price on amazon.com. If you don’t own this book, it’s an excellent reference to have, and an excellent time to get it!

Here’s the publisher’s blurb:

For millions of Americans, Migraine disease, tension headaches, and other headaches are a debilitating part of every day.

Teri Robert has been there—in fact, she experienced her first Migraine at age six. Now, in this groundbreaking holistic guide to the diagnosis and treatment of headaches and Migraine disease, she brings a patient-empowering message to all headache sufferers: you don’t have to live with daily pain. She provides you with all the information you need to know about getting the help you need, including:

Understanding side effects

Treatments for long-term relief

Risks and symptoms

Identification of the various types of headaches

Traditional and alternative therapies

Information on finding health care practitioners and support

Numerous case studies and expert advice

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Living Well with Migraine Disease and Headaches – New low price!

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Could Botox Fight Low Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Headaches?

James — Mon, 30 May 2011 20:46:21 +0000

Low Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Headaches can be tricky to diagnose and difficult to treat. Could Botox (Botulinum Toxin A) provide relief for some?

Low CSF pressure can lead to other neurological symptoms besides just headache (such as nausea, neck pain, neck stiffness, vertigo, and visual disturbances). But the headaches can be anywhere from nagging to completely disabling. The dehydration after a night of drinking can actually change levels of the fluid, leading to a hangover headache.

Needles used for a lumbar puncture

But low CSF headaches generally come after a lumbar puncture, which makes them easier to track down. However, some people have low CSF pressure for other reasons. If the low pressure is suspected, tests can usually lead to the proper diagnosis and treatment. If.

Common treatments include bed rest and re hydration, epidural blood patch (an injection of your own blood at a key location), and some types of surgery.

A recent case study on Botox published by the Mayo Clinic has raised interest in using Botox for chronic cases. In this case, a women who had been suffering the pain of low CSF headache for 25 years found preventative relief from Botox injections. The intensity of her headaches went from 8/10 to 3/10 for the three months after the treatment.

This raises new questions about what triggers the headache pain, and how Botox fights it. But this new treatment may allow other patients that have not found treatments to live a normal life.

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Could Botox Fight Low Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure Headaches?

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Guest Post: Diabetes and Headaches

James — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:00:06 +0000

Today I would like to welcome Erich Y. Schultz, J.D., M.B.A., who will be telling us a little about the diabetes and headaches connection. Here he is!

Unfortunately, there is a strong connection between diabetes and headaches. In fact, diabetics are more likely to suffer from a headache than non-diabetics. No, this does not mean that every time you get a headache you should be worried that you have diabetes. Instead, it only means that a headache is a common symptom of complications arising from poorly controlled diabetes. Let’s take a closer look at why this happens.

What is Diabetes?

There are three main types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational. All diabetes types affect how our bodies break-down and process food. When food enters the stomach and intestines, our body converts the food into energy called glucose. Glucose is simply a form of sugar in our blood.

In a non-diabetic, the glucose flows from the blood into our cells, providing the individual cells with the necessary energy to run properly. Insulin, produced by the pancreas, is the substance that facilitates the transfer of the glucose from the blood to the cells.

In a diabetic, this process does not work properly. Insulin is either not produced at all or not enough is produced to process the glucose. Alternatively, the individual cells may be resistant to the insulin, thus the glucose is not transferred. Regardless of the reason, the glucose is not processed and will build up in the blood and/or passes through the body through urination.

The net result is that the body does not get enough energy and dangerous amounts of glucose can build up in the blood causing complications, if not death. All in all, neither situation is good.

Why Diabetes and Headaches?

Headaches tend to be a symptom of a wide variety of underlying maladies. Diabetes is no different. Here is a partial annotated list of possible reasons you may have a headache if you are a diabetic.

Undiagnosed Diabetes: As many as 60 million Americans may have pre-diabetes or undiagnosed diabetes. A common symptom of diabetes is a headache. As glucose builds up in your blood, a headache is a common symptom that this could be occurring.
Hyperglycemia and Hypoglycemia: Too much glucose in your blood is called hyperglycemia, too little is called hypoglycemia. Either way, if you begin to develop one of these two conditions, you can be in serious trouble. A headache is one key warning sign that one of these conditions could be occurring.
High Blood Pressure: Over time, too much glucose in the blood can cause high blood pressure. A key symptom of high blood pressure is a headache.
Glaucoma: Over time, too much sugar in the blood can weaken the small blood vessels in the eye. Blood begins to leak into the eye, causing glaucoma. The fluid build-up in the eye can put pressure on the optic nerve… wait for it… causing a headache.
Occipital Neuropathy: Over time, too much sugar in the blood can damage your nerves. This condition is generally known as neuropathy. One type of neuropathy in diabetics is called Occipital Neuropathy. A key symptom is a headache.

As you can see, the above list is not very uplifting if you have diabetes. Nonetheless, I would like to point out that many, if not all, of these conditions, can be avoided if diabetes is controlled properly. How is proper control achieved?

The three key ways to avoid the headache, and the diabetic complications, is to eat properly, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight. If you get these three things right, then you may be able to avoid diabetes all together, or at least avoid or minimize the common complications.

For more information on "all things diabetes" please check out Erich’s site at Diabetes Well Being

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

Guest Post: Diabetes and Headaches

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1% Thursday: Lights Out

James — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 13:01:25 +0000

It’s no secret that people having a migraine attack usually want to retreat to a very dark room. Even a tiny bit of light seeping in under the door can make the pain worse.

But even when you’re not in the middle of an actual attack, your body needs a break from light – a time away. Sometimes our houses are so busy that there’s always a nightlight, lights from outside, lights from electronics – and we never really get to rest in a dark room.

Your body needs that rest. Recent research has suggested that even a dim light can cause changes in your brain, change your sleep cycle, and put you in a worse mood the next day.

Not only that – some studies suggest that a little light could result in higher body weight. And less sleep can do the same thing! If you want to lose weight – get a full night’s sleep in a dark room!

These changes in the brain are related to migraine and cluster headache especially, and most likely they’ll impact headaches such as tension type headache.

So check out your bedroom, and consider heavier curtains, changing that nightlight for a flashlight by the bed, and cutting down that light from the hallway. Over time, you may find yourself that much healthier.

What is 1% Thursday?

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better. Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge. Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

1% Thursday: Lights Out

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1% Thursday: Make the call – find a new doctor.

James — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:44:20 +0000

This week, make the call you know you’ve needed to make for a long time. Find a new doctor.

There are a lot of reasons why people put up with a doctor or specialist. I mean that doctor that you’ve been seeing for a while – but you know you’re not happy with them. They don’t listen, maybe. Or all they want to do is try the latest drug on you – they’re not willing to explore other options. Or maybe they’re even too nice – they’re not willing to tell you what you know you really need to hear.

Why do we put up with it? Well, sometimes we’re just not aware of someone near our area who is better, and time and/or financial constraints are keeping us from making the switch (of course, imagine the financial benefits of getting those migraine or cluster attacks under control!).

But a lot of the time we just don’t want to take the risk. What if the next doctor is worse? Or we just don’t want to bother – all the same questions all over again, getting to know someone new, explaining again…

I understand your hesitation. But putting up with a doctor who is not moving your treatment forward is simply not worth it. Why wait 5 more years to change? Yes, you may need to do a little research. Maybe even try a specialist or two before you’re happy. But the long term benefits are enormous.

"I just don’t have the emotional stamina to do it right now!" – all right, explain your situation to a friend. Have them do some research for you. But take the step. It’s the beginning of the new year, this is your week to make a change that will make a big difference in the months to come. Don’t put it off. Make the call.

For more resources, read Finding a Good Migraine Specialist

What is 1% Thursday?

Every Thursday at Headache and Migraine News (weather permitting) we’ll talk about one measurable, practical thing we can do to make our lives just 1% better. Usually it will be something very easy, sometimes it will be a challenge. Let us know if you try it, or share an idea of your own – and maybe a year from now we’ll see that things have really changed for the better!

From the Headache and Migraine News Blog

1% Thursday: Make the call – find a new doctor.

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