Tips

15 October 2010

8 Things I Find Helpful (related to Migraine)

I wasn’t exactly sure what to title this post, but I decided to sit down and think of 8 of the most useful things I have used either to prevent an attack or to survive an attack (migraine, that is).

I don’t usually post personal things like this – partly because I’m aware that everyone is so different. I especially hesitate to promote medications or supplements based on my experience – I’d rather have scientific data to draw from.

However, these 8 things may have wider appeal.

I’m not listing life style things or schedule changes or those kinds of tips – only specific items I’ve used a lot. I’m sure you have items that have helped you – leave a comment and let’s make the list bigger!

Flax seed silk eye pillow: It blocks out the light, blocks out unpleasant smells, and cools my face around my eyes. I use one like this eye pillow from Celestial Dreams, though mine has a strap (which I don’t think I’ve ever used). More on eye pillows here.
Buckwheat Pillow: Yes, I sleep with one every night. Similar to the benefits of the eye pillow, but it also helps support my neck and doesn’t feel like it’s "smothering" me. More about buckwheat pillows here.
Oatmeal: I was always told oatmeal will "stick to your ribs". The truth is, oatmeal provides great long lasting slow-release energy. A bowl at night may help you feel better in the morning, and a bowl in the morning will help you last longer throughout the day.
Klean Kanteen: Pure, cool water always available, to keep me hydrated or to take medication with on time. Read more about why I love mine here.
MP3 Player: I still have the old iriver clix, which is a beauty but hard to find. However, many of you already have an MP3 player built into a cell phone or you have an iPod or many of the other players. It’s always handy and I can listen to it when I really can’t do anything else. Here are some more thoughts.
Dehydrator: This is still a fairly new one for me, but I really have appreciated the dried fruit and fruit leather that is so easy to make, and then so easy to carry with you. Travelling, it’s fantastic to have a quick healthy snack always on hand. After a fair amount of research I settled on this one.
Sunglasses: I wrote this post before actually getting my new pair of sunglasses. Now that I’ve had the new pair for a while, I wonder why I waited so long. They are amazing. I settled on a pair of Smith Optics polarized sunglasses. The difference is truly amazing, and has saved me a lot of discomfort.
Migraine/Headache Diary: Having a record of what medication I’ve taken when, and what my symptoms have been, has been invaluable. For a diary to download and print, and instructions on how to use it, see this migraine diary article.

What about you? What odd or ordinary things have you found helpful?

14 October 2010

1% Thursday: Get to know the ICHD-II

James Resources, Tips 1

The International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II) from the International Headache Society is an attempt to standardize the way we talk about various headache disorders.

Look at it this way – it’s a way for people all around the world to speak the "same language".

For example, let’s say I find a great treatment for retinal migraine. I want to share it with the world, so I tell everyone,"Eat jelly doughnuts! They’ll cure you of retinal migraine!"

Unfortunately, some people speak a different language. What I call migraine without aura they call retinal migraine. So everyone starts eating jelly doughnuts for migraine without aura, but it doesn’t help – it makes things worse.

We need a common language, so we can share treatments, understand diagnosis, talk about symptoms. Of course researchers can question these classifications – but they can’t discuss them intelligently unless they have a common base to work from.

When it comes to research, the ICHD II also helps us have clear, consistent, valuable results. Sadly, a recent study of the past few years found that studies only had about 64% compliance with the ICHD II standards. That makes the studies confusing at best and useless at worst.

So this week I challenge you to at least start to understand the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II). Have your doctor show you which type of headache or migraine you have, and understand why you have that and nothing else.

This will:

Help promote the use of this tool worldwide
Help you understand your type of headache or migraine
Enable you to better discuss symptoms and treatments with others
Help you find people who really do have the same type of headache as you
It may help you discover that you have something different than what you thought, or perhaps more than one type of headache. Check the guide then talk to your doctor!

Start now. For the online version, see the International Classification of Headache Disorders II website. Currently, you can directly download the whole guide. Right click this link and download it to your desktop (pdf, 780KB)

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!

7 October 2010

1% Thursday: Straight and Tall

James Resources, Tips 1

It’s a vicious circle. When you’re in pain, you may tense your muscles and crouch or slouch or lie in odd positions. The muscle strain and bad posture may cause more muscle problems, that may trigger headaches and migraine attacks.

On the other hand, having good posture may lead to less pain, more energy, and even better digestion! Hey, it will even make you look more attractive!

Just being aware of a few simple ways to improve your posture can make a huge difference. Here are some quick suggestions, a simple one first:

Watch the Mayo Clinic Posture Slideshow. It will help you understand how the back and neck work, and how you can easily start to improve posture. It’s just 8 slides long.
If you want more in-depth help with posture and muscle strength, I recommend (sadly) out-of-print book The Posture Prescription if you can find it (read my review here). It will help you make better postures and stronger muscles a way of life instead of an exercise program.
Consider seeing a physiotherapist. There are different specialties in physiotherapy – look for someone who can help you specifically with posture and movement. (Obviously this is much more of a time commitment than a typical 1% Thursday suggestion, but it can make a huge difference.)

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!

5 October 2010

Migraine and Hobbies

James Tips 9

Do you have a hobby? Does it help you cope with migraine, or chronic daily headache?

I decided to do something drastic this month, and actually write, on topic, for the Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival. You can guess what this month’s topic is — How do your hobbies help you cope with your headache disorder?

My hobby of putting on pyrotechnical laser light shows for my heavy metal band while I play the drums has always helped me cope with migraine. Just kidding.

All right, so not every hobby is exactly conducive to someone with migraine. There’s no doubt that my lifestyle is influenced by migraine.

But seriously, how can hobbies help? For one thing, hobbies are simply a source of enjoyment (in theory). And perhaps they can help you feel a sense of accomplishment, when you don’t feel like you’re accomplishing a lot of other things in life.

I certainly have enjoyed various hobbies, and here are some things I’ve learned when it comes to having a hobby with migraine — let’s put them in the form of questions you can ask when choosing a hobby:

Is it migraine/headache inducing? All right, so that’s an obvious one. But believe it or not, many of us do end up doing things that simply make our condition worse.
Will I be able to do this while I already have nasty symptoms? Don’t get me wrong – I realize there are times when you can do nothing – not even sit up. I’ve been there many times. But if you have many hours in a week or month when you can still do something, even though you can’t carry on with normal activities, maybe there’s something you can still do (read, write, listen to music, listen to a podcast…).
Is it therapeutic? Some hobbies not only aren’t migraine-inducing, they can help. All right, many hobbies can help just because they’re hobbies. But some people find something like gardening therapeutic. Or perhaps learning to cook healthier meals. Think about it.
Will this enrich my life? It’s nice to have some kind of a sense of accomplishment, especially for someone struggling with chronic symptoms. Will I learn something useful? Create something beautiful?
Can I help someone else with my hobby? Another great therapy – helping someone. If you can bake, start finding someone to bake for. Make it a surprise, of course – no deadlines!
Do I enjoy this? Obviously important.
Is this an expensive hobby over time? That’s all right if you can afford it, but if you’re already struggling with medical expenses you might want to think of something more economical.
Is there someone else I can enjoy this hobby with? Again, the idea here is not to put pressure on you (I’ll never play the piano as well as Michelle. Once again I can’t get together with Tim to work on the hot rod.). The idea is just to share. So maybe there’s a family member who understands, or a best friend. Maybe you can find someone online, or even sell your creations online. Or maybe you can even forge a friendship with someone else who has a chronic illness.

Music

Photography

Pottery

Model Trains

Hey, that last one is a great idea. Why don’t we start talking now?

Do you have headache or migraine, and a hobby? How has it helped you? Leave a comment and tell us about it! 🙂

4 October 2010

Aneurysm and Headache: 9 Ways to Know if I’m in Danger

James Information, Tips 7

When many people think of an aneurysm (or aneurism), they think of a severe headache and severe danger. Although aneurysms aren’t always like that, it is important to be aware of how headache and aneurysm can relate.

An aneurysm is an abnormal ballooning or widening of an artery. That means they can actually happen in many parts of the body, though some locations are more likely than others. Though no one is certain what causes all aneurysms, there are cases when they may be caused by a defect in the artery wall. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, drug abuse, and pregnancy are all common risk factors.

Sometimes aneurysms don’t cause any symptoms at all, but simply show up when you’re being tested for something else. At times your doctor won’t even recommend you have it treated.

An Angiograph of a Brain Aneurysm
Photo courtesy of Lucien Monfils

The most common type of aneurysm related to headache is the brain aneurysm. The bulge in a blood vessel in the brain may grow, leak, or rupture.

If the aneurysm is small, or even large, there may be no symptoms at all. If an aneurysm like this is discovered, you’ll need to talk to your doctor about whether or not treatment is needed.

If there are symptoms, they might include:

Pain – usually above or behind an eye
A drooping eyelid (which may also be a symptom of cluster headache)
A dilated pupil
Change in vision (ie double vision)
Numbness or weakness on one side of the face

You need to see your doctor if you’re experiencing these symptoms.

If the aneurysm begins to leak, or ruptures, that’s when it becomes an emergency (if it ruptures you need to get to a doctor NOW). But how do you tell?

Sudden, severe headache. This may happen with a leak (which usually becomes a rupture) or an actual rupture. If you have a sudden headache, perhaps the worst you’ve ever had, get to a doctor right away.
Nausea (also common in migraine, of course)
Sensitivity to light (another very common migraine symptom)
Stiff neck
Blurred or double vision
Drooping eyelid (again, a common cluster symptom)
Seizure
Unconsciousness
Confusion

Important: You do not have to have all these symptoms to have a ruptured aneurysm. But if you have a sudden, severe, headache, or if you have a combination of a couple of these symptoms or more, make sure your doctor is aware – and see her right away if these are new symptoms.

Your doctor will need to know about your cardiovascular health in general, any family history of aneurysms, and your use of drugs/alcohol/tobacco. Then tests will be ordered, such as a CT scan, MRI, ultrasound and/or angiogram. Depending on the type of aneurysm and other factors, you may need surgery, medication, or other therapies.

There are other conditions that may cause some similar symptoms – such as the so-called ophthalmoplegic migraine, sex headache or orgasm headache, or another type of "thunderclap headache" not caused by aneurysm. And of course we’ve talked about similarities with migraine and cluster.

Although unruptured aneurysms in general are fairly common, thankfully ruptured aneurysms are rare, and fatalities from brain aneurysms are even rarer (about 1 in 25,000 each year in the United States). Hopefully being aware of the risks and symptoms will help us get that number a lot lower.