Tips

2 April 2005

Cluster headache and routines

Cluster headaches are extremely painful. They come all at once, stay for a period of time, and then may disappear for months. But the interesting thing about clusters is that, even during a time when you’re getting them, you can still make them better or worse. Many of the same rules apply for clusters that apply for migraines and various kinds of headaches.

The best thing to do when it comes to clusters is stick to your normal routine. Of course, migraineurs are familiar with this concept – many of us are guaranteed a very painful experience if we sleep in on the weekend, or even if there’s a time change. But the same goes for people with cluster. You may not be able to avoid the pain altogether, but you can avoid some of it.

By the way, if you want to be reminded of the major symptoms of clusters so that you never forget them, check out this picture of a cluster sufferer from Aurora Health Care.

30 March 2005

Building your emergency kit

James Tips 0

I got an email from Roy in South Africa, who pointed out a major omission in the last issue of HeadWay. One of the things we were doing this month was preparing for that trip to emergency. Of course, there are all kinds of things that you may choose to take with you, but one of the most important is the contact information for your doctor(s). That way, if they’re on the ball at the hospital, they can call right away and find out what treatment she or he recommends for your case. Of course, the MedicAlert bracelet does much the same thing, this is more of a low-tech way of doing it.

What Roy was actually suggesting was having all this information in your mobile/cell phone. That would include the number for the nearest hospital, medical clinic, doctor’s office, and so on. That way you can call when you need to, or a friend can, or someone at the hospital can access the information as well.

I appreciate the feedback of HeadWay subscribers in the HeadWay MailRoom. Keep thinking about this topic, it’s very important to all of us. I’m sure we can think of ways to put together our "medical emergency kits" that will make things more efficient and useful.

19 March 2005

Internet headache

James Tips 0

There’s a lot of information out there on the internet. Unfortunately, there’s a lot of bad information out there on the internet. So how do you avoid it?

A common problem for headache sufferers is that they misdiagnose their own problem. If you’re looking for information before visiting a doctor, this isn’t necessarily a problem. But if you act on the misdiagnosis, it could be a huge problem. This isn’t always a matter of bad information. Doctors simply have a well rounded health education that most people don’t have. Neither does that mean that they’re right and you’re wrong – often doctors misdiagnose headache problems. That’s why it’s important for you to be educated too.

One thing to remember is that when you’re looking for information on the web, you find what you want to find. For any given treatment, you can usually find articles praising it as the answer to life’s problems, and articles claiming it’s the cause of the fall of civilization. Look for a balanced approach, from sites you trust. Be aware of the way you search. Talk to your doctor – not to believe everything she says, but to get a balanced perspective from someone who will take the time to listen to you. And don’t waste all your time playing games. 🙂

Tips on choosing a doctor
Diagnosing migraine
Other headaches

15 March 2005

Narcotics tip

James Medications, Tips 4

eyes in sleep Here’s a quick tip for those of you using some form of narcotic for pain relief. This would include codeine, an "opiate agonist" which is a component of Tylenol #1. Narcotics can relax the muscles, and perhaps help you sleep, which could be good for someone with a headache. But there’s a slight problem for some people – narcotics can make you itchy! There’s nothing worse than trying to get to sleep when you have an itch here and an itch there.

One way to improve the situation is to simply take your pills just before you go to sleep. Now I do say this with precautions – first, remember that with migraine it’s usually best to catch the headache in the early stages. For some people, if you wait until bedtime it may be too late to do much good. Also, remember that overall narcotics are generally a poor long term solution. If you find you’re taking them more than a couple of times a month, keep looking for a better solution.

For more on getting to sleep in general, check out the October 2004 issue of HeadWay, the free newsletter from Relieve-Migraine-Headache.com.

14 March 2005

Computer breaks

James Tips 0

How long have you been sitting there at the computer? Is it time to get up and take a break? Sitting for a long time in a rigid position can be asking for trouble. It can cause problems especially in your upper back and neck, and the twisting and turning of tense muscles can cause problems throughout the body, but especially in your head.

Dianne Stafford and Dr Jennifer Shoquist offer this advice for a quick self-massage in the excellent Migraines for Dummies:

Feel the base of your neck and your upper back for tight muscles. After you find them, press down with your fingers and give those knots a gentle but firm massage. Think of what you’re doing as a way of softening the knots in your neck and back. Then use your fingers to massage your neck. Be sure to address your skull, temples, and ears. Be very gentle. Stop massaging occasionally to move your head up and down, and side to side.

Of course, it would be great if you could get up and walk around during your massage. A break every once in a while will do a world of difference. KidsHealth.org has an article about children and computer use, which suggests that kids take a break every 30 minutes. That’s good advice for any of us. Better yet, take a quick stretch break every 10 minutes too. If you have trouble remembering, get a little alarm clock or timer for your computer, such as ClocX, a neat desktop clock, or SoundBreak from Leon Matthews in New Zealand, which is specifically designed to remind you to take breaks.