ArticlesReader.com Menu
Newest Articles
Most Viewed Articles
ArticlesReader.com RSS
Submit Article
Login
Signup
Search the articles

Articles Main Categories
Advice
Animals
Automobiles
Business
Career
Communications
Computer Programming
Computers
Entertainment
Environment
Family
Fashion
Finance
Food
Health & Medical
Home & Garden
Humor
Internet Business
Internet Marketing
Legal
Leisure & Recreation
Marketing
Other
Politics
Reference & Education
Religion
Self Improvement
Sports
Technology & Science
Travel
Writing
Subscribe
Receive alert message from us when new articles submitted to our site for free.

Enter your name

Enter your email

Syndicate

















Related Products
Home::Alternative Medicine

Do I Have Migraine Headaches?

Author : Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C.
If you have headaches and are wondering if they could be migraine headaches we can probably help you figure that out. There are some very distinctive characteristics of migraine headaches that can differentiate migraines from other types of headaches such as tension headaches, stress headaches, cluster headaches or other types of headaches.



Migraine headaches are more often than not one-sided, meaning the pain is felt on only one side of the head. Most of the time the pain of a migraine headache can be felt in the temple area or behind one of the eyes or ears. Migraine headaches can become severe and disabling. Nausea is a common symptom of this type of headache as is vomiting or sensitivity to light or sound. About 20% of patients with migraine headaches experience an aura. An aura is a disturbance in vision that can consist of bright blinking colored lights that move across the field of vision.



Migraine headaches can become chronic in nature. When they are chronic the patient most commonly experiences them once or twice a month. However, in some instances migraine headaches can occur as often as once or twice a week. Migraine headaches affect people between the ages of 15 and 55 and are more common in women than in men. Migraines affect women about 3 times as often as men.



Migraines affect about 30 or 40 million Americans, but they are less common than tension headaches. It is estimated that about 75% of all headaches are tension headaches. Tension headaches are typically characterized by a dull pain over the entire head while migraines are usually throbbing in nature and located in one particular spot. In other words, tension-type headaches are a constant dull pain while migraines throb like the beating of the heart.



Chronic tension headaches can occur every day while chronic migraine headaches occur less often, usually once a week to once a month. Fatigue and stress can cause both types of headaches, but migraine headaches can be triggered by other factors such as different types of food. Migraine headaches can sometimes be helped by eliminating these triggers. Foods that may lead to migraines include cheese, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate),

nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger may eliminate the migraines.



Cluster headaches are far less common than either migraine headaches or tension-type-headaches. Men are about six times more likely than women to experience cluster headaches. The pain of a cluster headache starts quickly, without any warning, and typically reaches its peak between two and fifteen minutes.



The pain of a cluster headache can be extremely intense, deep and explosive. Migraines are usually "pulsing" while clusters are not. Between 10 and 20 percent of cluster patients have "ice-pick" or "stabbing" pain around the eyes. This stabbing pain typically lasts for a few seconds, but can occur several times in succession. When this sudden attack of intense pain occurs it usually means that the headache is near its end.



For natural migraine headache relief it is often beneficial to relax and rest. Sometimes lying in a dark room with an ice pack on the base of the skull can reduce the pressure that is felt in the head. The same treatment can also help tension or stress headaches. Reducing stress can go a long way to relieving many headache symptoms.



If you experience chronic headaches and over-the-counter medication or natural remedies do not help it may be wise to consult a physician.


Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com





Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has patented a popular chiropractor-recommended headache cushion for the home treatment and relief of tension and migraine headaches. Visit www.soothe-a-ciser.com/tension-headaches.html for more information.





Spam emails More free articles

Related articles


  1. How Many Bowel Movements Should You Have Each Day?
  2. Anti Aging Tips & Techniques
  3. Improving Your Body Immune System
  4. Laxatives You Find In The Drugstore
  5. Aloe Vera - The Medicine And Beauty Treatment Of Choice For Millenniums
  6. Can We Sleep For Three Hours and Still Function Normally?
  7. Allergy Control: Reducing Airborne Allergens in Your Home
  8. Herbal Medicine: An Ounce Of Prevention
  9. Essential Oils For Home Care
  10. Bach Flower Essences And Remedies - The Seven Helpers
  11. Acupuncture - A Benefit?
  12. “A Dreadful Superstition Grips America”
  13. Thyroid Dysfunction, its Symtoms & Treatment
  14. Proper Medical Identification Could Save Your LIFE
  15. Nature, An ADHD Natural Treatment
  16. Visualization For Self Healing
  17. Some Tips on Stopping Smoking
  18. What are Some Benefits For Quitting Smoking?
  19. Asperger's Syndrome and its Symptoms
  20. About Child Bedwetting
  21. Mindfulness and Pain: Just Say Ouch
  22. How To Find Your Way To Healthy Longevity
  23. How to Get Rid of Smoking, Drinking, Drugs and Other Bad Habits
  24. The Future of Healing...
  25. Genital Warts Natural and Alternative Treatment Remedies
More related feeds
101 Headache Prevention Tips
All you have to do is spend 15 minutes browsing through the 58 pages I’ve put together for you. You WILL find dozens of tips to gain control in the battle of preventing headache pain. ...

Preventing Headaches and Reducing Their Impact
Non-drug strategies for tension-type headache have also been proved effective. These include similar behavioral interventions to those mentioned for migraine-stress management, relaxation, biofeedback and cognitive-behavioral therapy. ...

Can Omega 3 Fatty Acids Prevent Migraine Headaches?
Well, pardon me, but if you really want to stay healthy and migraine-free, you need to have a good, natural whole food diet. Go for whole grain rice, wheat and soy. An please do not be deceived by white rice, enriched wheat, ...

Headache Types and Treatment Options
In most cases, migraine attacks are occasional, or sometimes as often as once or twice a week, but not daily. Women who have migraines often find that their headaches occur or worsen around the time of their menstrual periods. ...

migraine: tried to get over advil but failed to do so
Preventative medication may be prescribed for patients who have frequent headaches (3 or more a month) that do not respond to abortive treatment. Studies have shown that as many as 40% of these patients may benefit from preventative ...

Daily Migraines
They have had migraines, they say, and those headaches have put them in dark rooms. But Cary, I can’t live my life in a dark room 24/7, contemplating nothing but how much my head hurts and hoping that there will be a miracle that saves ...

Swearing For Migraine Relief
Do whatever you have to to help yourself through migraine pain. But there are those of us who find swearing a great relief when we are in great physical pain. Your Thoughts Affect Your Health. I am aware that, to some extent, ...

Are Migraine Headaches Common and Where Do They Come From?
Migraines do not have to take over your life. There is hope for sufferers of this debilitating health issue. Howard Jones write on the subject of www.migraineheadachetips.com">Migraine Headaches having dealt with the problem first hand. ...

YouTube Clip of the Week: Moonstar 88’s “Migraine”
I’ll admit up front, this clip doesn’t have anything to do with treating migraines…well, maybe it does. It does suggest that people who break your heart are the cause of migraines. Having them get run over by a bus is perhaps an ...

The Best of..."Would You Have a Can of Aroused Man?"
What science needs to do is bottle the scent of an aroused man and sell it. Women have the majority of migraines–80% by some estimates–so there would certainly be a market for it. With married couples being in the minority now, ...

 


 

© 2007 articlesreader.com - All Rights Reserved