Migraines are one of the most serious disabling medical conditions according to the World Health Organisation. In the UK, around one in five women, one in nine children and one in twelve men suffer from them. Are you one of them?
Wendy Green explains how dietary, psychological and environmental factors can cause migraines, and offers practical advice and a holistic approach to help you manage them, including simple lifestyle and dietary changes and DIY natural therapies.
• Discover how to avoid your triggers
• Choose beneficial foods and supplements
• Understand conventional and alternative treatments
• Find helpful organisations and products
Migraines are one of the most serious disabling medical conditions according to the World Health Organisation. In the UK, around one in five women, one in nine children and one in twelve men suffer from them. Are you one of them?
Wendy Green explains how dietary, psychological and environmental factors can cause migraines, and offers practical advice and a holistic approach to help you manage them, including simple lifestyle and dietary changes and DIY natural therapies.
• Discover how to avoid your triggers
• Choose beneficial foods and supplements
• Understand conventional and alternative treatments
• Find helpful organisations and products
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Overview
Migraines are one of the most serious disabling medical conditions according to the World Health Organisation. In the UK, around one in five women, one in nine children and one in twelve men suffer from them. Are you one of them?
Wendy Green explains how dietary, psychological and environmental factors can cause migraines, and offers practical advice and a holistic approach to help you manage them, including simple lifestyle and dietary changes and DIY natural therapies.
• Discover how to avoid your triggers
• Choose beneficial foods and supplements
• Understand conventional and alternative treatments
• Find helpful organisations and products
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780857653031 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Summersdale |
| Publication date: | 11/02/2011 |
| Series: | Personal Health Guides |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 128 |
| File size: | 428 KB |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Migraines
By Wendy Green
Summersdale Publishers Ltd
Copyright © 2009 Wendy GreenAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-85765-303-1
CHAPTER 1
About Migraines
A migraine is a complex, episodic (intermittent), neurological condition characterised by an intensely painful, throbbing, one-sided headache. Other symptoms include nausea and vomiting; visual disturbance; pins and needles down one side of the body; increased sensitivity to sound, light and smells; a stiff and aching neck; lethargy and exhaustion.
Migraines can be debilitating and terrifying, but there is no evidence that they cause any permanent damage to the body. Common fears are loss of sight, or that they are indicating the onset of a stroke or the presence of a brain tumour. However, these are rarely linked to migraines and most sufferers return to their normal selves in between attacks. The two main types of migraine are:
Migraine with aura – otherwise known as a 'classical migraine' and, incorrectly, as a focal migraine; the term 'focal' is also used to describe the neurological symptoms of a stroke, whereas 'aura' relates only to those specific to migraines.
Migraine without aura – also known as a 'common migraine'.
Other forms of migraine include:
Menstrual migraine – migraines that occur between two days before and three days after the start of the menstrual period.
Menstrually-related migraine – these migraines develop at the time of a period and other times during the menstrual cycle and are clearly linked to hormonal fluctuations. For more in-depth information, see Chapter 5 – Migraines and Hormones.
Basilar-type migraine – this form of the condition can involve speech problems, double vision, dizziness and even fainting. It is rare, with only around one in 400 migraineurs suffering from it. It is thought to be caused when the basilar artery – a blood vessel at the base of the brain – goes into spasm, leading to a reduced blood supply to the brain.
Hemiplegic migraine – is a very rare form of the condition, often genetic, where the migraineur experiences weakness down one side of the body that may last for several days. Other symptoms include double vision or blindness, impaired hearing and mobility and numbness around the mouth, causing problems with speaking or swallowing.
Retinal migraine – is also uncommon, though some studies suggest that may partly be because it is not always correctly diagnosed. Retinal migraines (as with all migraines) affect more women than men and it seems to be more common in women who have had migraines with auras. In retinal migraines visual problems develop before the headache part of the attack and there may be temporary but total blindness, often in one eye. There may also be temporary blind spots. It is thought the visual problems are due to the muscles around the eye contracting and disrupting blood flow. A retinal migraine may differ from a migraine with aura in that the visual disturbance tends to affect just one eye rather than both. Exercise, or any other form of physical exertion, may prompt a retinal migraine.
Ocular (opthalmoplegic) migraine – is another rare type of migraine. They usually occur in children aged from six to 12 years, but they can also occur in adults. The pain is often around the eye and may be accompanied by weakness in one of the eye muscles, as well as double vision, nausea and vomiting.
The stages of a migraine
There are four distinct stages that can happen within a classical migraine attack. These are the prodromal, aura, headache and recovery phases. There is no aura in a common migraine.
1. Prodromal (premonitory) symptoms
These can start up to 24 hours before an attack. Some people find they are bursting with energy and rush around doing far more than usual. Others may find themselves sinking into a low mood and feeling tired or craving food – especially sweet things. Irritability and neck pain are also common features.
2. Aura
Aura is the term used to describe sensory changes experienced by about one in ten migraineurs prior to the onset of the headache itself. Common aura symptoms include:
Visual disturbance – this is the most common type of aura symptom and can include blind spots, silvery flashing lights, zigzag patterns or even tunnel vision. This symptom can be quite alarming – especially when you experience it for the first time.
Pins and needles or numbness down one side – this often follows visual disturbance, and usually begins in the hand, travelling up the arm and, in some cases, reaching the face, lips and tongue. Sometimes the numbness travels down the leg. This symptom can also occur with hemiplegic migraines.
Speech disturbance – this is the third most common aura symptom.
Confusion and clumsiness – this may also be experienced by some sufferers.
All of these symptoms indicate that the brain isn't functioning normally. If any of these symptoms continue for longer than an hour, see your GP, as they may indicate something more serious.
Note:
Most people who suffer from migraines with aura also have attacks without auras. This is quite an important point to bear in mind; I did not realise this was the case until quite recently, and had always only taken my migraine medication after the start of any visual disturbance. On a couple of occasions I had a severe one-sided pulsing headache and didn't take medication soon enough, because I didn't realise I was having a migraine. As a result, the attack lasted longer. In one sense the aura is useful as it forewarns that a migraine headache is imminent.
3. Headache
The headache is usually only experienced on one side of the head, though some people experience pain on both sides. The pain is usually intense and extends across the forehead or temples. It can last between four and 72 hours, but this can be shortened considerably by taking painkillers or alternative treatments – such as the application of one or two drops of peppermint or lavender oil to the site of the pain – as early on as possible. See Chapter 7 – Medical and Other Treatments and Chapter 8 – DIY Complementary Therapies.
The headache is also accompanied by at least one of these other symptoms:
Stomach upset – including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Nausea accompanies the headache in around 95 per cent of migraineurs. There may also be a heightened sense of smell (osmophobia) that is possibly linked to the nausea – some people find they are aware of smells that they would not normally notice. About a quarter of sufferers vomit and around one in five have diarrhoea. Some find eating a little plain food – digestive biscuits or dry toast – helps, while others are unable to face food. Chewing raw ginger root or eating ginger biscuits may also ease the nausea; see Chapter 2 – The Food Factor for more information.
The nausea is linked to the digestive system slowing down during an attack. This also makes the absorption of food or medication more difficult.
Photophobia – increased sensitivity to light – is common in about 80 per cent of migraineurs. Many sufferers find themselves instinctively wanting to escape a light environment. Looking at a computer screen or watching TV may be uncomfortable.
Phonophobia – increased sensitivity to noise – seems to be part of the heightening of senses that many people experience and causes sufferers to seek out a quiet and dark place to rest during a migraine. Go to bed, if you can, and draw the bedroom curtains.
4. The recovery phase
Once the headache has gone, it can take another couple of days to return to normal. During this time you will probably feel washed out and lethargic, though some people claim to feel energetic straight after an attack. As you return to normal, treat yourself kindly and don't overdo things.
Migraines in children and teenagers
These differ from migraines in adults; children may experience vomiting or abdominal pain without a headache, or they may suffer from a headache that affects the whole head instead of being one sided. Attacks in children and teenagers can be considerably shorter than those in adults – some last for less than an hour.
The advice for dealing with migraines in children is the same as for adults: identify and avoid the triggers and select suitable treatments. There is advice on how to do this throughout the book.
The main triggers in children are likely to be eating insufficient food, not drinking enough fluids and, occasionally, a food sensitivity (see Chapter 2 – The Food Factor). Stress linked to worrying about exams could also be a factor (see Chapter 4 – Mind Over Migraine). In teenage girls it could be linked to menstruation (see Chapter 5 – Migraines and Hormones).
The tips outlined in this book, such as lying down in a darkened room and taking painkillers early on, also apply to child migraineurs. It is best to stick to basic medications for young children suffering from a migraine, like soluble paracetamol, perhaps 'disguised' in a fizzy drink. Ibuprofen is also safe, but aspirin should not be taken by children under 16 years of age because of the risk of developing Reye's Syndrome. Other drugs – like triptans – are generally not recommended for children under the age of 18, except for sumatriptan nasal spray.
Note:
Always consult a GP if a child in your care has recurring headaches or you are unsure of the diagnosis. The Migraine Action Association runs a website for children who suffer from migraines called Migraine 4 Kids. Further details can be found in the Directory at the end of the book.
What causes migraines?
No one knows exactly why migraines happen, but several theories have been put forward involving genetics, blood vessels, the nervous system, a brain chemical called serotonin – also known as 5- hydroxytryptamine (5HT) – and a heart defect.
Genetics
It seems that many migraine sufferers inherit a predisposition to the condition as it often runs in families.
The blood vessels
There is a long-held view that migraines occur when the blood vessels in the brain first narrow (constrict) and then expand (swell). This leads to fluctuations in blood flow to the brain, which result in migraine symptoms.
The nervous system
This view actually backs up the blood vessel theory by suggesting how the changes in the blood vessels come about. It is thought that the chain of events leading to an attack begins with oversensitive brain cells triggering nerves to release brain chemicals. These chemicals cause the blood vessels in the head to swell, leading to pain, throbbing and other migraine symptoms. The hypothalamus is the part of the brain that is linked to much of the nervous system and it controls, among other things, appetite and emotions. This may explain prodromal symptoms, such as food cravings and mood changes.
Serotonin
It has been suggested that levels of a brain chemical called serotonin, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT), are low at the beginning of an attack. Serotonin is important for normal brain function and affects the size of the blood vessels. It is thought that drugs called triptans – also known as 5HT agonists – constrict the blood vessels in the brain by balancing the levels of serotonin. An injection of serotonin has been shown to end an attack, but it is not used as a treatment as it has a number of adverse side effects. For more information about serotonin and how you can safely increase your serotonin levels, see Chapter 2 – The Food Factor and Chapter 3 – Supplementary Benefits.
A heart defect
Recent research has suggested a possible link between migraine with aura and a hole in the heart, which is known medically as a patent foramen ovale (PFO). PFO is a small hole in the wall that divides the two upper chambers of the heart (the atria). All babies have this hole whilst in the womb, so that blood is circulated more efficiently. The hole usually closes after birth, but in some people it stays open. Tests show that 60 per cent of migraine sufferers have larger than average PFOs, compared to ten per cent of non-sufferers. It is thought that the problem can lead to impurities not being filtered out of the blood properly. In those without a PFO, all of the blood returning to the heart after being pumped around the body is cleaned and filtered by the lungs. However, in those with the condition, unfiltered blood may get through the hole. It is believed that when this unfiltered blood reaches the brain it can trigger a migraine in some people. It is possible to close a PFO using corrective surgery but, following a trial involving 147 people with severe migraines, concerns have been raised over the risks involved, especially given the small reduction in migraine frequency that was reported. See Chapter 7 – Medical and Other Treatments.
All of these factors could be interrelated. For example, a migraine sufferer could inherit an oversensitivity to stimuli, such as bright light, loud noise or physiological disturbances, including blood sugar changes, altered sleep patterns or dehydration. Any of these could trigger the release of serotonin – causing the blood vessels first to narrow and then widen – which then leads to a migraine. In some cases a migraineur could inherit a PFO, which could lead to similar changes in the brain and trigger an attack.
1. Determine whether it is a migraine
DIY migraine test
This is based on a 'self-administered screener' for migraines, which was developed by scientists in 2003. If you answer 'yes' to at least two of the following three questions, it is likely your headache was a migraine.
1.Did you feel nauseous?
2.Did light bother you more than usual?
3.Did your headache limit your ability to do what you wanted for at least one day?
What else could it be?
There are other types of severe headache, including tension and cluster headaches, which could be mistaken for a migraine.
Tension headache
With tension headaches the sufferer experiences a dull and heavy pain and a feeling of pressure – as if a band is being tightened around their head. The pain tends to worsen as the day goes on and can last for several days. There may also be a dislike of light and noise, but not to the same degree as with a migraine. The pain is also likely to be less severe and is not usually one sided. However, a tension headache may sometimes be misdiagnosed as a migraine without aura. The cause, as the name suggests, is usually stress and tension, and painkillers may not help. The pain tends to arise from the neck muscles going into spasm. As well as stress, poor posture and neck injuries are common causes of muscular tension in the neck. Improving posture and finding ways to relax and manage stress may help to both prevent and relieve the pain.
Cluster headache
These headaches, as the name suggests, tend to occur in clusters, i.e. several attacks over one or two months and then none at all. They are more common in men than women, but are relatively rare, with less than one per cent of the population experiencing them. The pain is one sided and throbbing and centred around the eye, but it can spread to the temple or jaw. The pain can be very severe, the eye can redden and water and the eyelid may droop. The nose may be blocked or running and the face may flush or sweat. As with a migraine the pain of a cluster headache can be excruciating, but it is not accompanied by the other symptoms that characterise a migraine attack. Over-the-counter painkillers are unlikely to help, but prescribed medications called triptans – often used to treat migraines – can be effective. The contact details for OUCH, The Organisation for the Understanding of Cluster Headaches, can be found in the Directory at the end of the book.
2. Identify your triggers
Here is a summary of common migraine triggers:
Not enough food – missing meals and snacking, especially on sugary foods instead of eating proper meals, can lead to a drop in blood sugar, which can precipitate an attack. It is recommended that migraine sufferers eat regularly: at least every four hours during the day and go no longer than 12 hours without food overnight. See Chapter 2 – The Food Factor, for more information on how your eating habits can be implicated in migraines.
Certain foods – some people believe that foods containing an amino acid called tyramine (aged cheese, processed meats, etc.) can trigger an attack. Others claim that an allergic reaction to particular foods can lead to a migraine. Food additives may also be a factor for some people. More information about tyramine, food allergies and food additives can be found in Chapter 2 – The Food Factor.
Some alcoholic drinks – red wine, beer, stout and ale also contain tyramine and may therefore be a trigger in some susceptible people. See Chapter 2 – The Food Factor to find out more.
Smoking – and second-hand smoke from cigarettes can trigger a migraine in some people. Nicotine, a constituent of tobacco, is thought to cause the narrowing of blood vessels in the brain.
Dehydration – not drinking enough fluids can be a factor in some people's migraine attacks. It is recommended that people drink at least 1.5 litres of water a day. This can include tea and coffee. Although both have been linked to dehydration because of the diuretic effect of the caffeine they contain, recent research suggests that three or four cups a day should not cause a problem. However, some people find coffee can precipitate a migraine (see Chapter 2 – The Food Factor). Alcohol is also a diuretic. To avoid dehydration, drink moderate amounts of caffeinated drinks and plenty of water.
Emotional stress – migraines often develop after, rather than during, a period of stress. This is probably why some people suffer at weekends or whilst on holiday. A recent survey by the Migraine Action Association backs this up with 37 out of 39 migraine sufferers saying they'd had an attack whilst on holiday. Anger, worry, tension, excitement, shock and depression can all play a part in triggering migraines. To find out more see Chapter 4 – Mind Over Migraine.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from 50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage Migraines by Wendy Green. Copyright © 2009 Wendy Green. Excerpted by permission of Summersdale Publishers Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Cover,Title Page,
Copyright Page,
Dedication,
Acknowledgements,
Author's Note,
Foreword,
Introduction,
Chapter 1 – About Migraines,
Chapter 2 – The Food Factor,
Chapter 3 – Supplementary Benefits,
Chapter 4 – Mind Over Migraine,
Chapter 5 – Migraines and Hormones,
Chapter 6 – Tackling Other Triggers,
Chapter 7 – Medical and Other Treatments,
Chapter 8 – DIY Complementary Therapies,
Jargon Buster,
Useful Products,
Helpful Books,
Directory,