You might have read in the past about people who suffer from migraines using Botox as a treatment. There are plenty of arguments both for and against this practice, and below I will discuss this in detail.

Botox is actually the botulin toxin, and it has been used for years now for various reasons, from removing lines and wrinkles on the face for vanity reasons, to treating excessive sweating for people with certain conditions. Basically, Botox is injected into the muscle and it paralyzes it by preventing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine from being released. This is responsible for muscle contractions. When used, it causes wrinkles to disappear, and sweat to stop being excreted, resulting in either a fresher, younger look or less body odor due to sweat. Botox is quick to apply and fast acting, so one session is often enough to achieve the desired results.


Studies have been done that discovered that suggest that one side effect associated with the use of Botox can be the release of both migraine and tension headaches. Patients who underwent sessions reported that their headaches disappeared and lessened. Many physicians have been reluctant to accept these findings but the idea of Botox for headaches has been steadily growing among doctors in recent years. The reason Botox works seems to be due to the fact that it relaxes the neck and jaw muscles as well as the surrounding areas, which relieves tension.

This notion of using Botox has spread quickly, and for the past few years hundreds of people have been given Botox in order to treat their headaches. The initial intention might have been purely for cosmetic reasons, but it seems to have developed important medical uses as well.

There are of course both disadvantages and advantages to such treatment. Botox used in this manner can have some nasty side effects, especially when administered by doctor with little experience using this potent toxin. One of these effects is droopy eyelids; another is a frozen expression that may look unnatural. These effects can last for months before they wear off. Many people prefer the use of natural therapy to treat their head aches, as they have fewer adverse side effects.

On the other hand, unlike many other medicinal treatments that can cause drowsiness, dizziness, nausea and other unwanted effects, Botox doesn’t enter one’s blood stream, it is injected directly into muscle tissue.

Some helpful tips to keep in mind when considering the path of treatment;

• Botox is FDA approved, but only a license physician can apply it. Also, if you are using it to treat headaches you must visit your general doctor before seeing a plastic surgeon for this drug.
• If the cause of your headaches is something besides tension or migraine, then this method most likely won’t work.
• Botox is very expensive, and not covered under most insurance. You must consider if this headache problem is bad enough to warrant the huge cost.
• Botox has few side effects, and the ones previously mentioned are rare.

Botox Versus Natural Treatments for Headaches

Experiencing a sinus headache can be an extremely unpleasant experience. It often leaves you feeling congested, irritable, and tired. The pain from a sinus headache is often unbearable and can affect your temples, forehead or even your entire face. Fever and sore throat are also common symptoms. Thankfully there are many tried and true home remedies available to relieve the discomfort and give relief, and most of them are quite effective.

Many people swear by the use of a cold compress to deliver relief. Simply placing the compress on your forehead for a few minutes will typically ease inflammation and lower your fever. The coolness can feel great on your skin as well. Remember to only keep a cold compress on your skin for twenty minutes or less every two or three hours,
and if you’re using an ice pack, place a wash cloth or paper towel between it and your skin to protect yourself.

To combat the fever and sore throat you may feel due to your sinus headache you could try a mild pain reliever such as Tylenol, or a throat spray such as Chloraseptic on top of any and all of these home remedies. If your fever persists, however, you should see a doctor immediately.

It is well known that there are certain spices that, if eaten, will work to clear the sinuses and ease sinus pressure headaches. Spices that work best are cayenne pepper, curry powder and many Cajun seasonings. Eucalyptus oil also works as an excellent expectorant, as are pineapples and any food where quercetin is found.  Foods are avoid would be fried food, dairy products and any other food known to cause congestion and dampness in your body. Be careful if you are on any type of supplement or medication as they may adversely interfere with this, or any, home remedy.

A major cause of the sinus troubles that cause sinus headaches is excessive dryness in the air caused by air-conditioning or dry heat. Many physicians recommend buying a humidifier, which adds moisture to the air. It’s vital, however, to make certain that you keep your humidifier very clean. Read the manual and change the filter as recommended. The best time to run your humidifier is at night, which is when the majority of sinus irritation occurs. If you can’t afford a humidifier you can also sit in the bathroom with the hot water running for fifteen or twenty minutes.

A popular and effective home remedy for sinus relief is the neti-pot. Neti pots have been used in the east for centuries as a cheap and easy method of irrigating the sinus passages. There are many modern variations available today, but all of them work essentially the same way. Warm water is mixed with salt making a saline solution that is poured in one nostril and allowed to drain out the other. While this may not alleviate the pain of a sinus related headache in progress, it is highly recommended preventative measure. For more detailed information, check out our post on how to use a net-pot.

It’s important to keep in mind as you attempt these at home remedies that what works for one person may not work for another. Also, most home remedies have not undergone any scientific testing, so their value isn’t entirely proven. It is also important to note that if you experience a sinus headache for more than a few days, and nothing you do gives you relief, you should make an appointment with your doctor because it might be something more serious. As always, if you are pregnant or nursing you should talk to a doctor before performing any home remedy.

Finding Sinus Headache Relief Through Home Remedies

There are so many of us today that experience tension-type headaches and we do not have the slightest idea of what to do or how to go about it. Well, all that should be in the past now. If not, then let us discuss a few things that you need to know about those annoying headaches. First, you have to understand that in as much as you might be able to manage sleeping, you have to know that there are chances that whenever you will wake up, the pain might still persist.
Therefore, you have to come up with clear measures of dealing with it, and not sleeping. There are some of us that do not know, when they are suffering from this condition, and might assume it for something else. In most cases, there is always the feeling of some pressure and tightness around the head area, which funnily enough aches instead of paining. The ache will in fact be generalized through the head instead of being centralized in one point. Whenever you feel these symptoms, you need to know that you are not well, and should seek help as soon as you can.
Migraines and tension-type headaches are not necessarily restricted to only a particular type of people. They are as a matter of fact able to happen to children, adults and adolescents. It has however been reported that the females are usually more affected by the pain than the males. This is mainly due to psychological and physiological factors and differences between the two.
However, one of the major causes has been known to be stress at home or in the workplace. We also have to understand that it is a common occurrence to have both common migraines and tension-type headaches coexisting within the same person’s body. Such a person will need to seek proper management of both types of headaches so that they can be ok.

Co-existing Migraine and Tension-Type Headaches

This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

Part 4

Patience, sacrifice and diligence: these three distinguishing qualities are helpful in any endeavor in life. When trying to unravel the enigma surrounding migraines … patience, sacrifice and diligence are indispensable. Don’t rule out anything as a possible trigger. There are some excellent articles on triggers on this website.

The only thing I would add in regards to triggers is that sometimes there is a synergistic pattern of not just one, but multiple triggers that exacerbates the onset and duration of a migraine. For example maybe chemical changes could sometimes trigger a mild migraine or no migraine at all – while the addition physical stress or emotional triggers in conjunction with certain foods would guarantee the onset of a migraine.

This is where the daily use of a journal to identify possible triggers is invaluable. Not only do you want to include your diet and medications but anything that is going on and how you feel about the events occurring in your life – especially when you start your doctor’s prescribed medication to treat your migraines. As a woman you might discover that while on a certain type of birth control medication attributes to the onset of your migraine. However, when you add in the stress of children (yours or others’), divorce, family problems, work, etc. to birth control pills you have a “whopper-doozie” migraine cocktail.

The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine – Part 4

This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

Part 3

The first doctor’s visit was to our family doctor. I was surprised to learn that migraines can come for a variety of reasons: Current medications, Stress, Different foods to name a few. The list went on and on. When we left we not only had a referral visit to a neurologist but more questions than answers.

When we met the neurologist he confirmed the advice that we got from our family doctor. There are many triggers associated with migraines. The neurologist wanted to do some blood work and suggested that my wife keep a journal to help identify any triggers specific to her migraine attacks. My wife was told that is equally important to write in the journal diet, sleeping patterns and everyday events as well as writing daily and not just when she felt a migraine coming on. The daily entries were vital as they could show triggers or combination of triggers that led up to the migraine. Also, when a migraine starts you probably don’t care to do anything much less write in a journal.

So we left the neurologist’s office with an appointment for a follow up visit and headed to the store to buy a journal. I was a little skeptical and was confused how in this day and age of technological advancement there was not another way. How could we cook food in 30 seconds, put a man on the moon and internet on computers and not have a cure for migraines?

The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine – Part 3

This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

Part 2

While my wife was recuperating from her migraine I searched the internet. Upon further investigation I discovered that the onset or cause of migraines is idiopathic, meaning that triggers can be spontaneous and unknown or obscure at best.

In addition to triggers there are four phases of a migraine: the prodrome phase; the aura phase; the pain phase and the postdrome phone. Even though there are four phases not every person that suffers from a migraine experiences each one.

In my wife’s case we later discovered she does not typically experience the prodrome phase, but during the aura phase she feels a dull pain behind her left eye. Also, migraines can last from a few hours to as long as 3 days during the pain phase and be accompanied with a migraine hangover also know as the postdrome phase.

My wife gingerly emerged from the bedroom around dinnertime, which was eight hours later. We discussed her migraine and I found out that she has a history of migraines since she was very little. We agreed to schedule a doctor’s visit to see if help was available.

The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine Part 2

This is a series of articles that deals with Migraines and the challenges a family faces to find a cure. Migraines can have a hugely negative impact not only on the person suffering but also everyone involved. Hopefully other migraine victims will find helpful relief … if not within these articles from the resources available to date.

Part 1

My wife has a lifelong history of migraine headaches. Before meeting her I never knew anyone that suffered from migraines. But I still remember the first time I witnessed my wife with a full-blown migraine. We were just starting our day and I came into the bedroom to let her know that breakfast was ready.

At first I thought that she had stroke and was aphasic. Her speech was slurred and she had lost some muscle control on the left side of her face. Both my grandmother and mother had strokes. “What can I do to help?” “Are you having a stroke?” I asked franticly.

She slowly lifted her finger to her lips as she looked up. “Shhh … I’ve got a migraine.” I remembered hearing that people with migraines were very sensitive to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia). I quietly closed the Venetian blind and snuck out of the bedroom.

The Headaches of Family Life with a Migraine – Part 1

Frightening as it may seem, sex can cause migraine headaches in many people. Sex headaches can occur at the onset of orgasm or at any point during intercourse. Symptoms can start as a dull ache at one or both sides of the head. Pain levels tend to increase as excitement increases.

Headache Symptoms: Symptoms can start as a dull ache at one or both sides of the head. Pain levels tend to increase as excitement increases.

Headache Causes: Any type of sexual activity can cause a migraine headache. In many cases, the cause is simply a side effect of birth control or some other over the counter or prescription medication.

Headache Risk Factors: Sex headaches tend to effect those who already suffer from some sort of chronic headaches. Having sex multiple times in succession or having sex when particularly stressed or tense can also increase the risk of a sex headache.

Headache Treatment: Occasional headaches during sex is typically not a cause for concern but if they continue or increase in intensity, then you seek the advice of a medical professional.

Sex Can Cause Migraines?

There are several different kinds of headaches. The most common type of headache is the tension headache.

The exact cause of these types of headaches is unknown, but there are several factors that have been shown in many cases to cause or at least play a part in tension headaches. This includes things like caffeine withdrawal, eye strain, and stress. Other things like teeth clenching, which results in muscle tension, and other strains on the muscles, has been also been shown to play a part in these types of headaches.


Even though the exact cause of a tension headache is unknown, the pain is real. It is often described as a steady throbbing or pressure on the head. The pain is generally less severe than a migraine. They also vary in duration, with some only lasting for only a few minutes. While most tension headaches only last a few hours, they can last for several days.

Many people report having 1 or 2 headaches a month. At this frequency the headaches are referred to as episodic tension headaches. People that experience more than 15 headaches a month are said to suffer from chronic tension headaches. Chronic tension headaches are harder to treat than traditional headaches, which generally respond well to over the counter headache medicines.

While caffeine withdrawal has been shown to be a factor in tension headaches, it can also be used to help cure them. Tension headaches are known to respond well to a combination of over the counter medicine, like aspirin or ibuprofen, and caffeine. There are several over the counter medicines available that include a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), and caffeine. Generally, they use a little bit less caffeine than is found in a brewed cup of regular coffee. Aspirin can have some negative side effects, so make sure to consult your doctor.

Tension Headaches

Headaches experienced by those with diabetes are often a symptom of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Though this is usually experienced by those that have diabetes, it is not necessarily limited to just diabetics. Typically, this is the result of taking too much insulin or not eating enough sugary foods to compensate for the insulin. Hypoglycemia can also be attributed to the following factors:

* taking too much insulin
* using certain medications
* skipping a meal
* engaging in vigorous physical activity
* drinking excessive amounts of alcohol

Diabetic individuals have an increased risk factor for a variety of other health problems that can also lead to chronic headaches as well. High blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease are just a few of the health issues that diabetics face. This reiterates the importance for http://www.diabetesmoz.com/ especially for those who have a family history of diabetes or if you are a member of one of the more high risk ethnic groups such as African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, or Asian Americans.

There are many http://www.diabetesmoz.com/diabetes-resource-links/ available on the internet if you fear that you are at risk or if you have diabetes and need additional resources. As with any chronic, recurring headaches, seek a physicians advice before attempting any course of treatment. If you think that you are suffering from hypoglycemia or may have diabetes, then ask your doctor about a diabetes screening.

Hypoglycemia Headaches and Their Causes