Relieve-Headaches

There are many headache triggers that you probably come in contact with every day, often without even realizing it. By making just a few alterations in your daily lifestyle, you can avoid many of the triggers that will lead to a severe headache.

House Hold Chemicals

Most house holds are stock full of toxic chemicals that also emit strong odors that can be the cause of headaches for many people. Pay close attention to the types of cleaning chemicals, nail care products, and pesticides that you keep around the house and consider less toxic organic substitutes. Most of the cleaning chemicals used around the house can be substituted with plain old soap and a little elbow grease.

Food

Be conscious of what you are eating. Many seemingly harmless foods can cause headaches in a certain percentage of the population. See my earlier post on avoiding foods that cause headaches.

Radical changes in diet

This includes going on a long fast or trying the latest celebrity diets. Often your body will react negatively to large changes in caloric intake. Changes in blood sugar can also be responsible for headaches when changing your eating habits. If you are making a drastic change in your diet, do so with the supervision of your doctor.

There are plenty of triggers out there that are unavoidable so be aware of the ones that you can avoid and you may avoid at least one painful headache.

Headaches are one of the most common physical ailments and are experienced at some point by nearly everyone. 1 in 6 adults suffer from chronic headaches and nearly 50 billion dollars a year is spent in treating headache related symptoms, much of which is covered by individual medical health insurance plans.

Eye strain is a major trigger of headaches for a large percentage of the population. Much of the problem is no doubt due to the amount of time that we all spend in front of television and computer screens both on the job and at home. Although not usually a long term problem, the resulting pain can be very uncomfortable and may effect your productivity.

A few ways to avoid computer related eye strain:

• Take frequent breaks - Look away from the computer screen frequently and focus at object at different distances.
• Blink as much as possible - This will prevent dry eyes. Eyes require lubrication from the tear ducts to work efficiently.
• Use appropriate eyewear - Make sure your prescription is right for computer work. This includes glare resistant coatings and getting yearly eye exams.

If you experience eye strain related headaches frequently and over a long period of time, this could be a indicator of a more serious condition. A more intensive test, such as a CAT scan, may be in order. Be aware that many individual vision insurance plans will not cover the cost of this, so it may be necessary to seek a referral to a specialist if you suspect that your headache is the result of more than just tired eyes.

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 diabetes prevention 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 diabetes resources 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.

A recent study by the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York has shown that obese people are much more likely to experience chronic headaches. In fact, they are 30% more likely to experience chronic headaches than people that are considered normal weight. In addition, the frequency and intensity of the headaches are more severe and tend to increase as weight increases.

Headaches and other medical problems have led many obese people to explore the options of gastric bypass and lap band surgery. Gastric bypass is the method that most people are familiar with and that has been popularized in the media both for its results and for its adverse side effects. Although this may be an option for those that are morbidly obese, it is less than idea for those who are only considered over weight or slightly obese. Instead, many are considering Laparoscopic surgery or lap band surgery. It is less invasive and requires less time in surgery. Also, recovery time is much shorter and side effects, if any, are less severe than those experienced with a gastric bypass.

As more studies are conducted, it is becoming quite evident that obesity is a major risk factor for a variety of medical conditions including migraine headaches, heart disease, and even some types of cancer. If you are obese and suffer from chronic headaches, talk with your physician and explore the options that are available to you. If exercise and a change of diet are insufficient then your only option may be surgery.

Many chronic migraine headache sufferers find that the only way to relieve their pain is through the use of prescription drugs. Many of these drugs, especially triptans, are very expensive and may not be fully covered by some insurance companies. For those without insurance or for those ineligible for medicare, the costs of these drugs can be prohibitive. There are options available that can substantially reduce the burden of medication expenses.

Patient Assistance Programs Patient assistance programs can assist in getting prescription drugs to the patients that need them most. These programs are established by the pharmaceutical companies to help patients and doctors obtain free or low cost medications. Ask your physician about the type of assistance that is available. Programs can be different depending on the brand of medication that you are prescribed.

Generic Medications Another option is to ask your physician if a generic version of your medication is available. Often you can save 50% or more by purchasing a generic from a large retailer such as Wal-Mart. Be careful, not all generics are equal in dosage or strength. Be sure to take the advice of your doctor.

Free Samples This option is often overlooked by many patients. Doctors are constantly visited by pharmaceutical reps and usually have samples on hand of many popular or new medications. Do not fell ashamed to ask if any free samples are available.

By taking advantage of these programs you can substantially reduce the cost of your prescription medication.

Migraines are the number one side effect reported by women who use oral contraception. This is generally attributed to the fluctuation of estrogen levels in the body and occurs most frequently in women that are using combination estrogen-progestin pills. Although 20% of women who use contraceptives report migraine headaches, it can be difficult to diagnose the exact cause since women are more prone to migraine headaches and tend to fall into multiple risk profiles.

A study by the Harvard Medical School concluded that headaches that occur in the early cycles of contraceptive use tend to improve or disappear with continued use. The study also suggests that manipulating the extent or duration of estrogen withdrawal may provide some benefit as well.

If you believe that your migraine headaches are a side effect of oral contraceptives, then it is important that you consult with your physician to make sure that all of the risk factors are considered. You should also let your doctor know if you have a history of migraines prior to using any type of oral contraceptive. Many women who suffer from severe migraine headaches use not estrogen based forms of contraception. http://contraceptivereviewer.com is a great resource that has in depth reviews covering all types of contraception and the benefits and drawbacks of each.

Many people suffering from depression also report suffering from chronic headaches as well. This is not surprising since many of the same triggers for depression are also known triggers for cluster and migraine headaches. These include stress, lack of sleep, improper diet, and a lack of physical exercise. Luckily, many drugs prescribed for anxiety disorders and depression also relieve the symptoms of headaches. In some cases, physicians may even prescribe anti-depressants for headache treatment even though the patient is not suffering from depression.

There is no doubt that your state of mind can effect your health. A recent study on the correlation of abuse and headaches in women by the University of Toledo reported that, of the women who participated in the study, 42% of women who suffered migraines had recently experienced emotional abuse. The study suggested that physicians screen headache patients for a history of emotional and physical abuse before recommending a course of treatment. In addition, if a patient does not show improvement over the course of treatment, then the problems may be psychological rather than physiological.

Like many industries, Health care providers are trying to utilize the latest IT systems to streamline their processes and improve the bottom line. Medical databases and systems are complex though, and if installed or managed improperly, can cause more harm than good. Ultimately for technology to work in the health care industry there must be a culture change from management all the way to the health care educational institutions that produce tomorrow’s nurses and doctors.

At the forefront of the medical technology debate is the interoperability of medical systems across different hospitals and institutions. Physicians must be able to retrieve patient data even if the patient is from another part of the country. This type of integration can remove much of the redundancy that currently plagues healthcare systems across the world. This can also help the bottom line of the industry by streamlining the overly bureaucratic systems currently in place and placing medical professionals back in the drivers seat.

After a very will received review of the neti pot and it’s effectiveness as a treatment for chronic sinusitis, or sinus infections, I thought that I would revisit the subject with some additional pointers on correct usage. It seems that a fairly large percentage of people who try the neti pot do not continue using it. This is really too bad, because they could be missing out on an inexpensive treatment that could alleviate their sinus headaches. I personally have saved approximately $100 this winter that would have been spent on various sinus medications.

As I stated in my earlier article, it takes a week or two to get used to the act of pouring water through your sinus cavity. Here are a few additional tips on using the neti pot that will help you through the first few tries:

• Water temperature - This is the most important element in comfortable usage of the neti pot. The water should be as close to body temperature as possible. If it is too cold, you will feel as if you are about to drown and if it is too hot then you will feel a burning sensation. Most neti pots are microwave safe, so try microwaving at 10 - 15 seconds until the water feels luke warm to the the touch.

• Saline Packets - I personally only use saline packages specifically designed for nasal irrigation. These have special buffering agents that adjust the PH levels to make the solution more comfortable.

• Saline Solution - In the beginning it is not necessary to use an entire packet of saline. You want to acclimate yourself to this new technique, so try using 1/4 - 1/2 of a packet in the beginning. Many recommend using an entire neti pot of solution for each nostril, but this is definitely overkill for the beginner. Begin by using half of a neti pot for each sinus cavity.

Remember, the best results are achieved through regular usage over time. If you are still having trouble, here is a link to a video demonstrating the proper technique. I tried to embed it in this post, but my new wordpress theme did not like it for some reason.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=j8sDIbRAXlg

Cluster headaches are considered one of the most painful of headaches. They strike fast and with little warning reaching peak intensity faster than any other type of headache. Those who suffer from cluster headaches experience intense pain that is often described as sharp, piercing, and burning.

The International Headache Society classifies cluster headaches into two different types; episodic and chronic. Episodic cluster headaches usually occur daily for a period of time followed by a period of remission. Chronic headaches also occur daily but there is no period of remission. As many as 20% of people with cluster headaches suffer from this type.

The onset of pain from a cluster headache occurs almost immediately and can subside in minutes. As a result, typical medications such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin have little or no effect. The headache symptoms have disappeared before the drugs have time to work. This is why sufferers of cluster headaches often resort to acute medications that are more potent and act much faster than over the counter medications.

Acute treatments for cluster headaches include the following:

• Oxygen- Effective though not very practical. Most who suffer from cluster headaches experience relief at the onset of a headache when breathing pure oxygen for a period of up to 15 minutes. Since it is impractical to carry a supply of oxygen everywhere, this treatment is limited even though there are no adverse side effects associated with its use.
• Sumatriptan - Part of the triptan class of drugs, was usually prescribed in injection form but is now widely used in pill form as well. Can relieve a migraine or cluster headache within 15 minutes for most. There is a long list of possible side effects for the injection and pill forms. When used as a nasal spray these side effects are not present. Not recommended for those with heart conditions or hypertension.
• Intranasal Dihydroergotamine - Typically used intranasaly in small doses. Effective as an abortive for many, this treatment has little or no side effects. Also used intravenously under direct physician supervision.
• Octreotide - Previously used as a treatment for diarrhea, this drug has been used intravenously to treat both cluster and migraine headaches. Since it is a safer alternative for people with heart conditions, it is being prescribed more frequently.

All of the acute headache treatments mentioned in this article are to be used only with the direct consent of a physician.