Posts Tagged ‘hormones’

Ways to Minimize the Risk of Migraine Headaches

Wednesday, March 10th, 2010

When chemicals are released into the nerve fibers and the blood vessels enlarge, it can cause migraine headaches. And when this type of headache strikes, it can render you unable to carry on with your daily activities. Not only do migraine headaches cause debilitating pain, they can also cause sensitivity to light and sound, vomiting, blurred vision, diarrhea, and cold hands and feet.

Migraine headaches can strike both young and old. But this type of headache typically affects people under the age of 40 and those with a family history of the condition. Women are also more prone to suffering from migraines because of hormonal changes during pregnancy, menstruation, menopause, and oral contraceptive use.

The things that bring on migraine headaches can vary from person to person. Some potential triggers include:

* hormone fluctuation
* stress
* poor sleep habits
* bright lights
* loud noises
* strong odors
* overexertion
* obesity
* smoking
* skipping meals
* certain foods
* dehydration
* low blood sugar
* alcohol consumption (particularly red wine)

Migraine headaches are unpredictable, so there is no guarantee that you won’t suffer from them. But there are some things you can do to reduce your risk.

Identify and Avoid Triggers

Use a journal or diary to write down the things that happen before the onset of your migraines. This will help you identify the things that trigger these headaches. Do the headaches happen after a glass of wine, or after you forget to eat breakfast? Once you identify the primary triggers, you can avoid them in the future.

Get Plenty of Sleep

When you don’t get enough sleep, you become more prone to migraine headaches. So aim to get between seven and eight hours of sleep per night (children require more rest). But don’t snooze too long as too much sleep can also trigger migraine headaches.

Eat Right and Exercise

Exercising and eating right improves your body’s ability to manage day-to-day stress. Your diet should include plenty of fresh fruits, veggies, and whole grains. Also, drink plenty of water to keep the body properly hydrated.

Aim to get at least one-hour of moderate physical activity each day. Your workout routine can include a combination of walking, jogging, biking, yoga, Pilates, swimming, and aerobics.

Avoid Certain Foods

Foods that contain aspartame, nitrates, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and tyramine can contribute to migraine headaches. Some examples of these types of foods include:

* aged cheeses
* hot dogs
* lunch meats
* spices
* soy products
* low calorie sweeteners
* fava beans
* hard sausages

Over the counter pain relievers can be used to manage mild migraines, but more severe pain may require the use of prescription abortive medications and pain relievers. Your doctor will determine if these types of medications are appropriate for your situation.

Although rare, severe headaches can be caused by serious health conditions such as aneurism, meningitis, and tumors in the brain. So if your migraines are persistent, or accompanied by speech or vision difficulties, see a doctor immediately.

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Weather, Pollution and Migraines

Thursday, April 2nd, 2009

The study is one of the largest ever to examine the impact of weather and air pollution on headaches.

But study lead author Kenneth J. Mukamal, MD, of Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard School of Public Health, tells WebMD that an even bigger study would be needed to understand the impact of air pollution on headaches.

“We are not saying that air pollution is not a headache trigger,” he says. “What we can say with some confidence is that the effect is not enormous.”

Mukamal and colleagues compared the medical records of 7,054 headache patients treated at a Boston hospital’s emergency department over a seven-year period to official records of pollution levels and weather conditions in the days before treatment.

Specific weather conditions including temperature, barometric pressure, and humidity were also examined at other key time periods.

Although rising temperature was identified as the biggest weather-related headache trigger, the researchers concluded that the impact may not be clinically meaningful.

“This magnitude of excess risk is obviously modest and may not be an important factor in the clinical management of individual patients, given the many other potential triggers of migraine that patients face,” they write.

The study was published in the journal Neurology and was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health and Sciences and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Other Headache Triggers

Migraine specialist Stephen Silberstein, MD, a spokesman for the American Academy of Neurology, tells WebMD that patients often can reduce the number and severity of the headaches they have by understanding their own triggers.

Common migraine triggers include:

* Hormonal changes. For many women, migraines are closely linked to their menstrual cycle, with headaches occurring immediately before or during their periods.
* Diet and eating habits. Fasting or skipping meals and dehydration are two big migraine triggers, Silberstein says.
* Overuse of pain drugs for headaches. This can lead to rebound headaches.
* Intense exertion. Strenuous exercise and even sex can bring on migraines.
* Changes in sleep habits and stress. Getting too much or too little sleep can trigger headaches. And stress is a big trigger for many people.

Many migraine sufferers believe that particular foods trigger their headaches. Silberstein says it is clear that alcohol, the flavor enhancer MSG, and caffeine withdrawal can do this.

But he adds that there is little scientific evidence linking other commonly cited foods like chocolate and artificial sweeteners to headaches.

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