The first migraine that I experienced was at the age of nineteen, approximately 2-3 weeks following the birth of my first child. It was quite horrible as I recall it... although worse migraine episodes occurred in the years to follow. My guess is that hormone changes were the onset factor in this episode. My first migraine was not looked upon with compassion by some of my family. My husband (we have since divorced) was less than sympathetic as he was unfamiliar to pain himself and did not understand how to relate to other people's pain. I also received the wrath of my then mother-in-law. She was angered that my husband was unable to escort his younger brother as planned that evening to a local baseball game because my husband was forced to stay home to care for our newborn while I was incapacitated. USA Today survey regarding Family Reaction to Migraine Sufferers indicated that our loved ones'reactions when migraines occur often range anywhere from understanding to resentment.
Manage Your Life With Migraine Disease
The first migraine that I experienced was at the age of nineteen, approximately 2-3 weeks following the birth of my first child. It was quite horrible as I recall it... although worse migraine episodes occurred in the years to follow. My guess is that hormone changes were the onset factor in this episode. My first migraine was not looked upon with compassion by some of my family. My husband (we have since divorced) was less than sympathetic as he was unfamiliar to pain himself and did not understand how to relate to other people's pain. I also received the wrath of my then mother-in-law. She was angered that my husband was unable to escort his younger brother as planned that evening to a local baseball game because my husband was forced to stay home to care for our newborn while I was incapacitated. USA Today survey regarding Family Reaction to Migraine Sufferers indicated that our loved ones'reactions when migraines occur often range anywhere from understanding to resentment.
Symptoms If Migraine
| Vision disturbances, or aura, are considered a "warning sign" that a migraine is coming. The aura occurs in both eyes and may involve any or all of the following: * A temporary blind spot * Blurred vision * Eye pain * Seeing stars or zigzag lines * Tunnel vision Not every person with migraines has an aura. Those who do usually develop one about 10 - 15 minutes before the headache. However, it may occur just a few minutes to 24 hours beforehand. Migraine headaches can be dull or severe. The pain may be felt behind the eye or in the back of the head and neck. For many patients, the headaches start on the same side each time. The headaches usually: * Feel throbbing, pounding, or pulsating * Are worse on one side of the head * Start as a dull ache and get worse within minutes to hours * Last 6 to 48 hours Other symptoms that may occur with the headache include: * Chills * Increased urination * Fatigue * Loss of appetite * Nausea and vomiting * Numbness, tingling, or weakness * Problems concentrating, trouble finding words * Sensitivity to light or sound * Sweating Symptoms that may linger even after the migraine has gone away include: * Feeling mentally dull, like your thinking is not clear or sharp * Increased need for sleep * Neck pain |
Coffee Lowers Risk Of Prostate Cancer
| Men who are heavy coffee drinkers are at lower risk for prostate cancer, says a study. The researchers found that those who consumed six or more cups a day were almost 20 percent less likely to develop prostate cancer over two decades than those who drank none, according to New York Times Friday. Scientists at Harvard University followed 47,911 men who periodically described their coffee consumption. More important, the heavy coffee drinkers were 60 percent less likely than the non-drinkers to develop a lethal form of the disease, it said. Even men who drank just one to three cups of coffee benefited: They were nearly 30 percent less likely to develop lethal prostate cancer, the study said. It did not matter whether the coffee was caffeinated or decaffeinated. The study, published online Tuesday in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute, is one of the first to link coffee consumption to a lower risk of prostate cancer. 'We're not yet telling men to drink more coffee,' the daily quoted the lead author of the study Kathryn M. Wilson, research fellow at the Harvard School of Public Health, as saying. 'But there's mounting evidence that if they do, they don't have to worry about it,' she said. Coffee is a major dietary source of antioxidants, and other studies have suggested that drinking it is associated with health benefits, including a lower risk of Type 2 diabetes. |
Cheap diabetes drug could elp Fight Breast Cancer
| A low cost diabetes drug could benefit breast cancer sufferers. Anthony Howell, director of the breakthrough breast cancer research unit at the University of Manchester, said: 'We have some way to go but we hope that drugs like metformin will be saving lives of breast cancer patients over the next few years.' Scientists have developed a new test that identifies patients who could benefit from the cheap treatment, reports the journal Cell Cycle. They found that the people whose cancer cells 'fed' off high-energy compounds were more likely to see their tumours spread than to die, the Telegraph reports. This meant they could be helped by being given metformin, which stops the 'fuel supply' for aggressive cancer cells. Howell's counterpart, Michael Lisanti at Manchester, said: 'We've shown that the saying, 'you are what you eat' holds true for cancer. The food cancer cells consume is crucial to how well a patient does and what treatment they need.' 'However, patients could benefit from metformin, which cuts off this fuel supply. There is more work to do but this test could be an important new way of tailoring treatments to a patient's needs, across a range of cancers.' Last year it was reported that metformin was being tested to see if it can stop the growth of lung cancers. Researchers from Manchester and Thomas Jefferson University in the US studied 219 breast cancer patients and worked out which ones had tumours that fed on high-energy foods, known as ketones and lactate, found in healthy cells. |
Hormonal Deficiencies
| Most studies involving hormone deficiency and aging have focused on the relationship between individual hormones and specific age-associated disease. In a recently released study, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine investigated the possibility that frailty would mostly likely manifest in the presence of deficits in multiple hormones. They studied the relationships of serum levels of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), DHEAS, and unbound testosterone with frailty status in aging women. The study used 494 women aged 70 to 79 years who were enrolled in the Women's Health and Aging Studies I or II. Scientists calculated the odds of frailty for deficiency of each hormone, which they defined as the bottom quartile of hormone level. They found that for each hormone, those with a deficiency were more likely to be frail than those without a deficiency. Compared with women who showed no hormonal deficiencies, those with one deficiency were somewhat more likely to be frail. However, those women with two or three deficiencies had a very high likelihood of being frail. The odds ratio for frailty for these women was 2.79, meaning that women who were deficient in more than one hormone had almost a 3 times greater risk of being frail than women who were not hormonally deficient. The scientists concluded that the absolute burden of hormonal deficiencies in the bodies of aging women was a stronger predictor of frailty status than the type of hormonal deficiency. They found the relationship to be exponential, and suggestive of generalized endocrine dysfunction in the frailty syndrome. This study may be found in the January 31 edition of Journals of Gerontology Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. People diagnosed as frail lose the ability to care for themselves and live independently Frailty is characterized by unexplained weight loss, exhaustion, weak grip, slow walking speed, and generalized low energy levels. Women who are frail are the most vulnerable, most at risk for disability or death, and are the highest users of medical care. In a nationwide study of 5,000 older adults, those who were frail were found to be six times more likely to die than those who were not over a three-year period, and more than three times more likely to die over a seven-year period. After seven years, 43 percent of those who were frail had died, compared to 23 percent of those who were classified as intermediate, and 12 percent of those who were robust. A diagnosis of frailty is made based on symptoms such as shrinking (unintentional weight loss of at least 10 pounds or 5 percent of body weight compared to a year ago), weakness (grip strength in the lowest 20th percentile), poor endurance and energy (self-reported exhaustion), slowness (the most time it takes to walk 15 feet), and low physical activity level (the lowest 20 percent in physical activity compared to others). Frail women have a very high incidence of osteoporosis. They are the most likely group to suffer falls that result in broken bones, and may even suffer broken bones without a fall. Frail women and men are the highest users of disease establishment services and are the most likely to be admitted to nursing homes. Men with multiple hormonal deficiencies are more than twice as likely to die Aging in men is also characterized by progressive decline in levels of hormones such as testosterone, IGF-1, and DHEAS. In a study at the National Institute on Aging, scientists investigated whether deficiencies in these hormones were associated with higher mortality. Testosterone, IGF-1, DHEAS, and demographic factors were evaluated in 410 men age 65 and older enrolled in the Aging in the Chianti Area Study. The men were divided into four groups: no hormone in the lowest reference quartile, and 1, 2, and 3 hormones in the lowest quartiles. Compared with men having levels of all 3 hormones above the lowest quartiles, having 1, 2, and 3 deficient hormones was associated with hazard ratios for mortality of 1.47, 1.85, and 2.29. This means that men deficient in 3 hormones were more than two and one-quarter times more likely to die. The scientists concluded that age associated decline in hormone levels is a strong independent predictor of mortality in older men. Having multiple hormone deficiencies is a reliable biomarker of health status in older men. This study is from the November, 2007 Archives of Internal Medicine. Hormonally deficient men with chronic heart failure have the poorest prognosis In men with chronic heart failure, hormone depletion is common. A deficiency of each hormone is an independent marker of poor prognosis according to a study at the Military Hospital of Wroclaw, Poland. Serum levels of total testosterone, DHEAS, and IGF-1 were obtained from 208 men with chronic heart failure who were hospitalized or treated as outpatients, and from a reference population of 366 men free of chronic disease. Deficiencies in DHEAS, total and unbound testosterone, and IGF-1, defined as serum levels at or below the 10th percentile of healthy peers, were seen across all age categories of men with chronic heart failure. DHEAS deficiency correlated positively with left ventricular disturbance. Testosterone measures and IGF-1 levels were prognostic biomarkers. Men with chronic heart failure and normal levels of all hormones had the best 3 year survival rate (83 percent) compared to those with 1 hormone deficiency (74 percent survival rate), 2 hormone deficiencies (55 percent survival rate), and 3 hormone deficiencies (27 percent) survival rate. This study is from the October 24, 2006 edition of Circulation. |
How To Get Rid Of A Migraine
| If you are a migraine headache sufferer you know how important it is to get pain relief fast. A migraine can be so severe that it can put a stop to your whole day. Many people who have migraines may have two or more each month. This article will examine a few ways to get rid of a migraine headache. If you experience auras with your migraines then you have a warning system in place. It you start to notice bright flashes of light, dark spots in your field of vision or zigzag lines in your vision field, then you are about to develop a migraine. Take an over the counter NSAIDS right away. These drugs such as, Advil and Motrin can help with mild pain from migraines. It is probably a good idea to lie down in a dark, quiet, room also. A cool cloth applied to the forehead may be of some comfort. If your migraines are severe, you need to see your doctor. He will prescribe prescription strength migraine medicine for you such as,Imitrex. This was the first drug that was developed specifically to treat migraines. Imitrex acts like serotonin and binds itself to the serotonin receptors in the brain. This cause the blood vessels to constrict, therefore relieving the pressure on the brain and the migraine pain. Since Imitrex was developed a few other drugs have been created also. They work in similar ways to Imitrex but have fewer side effects and will cause fewer rebound headaches. Since nausea is a common complication that occurs with a migraine, your doctor may prescribe an anti-emetic medication such as Reglan, Compazine or Phenergan. These medicines do not decrease the pain from a migraine, but they can stop the nausea and vomiting associated with it. Some of these drugs do have the ability to make you relaxed and very sleepy. Being more relaxed can help your pain medicine work better and possibly shorten the duration of your migraine. The best thing you can do for your migraines is to find out what causes them. Keep a diary and try to pinpoint certain triggers that may set off a migraine headache. Some people are overly sensitive to certain perfumes or flowers. Others may develop a migraine after eating certain foods. Your other option is to talk to your doctor about preventive medicines for migraine headaches. Studies have found that certain cardiovascular drugs and certain antidepressant medications have been highly effective in the prevention of migraines. New studies are being done all the time. Who knows, maybe eventually they will find a cure for your migraine headaches. But for now all you can do is try to prevent them or if you feel one coming on, try to treat it as quickly as possible. |
Causes Migraine Headaches
A migraine is a severe headache that is recurring. You may experience migraines monthly or once or twice a year. Migraines can be accompanied by extreme sensitivity to lights and sounds, nausea and vomiting. A severe migraine will be disabling to most people. Migraines have long been a sort of medical mystery. Researchers are not sure of the exact cause of migraines, but over the years have constructed a few theories. This article is going to look at the possible causes of migraine headaches.
A lot of researchers think that migraines are caused by an imbalance in the complex systems of nerves in the brain and neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain responsible for pain perception and emotions.
Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that researchers have studied. It has been proven that when you have a headache, your levels of serotonin drops. This in turn will cause the trigeminal nerve in your brain to release neuro peptides. These chemicals will cause the blood vessels on the outside covering of your brain to swell and the resulting pressure will produce a headache. This is the assumed mechanism of how a headache develops, but what causes this to happen.
Your headaches may be the result of certain triggers. The triggers that can produce a migraine are:
A lot of researchers think that migraines are caused by an imbalance in the complex systems of nerves in the brain and neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain responsible for pain perception and emotions.
Serotonin is one of the neurotransmitters that researchers have studied. It has been proven that when you have a headache, your levels of serotonin drops. This in turn will cause the trigeminal nerve in your brain to release neuro peptides. These chemicals will cause the blood vessels on the outside covering of your brain to swell and the resulting pressure will produce a headache. This is the assumed mechanism of how a headache develops, but what causes this to happen.
Your headaches may be the result of certain triggers. The triggers that can produce a migraine are:
- - Certain foods can trigger a migraine in a lot of people. Common food triggers are alcohol, chocolate, caffeine, aged cheeses, monosodium glutamate and other canned or processed foods.
- - Sometimes skipping a meal can bring on a migraine also.
- - Intense physical activity, including sex, can trigger a migraine. Too much sleep or too little sleep can also be a trigger.
- - Stress is a big factor in triggering migraines. If you have worked hard all week and are starting to relax on the weekend, it may be ruined by a weekend migraine headache.
- - Any type of change in your environment such as, the weather, temperature, barometric pressure and even a change in the time zone, can trigger a migraine.
- - Some people are overly sensitive to all types of sensory stimulus such as, bright lights and certain smells. Certain perfumes or flowers have been known to trigger migraine pain.
- - Women who are going through hormonal changes will be more at risk for developing a migraine. Researchers aren't sure why the fluctuations of hormones will trigger a migraine, but the incidences of migraines seem to increase right before or during a woman's period.
- - Certain medications have been know to trigger migraine headaches.
If you are having frequent migraine headaches, try to pinpoint the trigger for them. Try keeping a journal of everything that you eat or do that's out of the ordinary each day. When you have a migraine read back through your journal and try to identify a possible trigger. If you haven't started treatment for migraines, see your doctor. He can prescribe medicine that will decrease the migraines or make them less intense. Don't suffer in pain anymore, find the cause of your migraine headaches.
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