What is a Migraine Diet?

If you suffer from migraine headaches or have family members who do, you know the pain and anxiety they can cause. Many people who suffer from migraines become completely incapacitated from them. There are few things that are actually migraine treatments that relieve the pain and discomfort of a migraine after is has begun, so it might be a good idea to try and prevent them before they even start by using a migraine diet.

A migraine diet consists of avoiding all foods that have been known to cause migraines in the past. There is a list of foods that you should completely avoid when you first go on a migraine diet. These foods are called trigger foods. They include chocolate, dairy products or any food containing dairy products, eggs or anything containing eggs, citrus fruits, meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey and fish), wheat (breads and pastas), nuts or peanuts, tomatoes, onions, corn, apples and bananas. Other things that might be in your diet that can be triggers for migraines are aspartame, MSG, excessive caffeine, alcohol and nitrates. After you have eliminated these foods and substances from your diet or your family members diet and have noticed a change in the frequency and severity of migraines, you can try to gradually reintroduce these foods into your diet. When the migraines return you will know which food is the likely cause of the problem.

Foods that are usually not causes of migraines include brown rice, cooked green vegetables like broccoli, squash, spinach and collard greens, cooked orange vegetables like carrots and sweet potatoes, yellow vegetables like squash, and condiments like salt, etc.. Foods that are rich in magnesium, calcium, complex carbohydrates and fiber can be good migraine treatments. Eat as many of the foods in this group as possible and completely avoid foods that can trigger migraines. If after a couple of weeks on this diet you do not notice any benefits, then you will need to do the elimination diet to get the best of the migraine treatments. This is a bit involved, but it will help you determine the major triggers for your migraine problems. Start by eliminating one food that you commonly eat. If after a couple of weeks you get no results, move on to the next one. You will eventually notice that without certain foods your migraines are reduced or even eliminated. Your migraine diet, after you determine what your food triggers are should never include these foods. Migraine treatments are not easy to find, but eliminating trigger foods and increasing the safe foods is one way to help reduce the problem. By using the migraine diet, you will find that you will get enough relief from the problem that you will not have to worry about taking extra medication to help with the condition. Migraine treatments that include medications can cause other problems that you do not need. You may find that by changing your diet a bit, that other conditions you suffer from also disappear.

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Getting Migraine Pain Relief

The first thing a person wants when they have a migraine headache is immediate pain relief. There are many ways available today to treat migraine pain but most methods are meant for treating the pain after it has started and before it gets worse. But, people want quick relief – relief that is cost effective, not addictive, and helps with the nausea often associated with a migraine headache.

Lots of people who suffer from headaches use over the counter medications and for many it works. Over the counter medications include medicines such as Ibuprofen, Aspirin, Acetaminophen, caffeine, or medicine that has a mixture of two or more of these. This is especially true for people who suffer infrequent migraine pain. Aspirin acts as a blood thinner and some believe it actually raises a person’s tolerance for pain. (Laties, 1960) Small amounts of caffeine also seem to be helpful if taken early enough. When used as directed, over-the-counter pain relievers are considered safe. But, it is important to remember that you should never exceed the recommended dosage. Sometimes these medicines can actually increase the pain or cause what is called a rebound headache. (Ohio, 2009) Over the counter medications do help many people, but more often than not, a migraine sufferer must get prescription medicine to help with their migraine pain.

Prescribed medications, known as “triptans”, are most often given to a patient who is trying to get migraine pain relief. Examples of triptans are sumatriptan and naratriptan. (Shreve, 2006) Their basic job is to relieve constriction of blood vessels in the brain and stop the throbbing that causes so much pain. These “triptans” also seem to be effective against the nausea, vomiting and light sensitivity that often accompanies a migraine headache. It is important when taking these prescribed medications that the medicine be taken at the first sign of any migraine pain. (Shreve, 2006)

There are other drugs that have been shown to work well for some migraine patients. Antidepressants – called MAO inhibitors – can work to stop migraine headaches. They block an enzyme which blocks serotonin. Serotonin is useful in pain relief; it is a neurotransmitter that can cause constriction in the blood vessels in the brain. However, MAO inhibitors can have some strong side effects and are better for the prevention of a future migraine than for immediate relief of pain. Another migraine drug is ergotamine tartrate, which comes from ergot, a fungus, from which LSD is also made. This drug is used for constricting the blood vessels which stops and prevents migraine pain for some people. (Laties, 1960)

Usually the first step a doctor performs for a migraine sufferer is to give the patient a drug for stopping the pain. Some of the many medications for relief of migraine or headache symptoms include fenoprofen, fluriprofen, ibuprofen, ketaprofen, nabumetone, naproxen, diclofenac, ketorolac, meclofenate, carisoprodol, Orphenadrine citrate, Methocarbamol, Cyclobenzaprine HCL,and Metaxalone. (Jung, 2009) You’ll have to talk to your doctor about which one is right for you.

One problem for many migraine sufferers has been the issue of prescriptions drugs, like oxycodone hydrochloride, which is often prescribed for back pain and other types of body pain. This drug has become more popular for migraine pain relief and it has the bad side effect of being a very potentially addictive prescription medication. Along this same line is a drug called Fioricet® which has acetaminophen, caffeine, and butalbitol – a barbituate. Any medication containing barbiturates (butalbital) or narcotics (codeine) should be used with caution. (Jung, 2009)

Sometimes it takes quite a while to find the medication that will be most effective for the migraine sufferer. The drugs often have to be tried and retried – in different combinations – until pain relief is realized. As hard as it is to be patient through this process when one is in the middle of a migraine attack, some comfort can be had from the knowledge that there are so many possibilities for pain relief out there to try.

Works Cited

Jung, L. (2009). Drugs for Migraine and Headache Pain. Retrieved from WebMD: http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/pain-relief-headaches

Laties, B. W. (1960). CHANGES IN PAIN TOLERANCE AND OTHER BEHAVIOR PRODUCED BY SALICYLATES. The Journal of Pharmocology , 120-129.

Ohio, U. o. (2009). The Ohio State Medicval University. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from Vascular headaches: http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/nervous_system/headache/vascular/pages/index.aspx

Shreve, D. (2006). Migraine.org. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from Migraine.org: http://www.migraine.org/index.php

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What is a Vascular Migraine?

When you think of the word migraine, the first thing that comes to mind is a really bad headache. When you add the word ‘vascular’ to migraine, it sounds even more ominous. Vascular headaches are thought to be headaches caused by blood vessels functioning abnormally. A vascular migraine is included in the group called vascular headaches because it is a headache believed to be caused by vessel contractions. The vascular migraine is actually the most common type of vascular headache. (College, 2009) Today, a vascular migraine is not really considered just a problem of the blood vessels or vascular system of the brain, but a much more complex neurological problem. (Janssen-Cilag, 2009)

It is important to remember when thinking about a vascular migraine that the headache pain is only a symptom of a larger problem called migraine disorder. The headache a person has with migraine disorder always has other symptoms like sensitivity to light, seeing “sparklies”, nausea, vomiting, or a host of other symptoms. The term vascular is used because older research led doctors and scientists to believe that the pain of a vascular migraine came from the blood vessels in the head changing shape, that they were narrowing and widening. The changing of the vessels was actually believed be the only cause of the pain that a migraine sufferer felt when they had a headache. (Virginia, 2008) In one sense this is true, but there is much more to it than that.

There are really three different working theories concerning migraine headaches today. First, there is some research that deals with abnormal nerve activity. Second, other research concentrates on the idea of the sheath of the nerves becoming irritated by compounds such as nitrous oxide or phosphorous – but the most widely accepted theory is still the idea of the vascular contraction. During a vascular migraine headache, the arteries on the side of the head which is feeling the pain are enlarged along with additional activity in the brain stem. In the brain stem, research has documented an increased level of serotonin and calcitonin associated with vascular headache pain. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter of the brain and calcitonin is a hormone used in the regulation and uptake of calcium and phosphorous in the body. There has been no real explanation found yet for the extra activity in the brain stem but this has been referred to as the “migraine generator” in some research. (Janssen-Cilag, 2009)

Current research on vascular migraines has doctors trying to answer the question “what causes the vessels to contract?” The information regarding vascular migraines today deals with the interplay of hormones and brain chemistry. It is thought that serotonin and estrogen levels play a pivotal role in the processes that cause vessels in the brain to contract. (Virginia, 2008) It has been discovered that if an excess of serotonin is released, it will cause blood vessels to contract. In this same manner, if a drastic change occurs in estrogen level, it can also trigger the blood vessels to contract. The contraction of blood vessels is what eventually leads to the pain of a vascular migraine. It is the vessel contractions that causes the sparkles, nausea, and vomiting that many vascular migraine sufferers report. (College, 2009)

Vascular migraines are the most common type of vascular headache but they are not the only type. Toxic headaches are also vascular in nature and the second most common type of vascular headache. These headaches can be caused by fever, allergies, pneumonia or any illness that causes an immune response in the body. Less common types of vascular headaches are a cluster headache which occurs on one side of the head and are caused by vascular contractions not associated with the migraine disorder. The headaches caused by a rise in blood pressure are also included in the vascular headache category. (Janssen-Cilag, 2009)

Vascular migraines used to be considered only vascular in nature, but recent research indicates that blood vessel changes are not the actual problem but that the changes in brain chemistry may be the actual culprit. It would seem to be more accurate with the research being conducted today to refer to vascular migraines as brain chemistry migraines or brain change migraines. With so many sufferers, the research into the area of vascular migraines continues.

Works Cited

College, W. C. (2009). Vascular Headaches and Migraines. Retrieved November 18th, 2009, from New York Presbyterian Hospital: http://nyp.org/health/vascular-headache migraine.html

Janssen-Cilag. (2009). Migrain Association of Ireland. Retrieved November 18, 2009, from Research and Studies: http://www.migraine.ie/index.php?id=310

Virginia, U. o. (2008). Vascular Headaches and Migraines. Retrieved November 18, 2009, from University of Virginia Health System: http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/toplevel/why-choose/overview/home.cfm

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See also: Getting Migraine Pain Relief

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Migraine Tests – Do You Really Suffer From Migraines?

The word migraine is usually used by someone when they have a really bad headache. Nothing could be further from the truth though. Migraine suffers do not appreciate the term, migraine, used lightly because it is a disease, not just a problem you have occasionally. A headache is really just a symptom of what is now understood to be a genetic disorder. Migraine is a disease and should be treated as though it were hypertension, angina or any other depilatory illness. Migraine disease causes one’s senses to become heightened – hence the sensitivity to light and sound that often accompanies what is called a migraine headache. (Coleman, 1994)

The pain the average person associates with a migraine is usually a throbbing pain behind the eyes or single area of the head accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, sound, and feeling. This tends to occur more often in women and often times the person feels like there is an “aura” or “sparkles” around the things they look at. (Prince, 2009)

Diagnosing a normal headache is not difficult because we all know when we feel pain in our head. Diagnosing migraine disease is more difficult because the symptoms can imitate so many other things and sometimes a bad headache is just that, a bad headache. Most of the time a doctor can diagnose a headache from a patient interview. The symptoms are easy to identify and the cause can be obtained while speaking to the patient. The causes are usually easy to identify in these cases such as skipping meals, muscle tension, fever, or stress. There is no definitive migraine test which makes the diagnosis of migraine disease much more complex.

The doctor must first acquire a full medical history of the patient. An EEG, or electroencephalogram, may be performed to look at brain function and an atomographic (CT) scan can be ordered to look for any other possible causes for the pain. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan can also be ordered if the doctor needs a more comprehensive look at the brain to complete the diagnosis.

Migraines are considered to be vascular in origin because they are caused by abnormal functioning of the vessels of the brain. This is completely different from headaches caused by muscle contraction or swelling of the sinus cavities due to infection or irritation. There are also some headaches caused by vascular problems in the brain that are not migraine in origin such as toxic headaches that are caused by fever when the immune system is fighting off an infection. (Ohio, 2009)

One of the things that make a migraine test so difficult to determine is that not all migraine sufferers indicate the same symptoms. Some people show marked change in mood or behavior just before the headache, others do not. Others have sensory changes just before the headaches start and even feel muscle weakness. Some patients never suffer the pain of the headache but only have sensory problems, while others feel intense pain and nausea during the attack. Some people even report feeling better after the attack or almost refreshed. (Ohio, 2009)

The most important thing for you to do as a migraine sufferer is to keep a detailed record of your headaches and note how you feel before and after each attack. Keep the time of day you begin to feel the first symptoms and what is happening at the time. Also remember to write about how these headaches affect you and your life in general. Treatment is going to be different for each person so the more information you have, the better you can help your doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

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Works Cited

Coleman, J. M. (1994). MAGNUM. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from The National Migraine Association: http://www.migraines.org/about/abouhist.htm

Ohio, U. o. (2009). The Ohio State Medicval University. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from Vascular headaches: http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/nervous_system/headache/vascular/pages/index.aspx

Prince, S. ( 2009, September 25th). National Institutes of Health. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from National Institue of Nuerologicasl Disorders and Stroke: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/migraine/migraine.htm

Shreve, D. (2006). Migraine.org. Retrieved October 24, 2009, from Migraine.org: http://www.migraine.org/index.php

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See also: What Is a Vascular Migraine?

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Emergency Rooms and Migraine Headaches

The emergency room plays an important role in the treatment of migraines: it’s usually the place of last resort when your treatments fail and the first place you should visit if your migraines present unusual or alarming symptoms.

Even if you’re following your doctor’s treatment plan carefully you may find yourself with a migraine that doesn’t respond well to medication.  First understand that this occasionally happens with migraines and adds to the complexity of treating them.

Anytime you go to the emergency room or an urgent care center for a severe migraine be sure to follow-up with your doctor as soon as possible.  Your doctor will need to evaluate your treatment plan and any medications the hospital doctor may have given you.  Your doctor will want to make sure it doesn’t cause any drug interaction problems.

Many migraine patients may feel frustrated after visiting an emergency room because emergency rooms tend to be fairly busy and treat the patients they perceive need the most immediate attention.  Because a migraine sufferer may not display any outward symptoms of traume they may be forced to wait lengthy amounts of time before being examined.  Some patients report feeling as if emergency room personnel disregard severe migraines as true emergencies.  Instead, patients feel that they’re being bombarded with questions that may imply substance abuse.

You absolutely have the right to prompt attention from emergency room personnel.  However hospital personnel are frequently overworked and must quick assess the status of many patients, some of whom may be experiencing immediate life-threatening conditions.  They must responsibly administer medications which means they must be careful not to give narcotics to suspected drug abusers.  This occurs more in larger urban areas where drug users, unable to obtain drugs on the street, visit the emergency room and fake their pain in order to receive pain killers.

If you need to visit an emergency room it’s imperative that you inform the staff that you’re under the care of a physician for your migraines.  Give them the name of your doctor and suggest that they contact him/her if they have any doubt about your condition.  Another suggestion is that you keep a copy of your treatment plan, or a receipt copy of your last doctor’s visit.  You should also keep a list of your medications with you so hospital staff can safeguard against negative drug interactions.

Although rare, permanent disability or serious health conditions can occur as the result of a very severe migraine attack.

If a migraine lasts longer than 72 hours, seek immediate medical attention.

If a migraine is accompanied by frequent vomiting or diarrhea, seek immediate medical attention.

If you experience aura, confusion, partial paralysis, or speech impairment after the migraine attack subsides, seek immediate medical attention.

If you experience visual impairment in both eyes, gait abnormalities, weakness of the limbs and dizziness, seek immediate medical attention.  You may be experiencing a migraine-related stroke.

If you’re over the age of 55 and experience a severe migraine attack accompanied by aches in the body or extremities, and visual impairment, seek medical attention immediately.  You may be experiencing a temporal arteritis headache which could lead to a stroke or blindness.

The content of this article is not meant to alarm you – instead, it’s meant to educate you so you can make more informed decisions about your situation.  As always, please discuss matters of this nature with your physician so you can receive advice that’s geared to your specific situation.

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Which Doctors Provide Migraine Treatment?

When looking for medical treatment for your migraines it’s good to know the different levels and types of care available to you.  Although most people begin looking for medical treatment with their primary cary physician you should know that it doesn’t end there.  There are lots of different doctors that can provide migraine treatment.  This article reviews some of the different types of doctors that may be able to provide help.

Primary-Care Physician

The primary care physician is the person that most people first disuss their migraine problems with.  This is primarily due to the fact that the patient is already comfortable discussing various ailments with that doctor.  Your family doctor is the person that usually refers you to specialists if they feel it is appropriate.

The primary care physician is usually a general practitioner, internal medical specialist, or family practitioner.

Pros:

  • The doctor knows your medical history.
  • The doctor probably knows your family medical history and may even be treating other people in your family.
  • You have probably established a long term relationship with the doctor.

Cons:

  • General practitioners are generalists, not specialists.  As such they may not know of the latest advances and treatments available for migraine sufferers.
  • Some general practitioners may be reluctant to refer you to a specialist because they believe the condition is something they’re qualified to treat.  This may result in lengthy treatments and considerable trial-and-error attempts before the most effective treatment is found.  If you don’t believe your doctor’s treatment is effective you should feel comfortable enough asking him/her to refer you to a specialist.

Neurologist

A neurologist specializes in conditions that affect the brain and is considered highly qualified to diagnose and treat headache and migraine conditions.  Many primary care physicians refer their migraine patients to neurologists for this specific reason.

Pros:

  • They’re likely to keep abreast of the latest migraine treatments and medications.
  • Because of their specialized knowledge of the brain and how it functions they’re likely to accurately diagnose the presence of neurological disorders that can cause migraine headache pain.

Cons:

  • Because neurologists deal with very complex brain problems they may not be willing to spend time treating migraine patients.
  • Some neurologists only deal with patients that have very severe and frequent migraine pain.  Infrequent sufferers may not be able to get an appointment to see certain neurologists.

Headache Specialists

A headache specialist is a physician that specializes in diagnosing and treating patients that suffer from migraines and other types of headaches.

Pros:

  • Headache specialists are likely to have th latest information on migraine treatments and therapies.
  • Because they treat people with different types of headaches they should be able to distinguish between a migraine headache and other headaches that have similar symptoms.
  • Because of their knowledge of migraine headaches they often provide cost effective treatments.

Cons:

The term “headache specialist” is not a certified or accredited medical sub-specialty so determining a physician’s qualifications may be difficult. Ask the physician if he/she is a member of the American Association for the Study of Headache (AASH), which is a professional group for physicians and researchers interested in the treatment of different headache types.  Because accreditation is not required it is recommended that you only visit a headache specialist as the result of a physician’s referral, or the referral of a trusted physician, friend, or family member.

Read the article “Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Migraine Headaches” for more information.

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