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Arabella on Plastic Surgery for Migraine

If you haven't read the blog Migraine Truth, you're missing a great blog!

I have to say that Arabella and I have agreed to a mutual admiration society since we both love and admire the other's work, but there are quite a few people I feel that way about.

Yesterday, Arabella took on all the darned fools who make a mountain out of a molehill when writing headlines, who make a "cure" out of a not-yet-proven treatment.

That's one of my pet peeves, something that sometimes makes me embarrassed to be considered one of the "media." There was a time when a journalist, an editor, a copy editor - anyone writing a headline -- would have been severely disciplined for sensationalizing a headline. Headlines were supposed to be accurate. The news was sacred. Somewhere along the way, those principles have become muddled at the very least, perhaps even lost.

Anyway, I don't want to steal Arabella's thunder. Please take a few minutes to read her post, And then there's the plastic surgery "cure."

Live well,

The Effects of Hormone Therapy on the Brain

For those with Migraines, the question of whether to use hormone therapies is one we often look at only in terms of the impact it will have on Migraine frequency and severity. There are, however other issues that need to be considered as well.

Two new studies show that hormone therapy (HT) for women is linked to brain shrinkage, but not to the small brain lesions that are the first sign of cerebrovascular disease. The studies are published in the January 13, 2009, print issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Earlier studies showed that estrogen with or without added progestin increased the risk for developing dementia and cognitive decline, or difficulty with thinking skills and memory in women age 65 and older.

This is an article for all Migraineurs considering hormone therapy. Click HERE to read the full article.

Live well,
Teri

Migraine without Aura - The Basics

Migraine is a common disabling primary headache disorder. Epidemiological studies have documented its high prevalence and high socio-economic and personal impacts. It is now ranked by the World Health Organization as number 19 among all diseases world-wide causing disability.

Migraine is a genetic neurological disease. Because there are several different types of Migraine, and some forms involve different genetic markers, some researchers theorize that it may actually be more than one disease. For now, however, Migraine is divided into two major subtypes, Migraine without aura (MWOA) and Migraine with aura (MWA). There is a single classification under Migraine without aura. MWOA is the most common form of Migraine.

For consistency in diagnosing and classifying head pain disorders, the International Headache Society’s International Classification of Headache Disorders, Second Edition (ICHD-II), is generally accepted as the “gold standard.”

Migraine without aura is the most common form of Migraine. The ICHD-II classification criteria for Migraine without aura is...

Learn more about this form of Migraine in Migraine without Aura - The Basics.

Live well,
Teri

Is It Migraine? Tension-Type Headache? What?

So. Here it is, another day . . . and another day with head pain. What to do...  Migraine abortives...  pain medication?  sleep?  relaxation exercises? It all depends on what kind of head pain you have. It's sometimes hard to tell, and one kind of head pain can trigger another. For example, tension headaches will frequently trigger a Migraine for Migraineurs.

The first step in treating our head pain is to get an accurate diagnosis. This is very important for a couple of reasons:

1. Head pain can be a symptom of various diseases or physical anomalies such as tumors or aneurysms. A CAT Scan of the sinus cavities to rule out infection is helpful, as is an MRI to rule out tumors, aneurysms, stroke. and other problems. Keep in mind that your doctor may not order such tests immediately. It's quite normal procedure to try treatment first, and do such tests if the treatments fail. Keeping a Migraine and headache diary will also be helpful to you and your doctor for diagnostic and trigger identification purposes.
2. Treatment methods and medications for different types of head pain vary. For example, the triptan drugs used to treat Migraine (e.g. Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, etc.) aren't prescribed for tension-type headache.

Symptoms of the Most Common Headache Disorders? ...

Learn more in Is It Migraine? Tension-Type Headache? What?

Live well,
Teri

What Is Hypnic Headache?

One of the best things we can do is learn about the types of headaches or Migraines we have. Today, let's look at hypnic headache...

With only 80 documented cases, hypnic headache (HH) is one of the rarest headache disorders. HH is primary headache disorder, which means that it cannot be attributed to another condition.

The most identifying feature of HH is that it develops only during sleep and wakes the sufferer.

The International Headache Society's International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd Edition (ICHD-II), is the "gold standard" for diagnosing and classifying headache disorders. Here are the description, diagnostic criteria, and symptoms of HH as set forth in the ICHD-II...

Learn more by reading What Is Hypnic Headache.

Live well,
Teri

Multi-Mechanism of Migraine

One of the most confusing things about Migraines can be what goes on in our brains during a Migraine attack.

The Jefferson Headache Center's web site has a great page with an explanation of the mechanisms of Migraine and a video to go with it.

They begin by saying"

"Until recently, most clinicians believed that migraine was simply a vascular condition, induced by blood vessel dilation. Today, new insight suggests that the pathophysiology of migraine is much more complex. It is now thought that multiple mechanisms contribute to the onset of migraine, beginning long before a person feels any headache pain.

The multi-mechanistic approach to migraines holds that headache pain results from a chain of events that are both vascular and neurological. Migraine pain is induced not only by the widening of blood vessels, or vasodilation, but begins with inflammation, leading to pain reception, or norciception, and central and peripheral sensitization..."

Please visit the Jefferson site and check out this great information. Just CLICK HERE.

Tension Headache or Migraine?

Sometimes, you can find some very good videos about Migraines on YouTube. This one, in particular, is excellent. It features Dr. Richard B. Lipton, one of the top Migraine specialists in the world.

Can you tell the difference between a tension-type headache and a Migraine? Watch this video for more information...

Live well,
Teri