Migraines & Headaches Resource Center

I talked to someone recently who described their headaches to me.  These were no ordinary headaches.  The headaches were so bad that everything hurt.  She told me that her face sometimes hurt so badly during those headaches that she wished she could pull her teeth out.  One at a time.

There are so many millions of people who suffer from migraine headaches that this has become a major epidemic.  Researchers are working constantly to find effective treatment for these migraines, and still some people suffer without end.
At least research has found some effective ways to manage the pain even though there is no cure for migraines. 

Part of the problem is that most people do not understand migraines.  The person who spoke to me about migraines said that she was frustrated about this fact.  If she could, she would have every person have at least one migraine headache in their lifetime.  This way they would be able to understand how debilitating these headaches are and not make light of them.

Many people get their first migraine before they even reach their teens.  Many doctors have said for a long time that children don’t get migraines.  Recent research has revealed that indeed, some children do have migraines, and often they are the beginning of a regular syndrome. 

In addition, quite often, individuals who suffer from migraine headaches have a genetic predisposition to them because their parent – usually their mother – had them as well. 

Once my friend found a medication or two that worked, she was able to resume her regular career and social life.  Sometimes she gets a bad migraine in the middle of the night and has to take medication to stop the pain and other symptoms. 

There are more options now than ever before when it comes to migraines. If you suffer from migraines there is help available.  Find a medical professional who specializes in pain control or migraines and can help.  You can also contact the National Migraine Association at www.migraines.org.

Migraine sufferers get it.  Some doctors and health professionals get it, too.  And, there are some employers who get it.  They understand that migraine headaches are not just an excuse not to go to work, take care of business, clean the house, or do anything and everything else a migraine sufferer has to do.

Those of us who have suffered from migraines understand the meaning of pain.  In fact, some women have reported that their migraine headaches are worse than the pain of childbirth.  I can attest to the fact that this is true.  Natural childbirth without medication was uncomfortable but not unbearable.  Migraine headaches are overwhelming – even with pain medication and trips to the emergency room.

There is hope for migraine sufferers, and some of it is located within the pages of a newly released book entitled, “The Migraine Brain” by Carolyn Bernstein, M.D.  Dr. Bernstein is a top notch neurologist who has been on the Harvard Medical School faculty for seventeen years.  Her partner in research and writing, Elaine McArdle has helped compile the information included in “The Migraine Brain.”

Dr. Bernstein was studying to become a neurologist when she started experiencing migraines.  During the course of her migraine episodes, she began to turn her attention to causes and remedies and focus on these aspects while she was earning her doctorate.  Her findings from those days through her years as part of the Harvard Medical School faculty form the basis for the book.

In addition to writing the book, Dr. Bernstein has established the Women’s Headache Center at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  This is one of the first clinics of this type in the world.  It was designed by women who suffer from migraines and offers treatment through two staff neurologists, a psychiatrist, support groups and other services.

Since the first day that the clinic opened, Dr. Bernstein has been receiving calls and visits from people throughout the country and around the world in search of relief.

“The Migraine Brain” is a must for people who suffer from migraines – especially women.  The information presented in the book has been tried and tested by Dr. Bernstein over nearly two decades.  It brings accurate information and hope to individuals who suffer from migraines and to the professionals who treat them.

Most of us have heard about or experienced a migraine headache in our lifetime.  We know about the nausea, the pounding pain in the head, the sensitivity to light and many of the other symptoms that can occur.  We know about lying down in a quiet dark room and taking whatever medication – usually prescribed by our physician – that will help.

What most of us don’t know about and have not heard about are types of migraines that don’t have the usual migraine symptoms and are not easily identified or diagnosed.

One type of migraine is called an abdominal migraine.  These migraines affect both children and adults and, rather than having severe headache, the symptoms are severe abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and is caused by changes in the levels of histamine and serotonin in the body.  The symptoms are decreased or eliminated by some of the common migraine prevention medications.

Other migraines don’t involve headaches at all, but involve symptoms from temporary blindness to stomach pain to temporary paralysis.  Since there are no actual tests for these migraines, they are often misdiagnosed as a virus, mini-stroke, epilepsy or even appendicitis.  It can be dangerous to diagnose and treat these migraines, as the wrong medication could be harmful, if not, fatal.

Basilar migraines are migraines that have severe dizziness, vomiting, ringing in the ears, diarrhea, slurred speech and fainting.  At least three of these symptoms occur together in Basilar migraines.  The symptoms last for an hour or so and are following by terrible throbbing headaches on both sides of the head that can last up to 72 hours.  These can be confused for epilepsy, and the patient should see a neurologist for treatment.  There are various medications available.

Hemiplegic migraine involves temporary paralysis and pins and needles on one side of the body including the face, arms and legs. There can be slurred speech, confusion and vision problems, and all of this is followed by the actual headache.  These can be confused with stroke or mini-stroke and medications can help, but typical triptans which are used for migraines should usually not be used to treat these migraines.

Retinal migraines involve temporary blindness in one eye or seeing spots along with or followed by the migraine headache.  Doctors do not understand this condition, but feel it is often linked to over-exercise or over exertion and can be mistaken for blood clots in the eye.

Status migraines are the same as migraines but differ in the fact that they last at least 72 hours or can last for weeks.  These migraines are often due to some of the painkillers used or may be happening because the migraine medications being used are not working well.  Changing medication can eliminate or greatly reduce these headaches.  These headaches, however, can be serious enough to require hospitalization.

The information regarding and identifying different types of migraines is important for all of us to know.  It can help us avoid pain and could even save our life or the life of someone we know.  If you experience any of these symptoms make sure to discuss them with your doctor and if they cannot figure out what the problem is, let them know about what you have learned here.

Migraine headaches are caused by a combination of signals that interact between the brain, blood vessels and surrounding nerves.  It is not exactly clear what activates the signals, however, we know that the combination creates serious pain and other symptoms to migraine sufferers.

This is where the migraine “pain center” comes in.  The migraine pain center is like a generator toward the middle of the brain.  It is known that migraines begin when nerve cells send out messages for blood vessels in the brain to constrict and then pulsate.  This is a painful experience, as any migraine sufferer will tell you.

Treatments are available that can diminish or eliminate a particular headache or control the headaches long term.  Many of these treatments, whether in the form of medication, herbs, biofeedback or other relief, are aimed at the pain center.  If the nerve cells are calmed down and therefore, the blood vessels stop pulsating and this should lead to the headache ending.

There are treatments and medications available that will achieve this.  In addition, it is important for individuals who suffer migraines – especially on a regular or continuous basis – to track their triggers.  What did you have to eat or drink right before the headache began, or within the few hours before?  What were you doing?  What kind of a day did you have?  Were you under stress?  Were your sinuses bothering you?  Did you just drive for two hours in rush hour traffic?

All of these are important to keep track of so that you can do the very best thing to deal with migraines: find the cause for you and eliminate it.  After all, the pain center cannot be activated if there is no trigger.

Stop your migraines before they start and give your brain’s pain center a break.

A decade or two ago if you suffered from migraines there weren’t many things you could do, especially if it was after hours.  Many individuals would take an over the counter pain reliever at the first sign of a headache – especially if they thought it was going to turn into a migraine.  They would pay attention to the symptoms to see if there was an actual set of symptoms leading toward a migraine. 

In combination with or instead of using pain relievers, a person might use ice packs, drink a caffeinated soda, lie in a dark quiet room, and hope for the best.  If things continued getting worse and the migraine intensified, once the individual could not take it any more, they would often end up being taken to the local hospital emergency room by friends or family. 

Once at the emergency room there was usually a long wait because the ER usually takes the most critical cases first, rather than first come, first served, which makes total sense.  Since a migraine is not considered a critical issue (even though it feels critical at the time), a migraine sufferer had to hold on long enough until there was an open bed. 

Once inside the ER, the wait was often another half hour to an hour as your headache intensified.  After the standard blood pressure, pulse, health history, etc., a doctor would come in and take a look at you.  If you looked like you felt pathetic enough you usually got a shot of Demerol or some other pain medication, a couple of prescription pain pills (or a prescription for purchasing some at the pharmacy), and got driven home to go to bed.

Things have changed a lot since then.  Today, there are lots of medications available for migraines, and even the non-prescription medications are better than the old ones.  In addition, doctors often have migraine sufferers keep their migraine medicine on hand so they can take it at the fist sign of a migraine. 

Migraines can be controlled in the privacy of your own home without the drive to and the wait at the ER.  Instead of waiting for hours and trying all sorts of tricks to ease the pain of a full blown migraine, it is entirely possible to deal with the symptoms as the sufferer is first aware of them, avoiding the pain and the expense of treating migraines at the ER and getting migraine sufferers back on track again in minutes rather than hours.