tagged w/ Migraine
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US research has claimed that hot weather could increase migraine-sufferers' risk of a migraine the next day.US research has claimed that hot weather could increase migraine-sufferers' risk... more
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ClareW
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added this
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3 years ago
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Therapeutic Use of Cannabis
There are more than 60 therapeutic compounds in cannabis that are healing agents in medical and herbal treatments. The primary one is THC, and the effectiveness of therapy is directly proportionate to the herb’s potency or concentration of THC. Recent DEA reports of increasingly potent marijuana therefore represent a major medical advance; but, incredibly, the government uses these very numbers to solicit bigger budgets and harsher penalties.
On November 5, 1996, 56% of California citizens voted for the California Compassionate Use Act (medical marijuana initiative) ending all legal state efforts to keep marijuana from being used as medicine by California citizens.
Arizona citizens, in November 1996, also passed, by an even greater margin—
65%—a drug declassification initiative that included medical marijuana, backed by, among others, the late U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater.
Arizona’s governor and legislature, exercising their veto override ability on their state initiative laws for the first time in 90 years, struck down this popular initiative passed by the people. Arizona citizens angrily responded by recollecting more than 150,000 signatures in a 90-day referendum period and promptly returned the medical marijuana initiative to the ballot for November 1998.
The following explains how people will benefit when the freedom of choice of doctors and patients is once again respected.Therapeutic Use of Cannabis
There are more than 60 therapeutic compounds in... more
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It's critical to identify which type of headache you suffer from so that the correct treatment can be prescribed. In one 2004 study, 80 percent of patients with a recent history of self-described or doctor-diagnosed sinus headache — but none of the signs of sinus infection — actually met the criteria for migraine. And two-thirds of those patients expressed dissatisfaction with the medications they were using to treat their headaches. Health.com has a cheat sheet to help you put a name to your pain and how to treat it.
Tension headaches
Tension headaches, the most common type, feel like a constant ache or pressure around the head, especially at the temples or back of the head and neck. Not as severe as migraines, they are not usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting, and they rarely stop someone from continuing their regular activities.
What to do: Over-the-counter treatments, such as aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen (Tylenol), are usually sufficient to treat tension headaches, which experts believe may be caused by contraction of neck and scalp muscles (including in response to stress), and possibly changes in brain chemicals.
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches, which affect men more often than women, are recurring headaches that occur in groups or cycles. The headaches appear suddenly and are characterized by severe, debilitating pain on one side of the head, often accompanied by a watery eye and nasal congestion or a runny nose on the same side of the face. During an attack, sufferers are often restless and unable to get comfortable and not likely to lie down the way someone with a migraine usually does. The cause of cluster headaches is unknown, but they may have some genetic component.
What to do: There is no cure, but medications such as Verapamil or Lithium can reduce the frequency and duration of attacks. Breathing in 100 percent oxygen can also treat these headaches in many cases.
Sinus headaches
When a sinus becomes inflamed, usually through an infection, it can cause pain. It usually comes with a fever, and can — if necessary — be diagnosed by MRI or CT scan (which can both detect changes in fluid levels), or by the presence of pus viewed through a fiber-optic scope.
What to do: Headaches due to sinus infection can be treated with antibiotics, as well as antihistamines or decongestants.
Rebound headaches
Overuse of painkillers for headaches can, ironically, lead to rebound headaches. Culprits include over-the-counter medications like aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), as well as prescription drugs. One theory is that too much medication can cause the brain to shift into an excited state, triggering more headaches. Another is that the headaches are a symptom of withdrawal as the level of medicine drops in the bloodstream.
What to do: The most effective treatment is to slowly wean yourself off headache medicines — especially painkillers. Even better is prevention: Do not use any acute headache medicine more than 10 days per month.
Migraine headaches
Migraine headaches come from a neurological disorder that can run in families and are defined by certain criteria.
At least five previous episodes of headaches
Lasting between four hours and 72 hours
Having at least two out of four of these features: one-sided pain, throbbing pain, moderate-to-severe pain, and pain that interferes with, is worsened by, or prohibits routine activity
Having at least one associated feature: nausea and/or vomiting, or, if those are not present, then sensitivity to light and sound.
What to do: Mild migraines may respond to over-the-counter medicines like ibuprofen or naproxen, or acetaminophen. For more severe migraines a prescription medicine may be required.It's critical to identify which type of headache you suffer from so that the... more
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Injections of botulinum toxin -- better known as Botox -- may help prevent migraines in people who suffer frequent migraine attacks that are poorly controlled with oral prevention therapies, research hints.
In a study lasting six months, Drs. Roger Cady and Curtis Schreiber of the Headache Care Center in Springfield, Missouri evaluated the efficacy and safety of a single series of Botox injections, versus placebo shots, for preventing migraine.
They report in the journal Headache that Botox had "beneficial, albeit limited, effects on measures of migraine frequency and was not effective in lowering headache pain severity."
However, Botox-treated patients did have fewer headache "episodes" and fewer headache days than placebo-treated patients. Moreover, Botox had a "measurable" positive impact on quality-of-life. For example, improvement in the Headache Impact Test -- a six-item survey of pain, role functioning, social functioning, fatigue, cognition, and emotional distress -- was significantly greater for Botox-treated patients than for placebo-treated patients.
Cady and Schreiber think Botox "may be a useful treatment option" for headache patients who aren't doing well on other migraine preventive agents.Injections of botulinum toxin -- better known as Botox -- may help prevent migraines... more
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Washington (ChattahBox) - A new study has revealed that a device from NeuraLieve actually zaps your brain, thus getting rid of migraine pain before it gets worse.
The Ohio State University Medical Center conducted a study with the device on several patients.
The device is called the noninvasive transcranial magnetic stimulator, or (TMS).
The device sends an electric current through a metal coil, creating a magnetic field. When the handheld device is then placed near the person’s head, it gets rid of the migraine.
In the study, half of the patients received their treatment from the device, while the other half had a placebo treatment.
39% of those who had the device as their treatment had no migraine pain afterwards, while 22% of those who received the placebo treatment also had no pain.
The findings will be presented at the annual American Headache Society meeting in Boston, MA.Washington (ChattahBox) - A new study has revealed that a device from NeuraLieve... more
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Doctors in the UK have designed a patch that allows the heart to repair a small hole that all of us have while in the womb, but which never closes, or later re-opens, in some cases. What's interesting is that they're saying the hole could be the cause of migraines for some people.Doctors in the UK have designed a patch that allows the heart to repair a small hole... more
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