Headache Relief Advice

Changes in the weather have a direct effect on your body.  Changes in pressure cause changes in oxygen levels in the air, and scientists are still trying to determine why some people are affected by these changes while others are not.  There is a theory that the blood vessels in your head expand or contract to compensate for the changes in oxygen levels.  The same changes in the size of your blood vessels is one part of the many changes that happen when you get a barometric pressure headache.  This may also be why some get headaches when flying, hiking, or traveling to a location with a change in pressure and temperature. 

Researchers believe that it is a variety of weather factors working together that trigger a migraine, not just the pressure alone.  One study showed that weather with low pressure, the passage of a warm front, high temperatures and humidity and overcast skies increased the intensity of migraines.  Weather changes may also cause chemical changes in your body, which is a trigger for some migraine sufferers. Many researchers believe that the electrical charge in the air may also trigger barometric pressure headaches. 

There is some good news for those who suffer from barometric pressure headaches.  Advanced warning is available!  Your local weather forecast, and online sources like Weather.com can inform anybody who is interested if there is a predicted weather front moving in.  There are several things you can do to help you cope with chronic headaches, or at least be prepared for them.

Keeping track of the effects that the weather has on you is very important.  Keep a diary where you record the weather changes and your headache pain levels.  In order to do this, you will probably want to get a good barometer.  Talking to your doctor about medication options, could offer some relief as well. Some prescribed medications can be taken at the first sign of a headache so that it doesn’t become full blown.  Some people have found that getting fresh air, a brisk walk or a bit of exercise helps.   An ionizer or a humidifier have also been found to help many barometric pressure headache sufferers. 

Researchers have shown that people who have migraines appear to be mor sensitive to weather changes, like changes in weather patterns, absolute humidity and barometric pressure changes, and temperature changes.  The reasons these are triggers aren’t known, and that is a source of frustration for many headache sufferers, because you can’t change the weather.  But it will help to realize your specific weather triggers and discuss medication options for easing your headache pain with your doctor. 

There are a variety of medications readily available for headache relief, and prevention.  These include nasal sprays, oral tablets, gels, and roll-ons.  The kind of medication that your doctor would prescribe would depend on your condition and the type of headaches you suffer from.  A person suffering from migraines may take seretonergics, antiepileptics, or beta-blockers. The actual medication that your doctor would prescribe would depend upon your own personal condition.  Many medications would be given for immediate pain relief, while others would be remedies for nausea or drowsiness that accompanies the pain. A combination of medicines may also be prescribed in order to give you comfort.

There are many alternative or holistic remedies available for you to explore, like herbs, magnetic therapy, aromatherapy, hypnosis, chiropractic, acupuncture, biofeedback, aromatherapy and meditation have made their mark in the world.  Many doctors today are prescribing these therapies along with the regular course of treatment to their patients. With such diversity in treatment options, you should not have a problem finding a path that would suit you and your personal requirements.

Chiropractic is probably the most well known alternative therapy.  It is used to treat posttraumatic, tension and migraine headaches.  Chiropractic believes that headaches are due to abnormal motion and irritation in your neck muscles, nerves and other tissues. 

Acupuncture is a Chinese tradition that places small needles in special pressure points all over the body. It has been found that acupuncture needles stimulate the release of endorphins, which is the body’s natural pain reliever, to cure your headache. 

Aromatherapy has shown that it helps to treat headaches and migraines and the conditions that might lead to headaches, such as depression or anxiety, by utilizing essential oils. 

Meditation is another alternative remedy that many headache sufferers are turning to.  Meditation uses deep breathing exercises to help treat those headaches caused by tension and stress. 

Whatever treatment path you decide to follow to help you cure your headache, there are a few things to consider.  First, complete the entire course of your medicine, or regiment, give your treatment time and a fighting chance to work for you.  Keep a daily headache journal so that you can track your progress, what works for you and what doesn’t work for you, and especially your headache triggers, so that your chance of recurring headaches goes down. 

You need to figure out what triggers your own personal headaches.  Is it a lack of sleep, noise, foods, stress related, a tension headache, hormone related, low blood sugar, or dehydration?  There are many other factors that may trigger a headache, and pinpointing your trigger and then gaining information on how to prevent it is going to be the best course of action you can take. 

A thunderclap headache is a sudden and very severe headache that will go from normal to mind numbing pain in less than a minute, they will usually fade in several hours, however some are reported to last for more than a week. It is similar in nature to a migraine, in that it hits very suddenly and there doesn’t seem to be any real cause.

Most thunderclap headaches are not signs that there are underlying life threatening problems, however they can be the warning sign of potential harmful conditions.  About half of the patients who have had artery ruptures and hemorrhages in their brains have reported recent thunderclaps.  If you experience a thunderclap, you should see your doctor right away.  Over the counter pain relievers that are taken orally such as Advil, will not help these severe headaches.  Your doctor may prescribe an injection, or nasal spray that will serve as an immediate pain reliever, and several tests will be done to rule out more serious causes. 

There are many potentially life-threatening conditions that may be responsible for a thunderclap headache: 

*  A tear in the lining of an artery that supplies blood to your brain

*  Bleeding between the brain and the membranes

*  Infections, like meningitis or encephalitis

*  A bulge in a blood vessel in the brain

*  A tear in the membrane that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord

*  Bleeding in the pituitary gland

*  A cyst that blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid

Some thunderclap headaches appear to be for no reason, however it is vitally important to seek medical attention as soon as possible so that the necessary tests to rule out any life threatening conditions can be run.  The tests that will run may include a CT scan, a spinal tap, an MRI, and an angiogram. 

A CT scan is often the first test the doctors will run.  The scan uses an x-ray machine that will rotate around your body, creating cross-sectional images of your brain and head in search of the underlying cause for your headache. 

The tests may include a spinal tap where the doctor will remove a small amount of the fluid that surrounds your brain and spinal cord.  The cerebrospinal fluid can be tested for proteins, white blood cells and other substances. 

If further testing is needed, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) may be ordered.  This non-invasive test will also create high-resolution cross-sectional images of your brain, but it uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce them. 

During your CT scan or MRI, the doctor may intravenously inject a contrast material into your bloodstream in order to obtain pictures of the blood vessels inside your head.  This is called a magnetic resonance angiogram, or a CT angiogram. 

There is no cure or single treatment for thunderclap headaches.  Your doctor may prescribe preventive medicine if no underlying cause can be found for your headaches.  Even without treatment, thunderclap headaches usually stop occurring within a few days or weeks. 

Some people have frequent headaches, while others hardly ever have them. Headaches are a very common medical problem and if serious enough can become a disability.  Severe headaches can interfere with the ability to complete daily activities, or work.  Headaches rarely result from a serious disorder, however if your headaches persist, become more frequent, or more severe, you should immediately seek a doctors care.  In order to find the proper treatment to ease your pain, you must identify a specific headache type and what triggers your headaches.

The type or cause of your headache can be determined by your medical history, the characteristics of your headache and the results of a doctor’s examination.  Your doctor should ask you questions about the type of headaches you get, the location and severity, frequency and duration are all factors in determining the cause.  Your doctor should also ask if there is a trigger for your headaches.  Many people have found that after eating certain foods a headache would soon follow, your environment, light, certain smells, changes in the weather or hormonal changes all have been found to be triggers for some people.  Migraine triggers are physical things that can bring on a headache when exposed to them.

The best way to keep track of your triggers is to keep a headache diary. The list of foods that have been found to trigger a migraine is very long, and one of the best ways to find out what your triggers may be is to journal your daily meals and activities.   Write down the medications you are taking, their effectiveness, and how you felt after taking them, what makes them worse and what helps relieve them. This will help you and your doctor manage your headaches.

Headaches rarely result from a serious disorder, however the following characteristics may point to an underlying problem that needs immediate medical attention.

* A sudden, very severe thunderclap headache

* Headaches that increase in severity or frequency

* Daily headaches

* Headaches that start after 50 years of age

* Headaches that are accompanied by a fever, stiff neck, changes in vision, weakness, loss of coordination, dizzy spells or fainting, or high blood pressure

* Seizures or confusion caused by a headache

Educating yourself on the different types of headaches is important, and your healthcare professional can help you find the best way to treat and manage your pain.