The Pain of Clusters

Cluster headache is a severe, debilitating pain that attacks one cluster of the head, usually above an eyelid or at the temple. The pain is usually characterized as being repeatedly stabbed in the eye with an ice pick. When the pain attacks, one may notice the drooping of the lids from the affected eye as well as nasal congestion on the affected side.

The pain of a cluster headache is no joke. It tends to be so sever that some people say that it is nothing compared to things like childbirth or migraines. At the height of a cluster headache attack, even morphine does very little to assuage the pain. This piece of information is from the few individuals who have actually been correctly diagnosed with cluster headache.

Usually, severe headaches are just thought to be migraines but unfortunately remain understood and untreated. It is very important to correctly diagnose cluster headache because it is extremely painful and debilitating and it has a tendency to attack for a few minutes to a few hours.

The difficulty in realizing that it is cluster headache instead of migraine is that sometimes, people who suffer from cluster headache also experience the usual nausea and sensitivity to light that migraine sufferers experience. You can tell that it is cluster headache though from the fact that its attacks follow a pattern.

There is such a thing as chronic and episodal cluster headache. Actually, one who suffers from cluster headache can experience switches from chronic to episodal attacks and vice versa. The chronic attacks can easily be noticed because the cluster headache attacks at the same time everyday for several weeks and even months.

Episodal cluster headache attacks are episodes that happen also at the same time everyday for a few days or weeks and goes into long remission states. While the suffering from cluster headaches is benign, there have been reported cases of actual suicides from the extreme pain.

This is why it is quite important that if you feel that you or a loved one may be suffering from attacks of cluster headaches, do get yourselves diagnosed properly and receive treatment. Consult with your doctor and find out some of the triggers of a cluster headache and avoid them.

Also, at the onset of a cluster headache, one can actually get treatment that can abate the attack. For instance it has been reported that inhalation of pure oxygen at the onset of an attack will abate the assault of cluster headache.

Herbal Remedies for Migraines

Many people suffer from migraines. As such, several herbal remedies for migraines are developed and distributed anywhere in the world. Nevertheless, herbal remedies for migraines are not really as popular as more commonly advertised pills that we see in television. But still these remedies are gaining certain level of popularity as many people discover their efficacy.

In the first place, there is basically a few contrasting theories for the onset of migraines. And one of those theories is known as Neural Theory. According to such theory, migraines occur since when certain chemicals are released by the body which causes the blood vessels in the brain to become inflamed. Such action then provokes the nerves into a painful response, hence migraines.

Since there is still no concrete proof for the safety and effectiveness of herbal remedies for migraines, it is then important to know that herbal remedies for migraines should be comprised of essential nutrients that can assist the pain with the least probable amount of some unfavorable side effects. And the herbal remedies for migraines are not really bale to treat migraine that has already occurred.

As part of a preventative measure, herbal remedies for migraines can aid in eliminating or lessening the symptoms that are connected with it and some other forms of headaches. Numerous studies have found out that the herbal remedies for migraines can assist in such action by means of easing the blood vessel constriction, and by that it can treat the cause and symptoms of migraine headaches.

To mention, there are some proven effective herbal remedies for migraines as opposed to synthetic drugs. And one of those promising herbal remedies for migraines is chamomile. This herb is considered as one of the best natural sedatives for the fact that it can provide relief to migraine including tension headaches. Chamomile can also lessen the symptoms like irritability and nervousness.

Aside from that, ginkgo biloba, which is one of the oldest herbal remedies for migraines, ahs been demonstrated to enhance the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain. Thus it can assist to dilate blood vessels and ease migraine pain.

Gotu Kola is another one of the best herbal remedies for migraines. It was found out that this herb can develop the circulation in the brain and enhance the strength of the blood vessel. It also harbors anti-inflammatory qualities and as such, it can ease migraines.

There are still some other herbal remedies for migraines such as SAMe, DMAE, passion flower, rosemary, yucca root, and 5-HTP. All of these herbal remedies are generally acclaimed as great solutions for easing the unfavorable effects of migraines.

Exploring The Many Cures For Headaches

Many people get headaches as a response to physical strain, cramped muscles, and pinches nerves. These muscular headaches can be brutal, and are usually reoccurring to a very persistent degree. Usually, there is some level of tightness in or soreness in the area the muscle strain is occurring, like your neck or back area.

Because your nerves in that region are all connected and ultimately lead to your head, strain in your neck, shoulders, or back can produce headaches. Usually these kinds of headaches start out very localized, but can often spread over your entire head. Cures for headaches of this kind are difficult, as you have to cease doing whatever it is that is causing the strain, and may need extensive physical therapy to help your muscles recover.

Then there are sinus headaches. These are especially nasty, but fortunately are rarely a constant reoccurring phenomenon. Sinus headaches result from pressure in your sinuses, as a result from allergies, colds, or a sinus infection. If you get sinus headaches a lot, you may be suffering from allergies. Cures for headaches of this type can range from allergy treatments, to decongestants. My favorite is Claritin.

Unfortunately, headaches are one of the most complicated and poorly understood phenomenons in the medical world. Have you ever tried asking your doctor about cures for headaches? If you ask ten different doctors about headaches, you’ll get ten different answers.

The reason why doctors give you so many different answers is because headaches can have so many causes, and a lot of them aren’t really clear. If you get a lot of headaches, the first step you should do is try and figure out what kind of headaches you’re getting. From my understanding, there are a few different kinds.

Last but certainly not least, are migraines; everyone’s favorite and the least understood of the headache family. There are so many potential causes for migraines its not funny. If you suffer from migraines often, like me, it’s a good start to keep a kind of headache log.

Record hours you slept, how well you slept, what you ate and drank, what you did during the day, anything you can think of and see if you can detect patterns with your headaches. If you can’t get your finger on it there’s always painkillers. While they’re certainly not cures for headaches, they are better than nothing.

If you suffer from frequent headaches like me, finding some effective cures for headaches has probably been a personal goal of yours. I know for me it has been like the search for the Holy Grail. I would gladly sell my soul for some kind of magic pill of treatment that would serve as a once and for all cure for headaches.

About Headaches

For many people, a headache is an infrequent annoyance that disappears after swallowing a few tablets. But for chronic headache sufferers, the effects can be far worse. The World Headache Alliance has fourteen different classifications of headaches, from tension headaches and Migraines to headaches caused by ocular diabetic neuropathy.
Three of the most common forms of chronic headaches are tension headaches, Migraines, and cluster headaches. The likelihood of being afflicted with different headache disorders seems to be gender-related, with women three times more likely to suffer from Migraines, and men four times more likely to get cluster headaches.
Cluster headaches are often called “suicide” or “ice pick” headaches due to the excruciating stabbing pain in or near the eyes. This type of headache disorder is rare, with less than 0.5% of the general population affected. Migraine, in comparison, affects roughly 10% of the population, causing pain that can range from irritating to debilitating. Most headaches (over 66%) are tension-related headaches with over 60% of people suffering at least one tension headache each year. Tension-related headaches, unlike Migraines and cluster headaches, generally produce a steady ache rather than intense throbbing or shooting pains.
The most common treatments for headaches are analgesics such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. For more severe chronic headaches, however, a physician may prescribe antidepressants, muscle relaxers, or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. With proper treatment, most headaches are gone within an hour or two, but in severe cases, the pain can last for days or even weeks without relief.

Do I Have Migraine Headaches?

If you have headaches and are wondering if they could be migraine headaches we can probably help you figure that out. There are some very distinctive characteristics of migraine headaches that can differentiate migraines from other types of headaches such as tension headaches, stress headaches, cluster headaches or other types of headaches.

Migraine headaches are more often than not one-sided, meaning the pain is felt on only one side of the head. Most of the time the pain of a migraine headache can be felt in the temple area or behind one of the eyes or ears. Migraine headaches can become severe and disabling. Nausea is a common symptom of this type of headache as is vomiting or sensitivity to light or sound. About 20% of patients with migraine headaches experience an aura. An aura is a disturbance in vision that can consist of bright blinking colored lights that move across the field of vision.

Migraine headaches can become chronic in nature. When they are chronic the patient most commonly experiences them once or twice a month. However, in some instances migraine headaches can occur as often as once or twice a week. Migraine headaches affect people between the ages of 15 and 55 and are more common in women than in men. Migraines affect women about 3 times as often as men.

Migraines affect about 30 or 40 million Americans, but they are less common than tension headaches. It is estimated that about 75% of all headaches are tension headaches. Tension headaches are typically characterized by a dull pain over the entire head while migraines are usually throbbing in nature and located in one particular spot. In other words, tension-type headaches are a constant dull pain while migraines throb like the beating of the heart.

Chronic tension headaches can occur every day while chronic migraine headaches occur less often, usually once a week to once a month. Fatigue and stress can cause both types of headaches, but migraine headaches can be triggered by other factors such as different types of food. Migraine headaches can sometimes be helped by eliminating these triggers. Foods that may lead to migraines include cheese, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate),
nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger may eliminate the migraines.

Cluster headaches are far less common than either migraine headaches or tension-type-headaches. Men are about six times more likely than women to experience cluster headaches. The pain of a cluster headache starts quickly, without any warning, and typically reaches its peak between two and fifteen minutes.

The pain of a cluster headache can be extremely intense, deep and explosive. Migraines are usually “pulsing” while clusters are not. Between 10 and 20 percent of cluster patients have “ice-pick” or “stabbing” pain around the eyes. This stabbing pain typically lasts for a few seconds, but can occur several times in succession. When this sudden attack of intense pain occurs it usually means that the headache is near its end.

For natural migraine headache relief it is often beneficial to relax and rest. Sometimes lying in a dark room with an ice pack on the base of the skull can reduce the pressure that is felt in the head. The same treatment can also help tension or stress headaches. Reducing stress can go a long way to relieving many headache symptoms.

If you experience chronic headaches and over-the-counter medication or natural remedies do not help it may be wise to consult a physician.