Posted on 08/11/2006 9:57:53 PM PDT by neverdem
Correction Appended
Everything you thought you knew about migraine headaches — except that they are among the worst nonfatal afflictions of humankind — may be wrong. At least that’s what headache researchers now maintain. From long-maligned dietary triggers to the underlying cause of the headaches themselves, longstanding beliefs have been brought into question by recent studies.
As if that were not enough dogma to overturn, there is growing evidence that almost all so-called sinus headaches are really migraines. No wonder then that the plethora of sinus remedies on the market and the endless prescriptions for antibiotics have yielded so little relief for the millions of supposed sinus sufferers.
While these findings may not be an obvious cause for joy among the afflicted, the good news is that there are available many drugs that can either prevent migraine attacks in the frequently afflicted or abort the headaches once they start.
Knowing Where to Turn
Migraine therapy has come a long way in two decades, and those who know or suspect that they have migraines would be wise to see a neurologist or a headache specialist to obtain a proper diagnosis and the best treatment now available.
Surveys have indicated that only about half of “classic” migraine sufferers are reaping the benefits of what modern medicine offers. If those presumed to have sinus headaches are included, the numbers of underserved migraine sufferers could easily be doubled.
The World Health Organization ranks migraines among the most disabling ills. About 28 million Americans suffer from severe migraines that leave them temporarily unable to function at work, at home or at play. Many more millions have them in milder forms. All told they cost employers about $13 billion a year in lost productivity, with another $1 billion spent on medical care.
A migraine is more...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I had migraines a couple of times in high school. I don't know what causes them, what they are, what to do to cure them, or anything else, but I do know they are horrible. A sinus headache is bad, but a migraine is a thousand times worse.
I had migraine headaches at least once a week for years. A few years ago I was prescribed a betablocker, and it helped tremendously.
Apply directly to the forehead.
Apply directly to the forehead.
Apply directly to the forehead.
Yes I get sinus headaches, and rarely migraines. Sinus headaches definitely are not migraines. It's possible that some people with migraines are getting misdiagnosed as sinus headaches, but if so, the diagnosis is really poor and I'm surprised that a doctor would come up with that.
I agree with you that sinus headaches and migraines are two different beasts. I used to have horrific sinus headaches, but that was because I had terrible allergies, and my sinuses were chronically infected. Got rid of the allergies and the sinus headaches at the same time.
And your point is ?
Oh great, just what I did NOT need to read. :-(
I also wonder about the link in post#1.
The word "migraine" goes back (via French and Latin) to the Greek prefix hemi- ("half") and the Greek word kranion, "skull."
It happened to me! I had "sinus headaches" for years - my nose use to run and my teeth hurt on one side. I remember saying to the doctor they are from sinuses - are you sure? He said he was.
But as time went on, I started to get visual symptoms in that eye.
Finally my doctor started treated them with toprol instead of sinus stuff, and they practically disappered.
Hmm, maybe I should really go see a specialist. Just in case.
4 ounces of lemonade. Use fresh lemons. Headache be gone!
No one has mentioned this, so I will. A lady I know used to get tremendous headaches, with all the classic migraine symptoms, nausea, couldn't stand bright light, any noise, etc. After trying numerous doctors and a small pharmacy of pills, a friend reccommended a chiropractor (Palmer Method).
One adjustment of her neck and no more headache, just that quick. Apparently it was a nerve getting pressure on it in her neck.
Seek references, and check it out. It stopped years of misery in a moment.
I get migraines too, and what helped me the most was taking magnesium. It didn't matter what strength (250 or 400 mg), but it couldn't be mixed with other minerals. I went from at least one each week to one about every 6 months.
It also helped me to keep a "headache diary" (suggested by my neurologist). I found that weather and fatigue were the main triggers.
I knew someone that got migraines every day for 18 years. After her first chiropractic adjustment they totally disappeared.
It's almost unbelievable. I go once every two weeks and I swear by them,
Best to be safe about that last -- tylenol with a crystal meth chaser....
"Apply directly to the forehead.
Apply directly to the forehead..."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zqnASjunx8
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