Genetic Disorders & Headaches

Never look at the sun directly, especially between 7 am in the morning and 4 pm in the evening. If you will be outside during this time or driving, be sure to shield your eyes in some manner.
While going outdoors during the summer, protect your eyes using sunglasses. Sunglasses are the best protection that you can give your eyes when you go out in the sun. The sun beats down ultra violet and other harmful radiations. You eyes need protection from these radiations because they can cause serious damage to your eyes if they are directly exposed to them.
Do not work continuously on your computer for more than half an hour. This in fact is a very relative concept because some people tire faster than other when working on the computer. Computer screens emit radiation, so the less time in front of the computer, the better.
If you feel that your eyes are under strain, take a break. The best relaxation for your eyes is staring at a distant object or just keeping them closed. Your eyes will give you signs when they are under strain. You will find that you are getting tired sooner, your eyes may start to water or you might notice that you have to squint your eyes in order to get a better view.
Never watch television while lying down. The best position to watch television is sitting and your eyes should preferably be at the level of the television screen.
Do not sit too close to your television set. Take care to sit a considerable distance from the screen. It is easier for your eyes to focus on the images that flash across your TV screen. It is also less harmful for your eyes. The ideal distance from your TV set is around five feet or more.
Try to blink deliberately while working on the computer. When you work on the computer there is an increased tendency to stare unblinkingly at the monitor. This especially true if you are playing an exciting game. In such cases you should make a conscious effort to blink your eyes.
Breathing exercises help you breathe better and release the toxins in your brain. The human body takes in a lot of toxic substances, both through the air and through food and drink. Apart from this, various toxins are also released in the body as a result of the various processes that are going on. These toxins have to be released on a continuous basis or else they will accumulate in the body with serious results.
Use a pillow that is not too thick to rest your head. If the pillow that you are using is too thick, you will be straining you neck muscles when you are asleep. If the neck muscles are taught for too long, they will become stiff and this often precipitates as a headache.
Find out if you have any allergies. Allergies can cause headaches. Some of us are allergic to specific substances and these substances can trigger off a headache. It may be certain odors or it might be a certain flavors. Each time you get a headache just try and find out what triggered it.

There are two main categories of headaches, primary and secondary. Primary headaches are not caused by underlying medical conditions while secondary headaches are the end result of some other medical condition such as a brain tumor, infection or trauma.

Primary headaches make up about 90% of all headaches and tension-type headaches are the most common of these. Migraine headaches are also primary and affect as many as 30 or 40 million Americans.

It has been estimated that as many as 75% or more of all headache sufferers have tension headaches. And upwards of 90% of adults in the USA have experienced the pain of a tension headache.

In differentiating tension and migraine headaches the tension-type is usually characterized by a constant dull aching on both sides of the head. Migraine headaches, on the other hand, are typically felt on just one side and are throbbing in nature.

Tension headaches usually begin slowly and worsen over time. They often begin in the middle of the day and are caused by stress. Because of this they are often called stress headaches. They can become chronic in nature, occurring every day in some patients. Many tension-type headache sufferers experience a tight feeling in their head or neck muscles.

Migraine headaches can also become chronic in nature, but are usually experienced once or twice a week at most and not daily. Approximately 75% of patients experiencing migraine headaches are female. Migraine headaches can be disabling and can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light. About 20% will experience an aura, a disturbance in vision that can consist of bright blinking colored lights that move across their field of vision.

There are many types of treatment methods available to sufferers of both tension and migraine headaches. The most common approach is to take an over-the-counter pain reliever (no prescription necessary). Non-prescription medicines can include aspirin, acetaminophen (such as Tylenol), ibuprofen (such as Motrin), or a combination of aspirin and acetaminophen. These are the most popular types of non-prescription pain relievers. People with more severe pain may need prescription medicine.

There are also different types of natural treatment methods that dont involve the use of over-the-counter or prescription medicines. These can often relieve headache symptoms. One method is to put an ice pack on the base of the skull. When using an ice pack there should be a barrier between the ice pack and the skin, such as a wetted cloth that has had the water wrung out of it. This can lessen the flow of blood to the head resulting in less pressure in the head. A person can also put their feet in a container of warm water. This has the effect of attracting the blood to the feet instead of the head, again reducing pressure to the head.

Migraine headaches can sometimes be helped by eliminating the triggers. Foods that may trigger migraines include, but are not limited to, cheese, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger may eliminate migraines.

Another way to eliminate headaches naturally is to reduce your stress by relaxing. Get plenty of sleep. Lie down in a dark quiet room. Or try a combination of lying down in a dark quiet room while you have a small ice pack positioned at the base of your skull.

This article is a general overview of tension-type and migraine headaches and may not apply to everyone. But sometimes one idea is all it takes to reduce painful tension or 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.

Has it ever occurred to you that while you are happily typing away on your computer for hours on end you are actually creating a problem in your neck that can lead to chronic headaches? If you suffer from migraine headaches or tension headaches it may be something you should investigate.

When a person with migraine headaches or tension headaches visits a chiropractor for their pain what does the chiropractor typically do for that patient? The usual treatment for most headache patients is to manipulate, or adjust, the neck. Chiropractors teach us that most headaches come from neck problems, and that by adjusting or manipulating the neck tension and migraine headaches can be relieved or cured.

Over 80% of headache patients that receive chiropractic treatment show improvement that ranges from slight improvement up to complete elimination of their headache pain. If this is the case then it seems logical that the majority of migraine headaches or tension headaches originate from spinal (neck) problems. It also seems logical that if we knew what was causing these neck problems, and eliminated what was causing them, we could also eliminate the headaches, both migraine and tension.

As a chiropractor for 25 years I have treated many patients with migraine headaches and tension headaches. After examining thousands of patients I discovered that as many as 95% who were experiencing headaches had one thing in common, a reversed cervical (neck) curve. From the side view a normal neck should have a slight curve in it. But in my experience as a chiropractor I estimate that approximately 95% of my patients with headaches had either a lessening of that curve, no curve at all, or a curve that was completely reversed. When these “poor neck curvatures” were treated with chiropractic adjustments most showed great improvement.

Chiropractors know that headaches can be caused by “poor neck posture,” so the next question becomes “can sitting at a computer cause poor neck posture?” If the answer is yes, then it’s obvious that sitting at a computer can and does cause headaches.

People usually develop poor neck curvatures because of poor posture habits. Anything a person does that places their head in a position forward to their body will lessen or reverse their normal neck curve. And poor neck curvatures DO cause headaches. Chiropractors have been teaching this for decades.

The types of activities that can lead to poor neck posture include sitting at a computer for extended periods of time, reading with the head bent forward, sitting while slouching in a chair or on a couch, sleeping with the head or neck in odd positions, or any other activity that places the head in a position forward to the body. So, to answer our original question, yes, headaches can be caused by sitting at a computer. Sitting at a computer can cause an abnormal neck curvature to develop which can cause headaches.

Good posture can surely prevent the development of poor neck posture, which would seem to be the best remedy, but what can be done if the lessening or reversal of the neck curve has already been developed? Obviously, chiropractic treatment is an option that could be considered. But there are many other alternative treatments for tension or migraine headaches.

Most people just take a pain pill. But are pain pills the best approach? They surely are in some cases, but there are many other headache treatment options that don’t require the use of potentially harmful drugs. All drugs have side effects, some of which can end up being worse than the headaches themselves. Before treating your health problems with drugs it is wise to seek the advice of a health professional.

There are many natural remedies for migraine headaches or tension headaches. These include stress and tension reduction, ice therapy (used at the base of the skull), eliminating food triggers, getting the proper amount of rest, biofeedback, headache pillows or cushions, exercise and many others. Some of these may help relieve headaches, both migraine and tension, and could be investigated further.

Tired of taking potentially harmful drugs for your migraine headaches? Wanting to discover a cheap and natural solution to your pain? There are many different migraine headache treatments available today that are both safe and effective.

Natural treatment methods for migraine headaches are usually harmless and also cheaper than traditional pain medications. Sure, it’s possible you could experience a negative reaction or even increase your headache pain because of a natural treatment, but the odds are far less than with pain-relieving medications.

People are different from each other. A natural treatment that might relieve one person’s migraine headaches may not relieve someone else’s. But on the same measure, just because one migraine headache treatment does not work for one person does not mean it won’t work for you. There are many effective alternatives to taking medication when it comes to relieving migraine headaches. One of these alternative methods may be just what you have been looking for.

Chiropractic adjustments, or chiropractic manipulations, are a very popular natural treatment method for headache relief. Patients with migraine headaches have been visiting chiropractors for over 100 years, and with very good results. Studies have shown that over 80% of headache patients find relief with chiropractic care. Plus, chiropractic treatment has been shown to be extremely safe. Spinal problems do cause headaches and by correcting these spinal problems many headache sufferers find welcome relief.

Biofeedback is another form of treatment that is safe and can be effective in eliminating pain. Biofeedback is a training program designed to help a person develop the ability to control their autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. Functions that are normally automatic can be controlled voluntarily. This technique makes it possible for a person to control their own heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, and of course, the relaxation of their tense muscles.

Stress can cause tension, which can lead to muscle tightness (muscle tension) and cause headaches. By relaxing these tense muscles, especially in the neck, it is possible to relieve the tension causing the migraine headaches. With biofeedback, once the technique is learned there is no longer any need for the biofeedback equipment. The patient with migraine headaches can now produce the desired effect at any. They can control certain bodily functions, such as muscle relaxation, which can help reduce and relieve their migraine headaches.

Most people are unaware that too much salt can cause headaches. And by simply lessening the salt intake headaches can sometimes be prevented.

Food allergies or sensitivities can also cause migraine headaches. Certain foods such as cheese, alcohol, monosodium glutamate (a food additive), nuts, beans, caffeine, chocolate and onions can cause migraines. Foods that cause headaches are called “triggers.” People who experience migraine headaches because of food sensitivities can eliminate their pain by simply eliminating the foods causing the pain.

However, it’s not always easy to discover which foods are the culprits. One way is to keep a food diary. Get a small notebook, with each page representing one day. On each daily page make three columns. The first column will contain the hours in the day. The second column will be a list of the foods eaten that day. And the third column will list the symptoms that you experience.

As an example, if you had eggs and toast for breakfast at 8 AM you would write “eggs and toast” in the food column that corresponds with 8 AM. Make a note of everything that is eaten on this list and at what time they were eaten.

When you eventually experience a migraine headache you write “migraine headache” or “headache” down in the symptoms column at the time it began. For example, if one of your headaches begins at 2 PM you will write “headache” in the symptoms column for 2 PM.

It may take a few weeks or even a few months, but after experiencing a few migraine headaches, with the help of the food diary, you will be able to tell which foods cause headaches. Over time, by figuring out which ingredients in these foods are causing your pain, you will be able to eliminate these ingredients and relieve some pain.

Another very common cause of tension headaches and migraine headaches is just plain stress. People who experience tension can get headaches from their increased tension.

Relieving tension can often relieve migraine headaches. Tension can be relieved in many ways such as with biofeedback training (as explained above), taking a warm bath or shower, lying down and resting in a quiet dark room, putting something cold on the back of the neck (at the base of the skull) or having someone massage your neck muscles and possibly your temporal region to help relieve your tension and muscle spasms. Regular exercise can also, over time, reduce tension.

These are just a few of the many natural treatment methods that are available to migraine headache patients. They are all considered safe and are effective for many people. If you have headaches it may be beneficial to try some of these treatments or search out others on your own. But as always it is a good idea to talk with your doctor before attempting to treat yourself for a health problem.