Monday, June 27, 2011

Migraine


Migraine headaches are associated with very severe pain in the head This head ache occurs in an unpredictable repetitive pattern. The severity of pain and the unpredictability associated with them can make life very miserable and disabling. Migraines are much more common in women and are more common between the ages of 10 and 46.


It has a strong inheritance link associated with it and seems to run in families.



Migraine headaches are characterized by severe throbbing, pulsating and pounding pain which tends to affect one side of the head more (although in some cases complete head can be involved). The head pain can last from few hours to 72 hours. Migraines may be associated with some symptoms that occur even before the pain starts. These symptoms are called as ?migraine aura? and are characterized by visual disturbances, seeing zigzag lines, blind spots and having tunnel vision The pain may also be associated with – vomiting and nausea; sensitivity to light and sound, fatigue, numbness and tingling.

Although the exact cause of migraine is not clearly understood till date, however the pain thought to be linked with the drop of level of serotonin (chemical in the brain) leading to the dilatation and inflammation of blood vessels.

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Trigger factors or the factors that start of an attack, vary from an individual to individual. The most common triggers are physical and emotional stress, sleep disturbances, hunger or skipping or delaying meals, taking too much alcohol or coffee and tea, loud noises and bright lights, menstrual cycles. Food substances are another major trigger factor, they include foods containing MSG (monosodium glutamate this is a taste additive that is often found in Chinese food preparation), pickles, fermented foods, nuts, chocolate, and red wine and dairy products.

A question which is quite often asked is that whether Homeopathy can cure these headaches permanently. The answer is ?Yes it can?, but one has to realize that migraine is a chronic disorder and requires time for it to get completely eradicated from the body. A lot of patience is required while treating such chronic disorder both from the patient and the physician. Even when the medicine is properly selected and working in the right direction, the headaches are not going to disappear in one go. Initially one will see a reduction in the severity and the frequency of the headaches. This gradually over a period of time would lead to the complete cure.

Modern day radical Homeopaths do not overlook the efficacy of conventional system of medicine in relieving the acute head pain along with their medication. They do not restrict the patient from occasionally using conventional medications as emergency measures to temporary relieve pain when the attack becomes severe.

The following homoeopathic medicines are found to be very useful in treating migraine

Belladonna is one of the leading homoeo-medicine for treating migraine it is indicated when the headaches start from the back of the head and settle over the eye. The right side is the more affected and the pain is of throbbing and pounding type which gets worse from light , noise and even slight jerk or movement. Sanguinaria is useful for headaches that are generally right sided and are associated with exposure to sun. It is also suited when the head pain is relieved by lying down and by sleep. Iris is most indicated when there is great deal of nausea and vomiting associated with headaches. I have in my experience found Epiphegus to be a great remedy for migraine in Women and is indicated when the symptoms are aggravated by least physical and mental exertion. Mental and physical exhaustion also trigger an attack. Activities like going shopping etc, going out in the sun etc easily start off an attack.

Medicines and their symptoms mentioned above are for information purpose only. Self medication in such chronic disorders should be completely avoided.

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