Posts Tagged ‘Migraine’

Many of you who either suffer from chronic migraine headaches or have a close friend or loved one, who has them, are familiar with the visual disturbances that can occur prior to the migraine pain, known as auras.

Some symptoms of auras are bright flashing lights, zigzag line in your field of vision and areas in your field of vision that are blocked out, just to mention a few.

These auras are taken to a whole other level of intensity when migraine sufferers experience what are known as “Alice in Wonderland Syndrome” migraines. (AIWS)

Thought to be caused by abnormal electrical activity in the brain which leads to irregular blood flow in parts of the brain that control vision, these “hallucinations” result in severe distortion and perception of what the sufferer is viewing.

Sufferers when viewing their own body parts may think that they look gigantic or extremely tiny. Their feet may seem to be a mile away from their knees. Rooms and walls may sway and look like they are bending and flexing.  Hallways can look much longer than they actually are and perception of both time and space can be totally disrupted.  Every day noises like the sound of a TV can sound incredibly loud. Children can complain that the blackboard in school looks very far away.

Episodes of AIWS usually occur without the pain associated with migraines.

These unusual perceptions are very similar to what Alice experienced in Wonderland when she fell into the hole and in fact may be in the story because Lewis Carroll was known to suffer with severe migraines and may have had these kinds of perception issues himself.

AIWS is most common in migraine sufferers and children.  AIWS in children even without migraine pain can indicate that the child might develop migraines as he/she ages.  The eyes are healthy upon examination and the abnormal perception is caused by brain malfunction in the areas of the brain like the occipital lobe that processes perception.

The altered visual images that sufferers perceive can also be coupled with changes in sensation, touch and hearing.  The first attack of AIWS can make sufferers think they are “losing their minds” or going crazy and can be quite upsetting and scary. These disturbances can make a person with AIWS afraid to walk or move.

Other than the fear caused by the strange perceptions caused by AIWS there is no known long-term harm caused by the condition. The episodes should be treated by whatever medical options the sufferer has found beneficial for their regular migraines. Though it is unlikely that there is anything structurally wrong with the brain, to be safe, if you do experience an episode of AIWS, getting an MRI of the brain is advisable.

Since AIWS is not very common, and occurs mostly frequently in children, it is not known if taking preventive medications or supplements known to prevent chronic migraines such as, prescription drugs or well-known dietary supplements like, MigreLief, will eliminate or reduce the occurrence of AIWS, though it is conceivable they might, because they do help to establish normal cerebrovascular function which goes “haywire” both during migraines and AIWS.

Curt Hendrix M.S. C.C.N.  C.N.S.

In previous articles I mentioned that chronic migraine sufferers accumulate tiny lesions in their brains over time. Initially when this research came out, there was no wayof knowing if these lesions had any negative effects on brain function.

 The good news is that a second study done by researchers at the Harvard Medical School confirmed the results of the first study done in Paris, that in fact, over time the lesions did not lead to any increase in cognitive decline when comparing migraine sufferers to people without migraines.  THIS IS REALLY GOOD NEWS!

In fact, one of the several cognition tests that were used to measure cognitive decline, indicated that migraine sufferers had less cognitive decline than non-sufferers.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.

If you suffer from 1 or more migraines a week, you are a good candidate for pursuing options that prevent your migraines, instead of constantly taking pain medications after the migraine starts. To learn about a very successful option, please go to www.MigreLief.com

We just wanted to remind you about some helpful hints that can reduce your chances of developing a migraine:

1. Stay well hydrated. An 8 ounce glass of water every couple of hours.
2. Scents and odors can trigger migraines. Don’t hang around people who smoke and ask your fellow employees to go easy on the cologne of perfume.
3. Bright or flickering lights can also trigger migraines.  If you work a lot on a computer use an anti-glare screen/filter.
4. Healthy snacks every hour or so can prevent drops in blood sugar than can also serve as triggers to migraines.
5. Pay attention to prodromal symptoms (symptoms like dizziness, visual or speech impairments) which occur prior to the pain of the migraine striking. Sometimes taking an ibuprofen during this period can prevent the full migraine from occurring.
6. Small amounts of caffeine may help with migraine pain, but large amounts will cause more migraines to occur.
7. If you suffer from several migraines a month, or have 15 or more headache days a month, you are a good candidate for preventive therapies. The best all-natural and proven one is MigreLief.   www.MigreLief.com

In the United States alone, over 1 million people, mostly women, suffer from systemic lupus erythematosus  (SLE).  SLE is an autoimmune disease (the body attacks itself) which causes very significant levels of inflammation and pain.

Some of the most common symptoms are:

• Extreme fatigue that doesn’t go away with rest
• Joint pain, stiffness, and swelling
• Fever over 100°F
• Muscle pain
• Hair loss
• Skin sores and rashes (may occur in a butterfly pattern across
  the cheeks and nose)
• Nose or mouth sores (usually painless)
• Discolored, painful, or numb fingers and toes brought on by cold
  or stress (also called Raynaud Syndrome)
• Skin rashes with or without sun exposure
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Memory loss

For decades physicians have believed that migraine headaches are a neurological symptom of lupus.

Researchers in Greece, from the Athens Naval Hospital, have found that migraines in lupus patients do not occur because of the condition and should be treated as a separate condition.

The investigators stated that migraines are not part of the disease but rather the result from the stress of the disease.

COMMENT: Since lupus patients may already be on one or more medications to fight the pain and inflammation of the disease, for those with the disease, who also experience migraines, prevention may be the best option.

To learn about a simple safe migraine prevention option, please read the information provided at www.migrelief.com.

Curt Hendrix, M.S., C.C.N., C.N.S.