What are cluster headaches?
Migraine headaches are a neurological symptom often characterized by an altered perception of the body accompanied by nausea and headaches. Sometimes these headaches happen only on one side of the head and often they are preceded by a visual disturbance or aura.
A cluster headache is one of the most painful types of migraine headaches. These headaches usually occur in a cyclical pattern or cluster, which gives them their name. The period of time during which the attacks happened can last for weeks to months and will be followed by a remission. The pattern will vary from person to person, but most have at least one cluster period a year. During a remission the individual will experience no headache for several months and sometimes even in years.
The cluster headache is far less common than a migraine headache or a tension headache. They also begin far more dramatically and are quite unique in the way in which they present themselves. In contrast to people who suffer from migraine headaches, about five to eight times as many men as women have the cluster headache. Most people can pinpoint their first cluster headache at around 25 years of age but some experience their first attack anywhere from their teens to their early 50s.
There are two different types of cluster headaches. The first is episodic and is much more common of this rare condition. People will suffer from two or three different headaches a day for about two months and then not experienced anything for about a year. At that point the pattern repeats itself. A chronic cluster headache behaves very similarly but, unfortunately, there is no period of untreated sustained relief.
A cluster headache will strike quickly and usually without warning. Typically the individual will suffer from excruciating pain located in or around the eye but it may also radiate to other areas of the face. The pain is one sided in the person will also experience excessive tearing, redness in the eye, stuffy or runny nasal passage and sweaty pale skin on the face. Sometimes there is swelling around the eye on the affected side of the face.
The pain is often described as sharp, penetrating or burning and it feels this is there is a hot poker being stuck in their eye. People suffering from a cluster headache will also appear restless and prefer to pace or rock back and forth to soothe the attack. They may also experience other migraine like symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light and sound and possibly an aura.
Many experts believe the cluster headaches and migraine headaches share a common cause but it is a belief and not a theory that has been upheld by research. The theory is that a nerves carrying sensation from the head to the brain which in to surround the brain is irritated. Others believe that the pain comes from a deep vascular channel in the head and does not involve the trigeminal nerves.
If you start to experience cluster headaches you should see your primary care physician to rule out other medical issues and to find the most effective treatment. Headaches that start with a sudden thunderclap or are accompanied by fever, stiff neck, mental confusion are not cluster headaches and should be evaluated by your physician immediately. A sudden and severe headache unlike anything you've ever experienced before or a headache after a head injury, even if it's a minor fall or a bump should also be evaluated immediately.
Treatment does not usually cure cluster headaches, instead the goal is to relieve the symptoms or assist in preventing them from occurring. Smoking, alcohol, specific foods and other personal triggers seem to precipitate cluster headaches and should be avoided. By keeping a diary you can help identify what may have triggered the headache. The diary should include notes about what was eaten and drunk in the last 24 hours as well is how much you slept and what was going on immediately prior to the pain beginning.
Treatment may involve methods to treat the pain when it happens or medicines used to prevent the headache in the first place. Your physician may recommend several weeks of anti-inflammatory medications or breathing 100% oxygen to relieve the pain, especially for those that occur at night. Straight pain killers do not usually relieve the pain from a cluster headache because they take too long to work. Those that may help are ergot preparations or methysergide maleate. These drugs can have severe side effects and should only be used when needed.
Some patients have found prevention relief by using antihistamines, lithium, calcium channel blockers, propranolol, amitriptyline, verapamil and indomethacin.
As is the case with other migraine type headaches, individuals who suffer from cluster headaches may respond to different therapies that are available in becoming less expensive. With the proper medical treatments, identifying potential triggers and using appropriate pain killers you are often able to control cluster headaches to the point where they do not interfere significantly with your daily life.
RESOURCES
MayoClinic: Cluster Headache
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cluster-headache/DS00487
MedlinePlus: Cluster Headache
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000786.htm
National Headache Foundation: Cluster Headaches
http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Cluster_Headaches
University of California San Francisco: Cluster Headaches
http://www.ucsfhealth.org/conditions/cluster_headaches/index.html
University of Maryland Medical Center: Cluster Headaches
http://www.umm.edu/patiented/articles/what_a_cluster_headache_000099_2.htm
Michigan Headache and Neurological Institute: Cluster Headaches
http://www.mhni.com/headache-pain-faq/cluster-headaches
American Headache Society: Cluster Headache http://www.achenet.org/resources/cluster_headache/
Author: docmac
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What Are Cluster Headaches
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New Developments In Anti-Aging Research
What's New in Anti Aging Research? There have been multiple studies done over the years in the area of anti-aging. Many studies are still ongoing and there is new research continually being conducted as researchers try to figure out ways to keep the human body healthy longer and reverse the aging process. From what researchers currently understand about aging, many of the effects are caused because the cells within the body begin to break down over time. So the older you get, the older you look and feel. Though your cells do regenerate, they don't regenerate rapidly enough to prevent the effects of aging. The mitochondria within your body are inside the cells that give you energy. They're the energy warehouses within you and it's their job to keep up the demand for energy with the supply. Their big job is just keeping up with your activity level as well as the demands to keep your body's organs functioning. But what happens is that as you grow older is these cells and the mitochondria get out of touch because the cell's center breaks down. This breakdown is what researchers have been able to trace back as the cause of aging. It prohibits the mitochondria and the cells from working together in tandem. This erosion or decline in the cell function is what can also lead to certain diseases like Type 2 diabetes. It can also make your body a fertile ground for developing cancer or dementia. Cells are supposed to divide and die off. When they don't, they become what's called senescent cells. These cells can cause health problems - including aging. Your body was born with the ability to shed these cells through the immune system and other means. However, as you start getting older, your immune system can slow or break down. Then you start to struggle to keep up with getting rid of these cells. New research has been done in the creation of a compound that can destroy these senescent cells. The study was performed on mice. When the mice were given the compound, the cells responsible for aging were destroyed. As a result, the mice that were treated with the compound showed vast improvement in their body's ability to function. They also showed improvement in age related health conditions versus the mice that didn't receive this treatment. The result of this study with mice had an age reversal effect - not only in the activity level and muscle strength of the mice - but in their immune systems as well. This anti-aging study was done by scientists in Australia as well as in the United States. The next step in the study is to involve humans in trials with the anti-aging compound used in the mice.
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What Are The Substance Abuse Signs And Symptoms
What Are The Signs and Symptoms of Substance Abuse
People use drugs and misuse drugs for a for a variety of reasons. Drug abuse and misuse can occur with over the counter medications, prescription medications and medications obtained illegally.
There are a number of reasons why many people take potentially addictive medications including relief of chronic pain, stress, or just wanting to feel good. However, long term use can lead to dependency on many of the narcotic type medications. The longer you take narcotic medications the greater the likelihood you will need to take more and more to achieve the same effect resulting in abuse and possibly addiction.
Evidence of substance abuse is not always obvious and it is helpful to understand the signs and symptoms of substance abuse.
The following are some of the signs and symptoms of substance abuse:
The earlier substance abuse is caught, the better the chance of beating it and recovering.
Tolerance – When you need to use more of the substance to achieve the same effects, it’s a sign that you may be slipping toward substance abuse. For example, one cup of coffee may wake you up for a few weeks but eventually you may feel like you need to drink two cups of coffee to get the same wakeful effects. Now, we’re not saying that you’re abusing coffee. It’s merely an example of how you can build up a tolerance to a substance.
Avoidance and Dependence – If you find that you’re looking forward to the substance to help you avoid feeling a particular way, then it’s a sign of substance abuse. Another sign is feeling dependent on a chemical to feel good, happy, or to relax.
Sneaking, Hiding, and Lying – Are you honest and upfront about your substance or do you hide it from others? If a doctor asked you, would you tell them the truth? If you feel the need to hide or lie about your substance, that’s a sign that you’re addicted and dependent on the material or abusing it.
It’s Become Priority – If a particular substance has become a priority in your life, meaning it’s foremost in your thoughts and actions, then you probably have a problem. If you’re putting a drug ahead of your responsibilities, family obligations, social life, and personal health then it’s time to get some help.
Your Health has Changed – Have you experienced any health changes? Do you sleep differently now than you used to? Does your skin, hair and eyes shine with vitality or do you look a little worn down? Are you energetic without the substance or do you need the substance to feel good? Have you gained or lost weight? Are you sick more often? DO you get chronic headaches, especially when you don’t have the substance in your system? These are all health related signs and symptoms that the chemical is having a negative effect on your health.
Substance abuse can sneak up on a person. One glass of wine a night can, when it’s not carefully monitored, turn into a bottle a day. Prescription medications can lose their potency and you may need more to achieve the same results.
If you can relate to any of the above signs or symptoms or someone in your life exhibits them, then a substance abuse problem may be the result.