Health Care

Several people have been known to experience different types of headaches at different times in there life so it is important to get the correct diagnosis by keeping a journal of the event and time that the headaches took place. Tension headache are widely believed to come from to much anxiety and stress in your life so make sure and put in your journal any related stress or anxiety attacks and try and minimize your stress levels. Sometimes headaches are separated into vascular, muscle contraction (tension), traction, and inflammatory types of headaches.

Check out the list below of the most common types of headaches:

Headaches: The problem today is headaches have become so common to many that they are just a part of everyday life. Headaches occur very regularly, usually at the same time each day, and they often keep a person up during the night. They can sometimes affect young children and even babies, causing them to become cranky and fussy. Various headaches can be caused by having high blood pressure, which causes pressure on the blood vessels and circulatory system throughout the body.

Tension headaches: Many refer to these as the chronic daily headaches and are the most common type of headaches among adults and adolescents. These muscle contraction headaches cause mild pain and come and go over a prolonged period of time.

Migraines: Doctors are still unsure of the causes of migraines, although they are related to blood vessel contractions and other changes in the brain as well as inherited abnormalities in certain areas of the brain. Migraine pain is moderate to severe and can last from 4 hours to 3 days and usually occur 1 to 4 times per month. Migraines are associated with symptoms such as light sensitivity, noise, nausea or vomiting and upset stomach or abdominal pain. They are vascular in origin, and may be preceded by visual disturbances, loss of peripheral vision, and fatigue plus they can be provoked by changes in your environment, such as menstruation, emotional stress, significant weather changes, lack of sleep, or even the opposite-too much rest (vacation migraine).

Cluster headaches: These are the least common, although the most painful type of headache. The pain of a cluster headache is intense and may be described as having a burning or piercing quality that is throbbing and constant. Many people say the pain is so severe that they cannot sit still and will often pace during an attack. Many times the pain is located behind one eye or in the eye region, without changing sides. Cluster headaches occur one to three times per day during a cluster period, which may last 2 weeks to 3 months and have been found to be more frequent in smokers than non-smokers.

Sinus headaches: Many sinus headaches are brought on by allergies, hay fever, cold, dry weather and anything that adversely affects the sinus cavity. Taking sinus headache medicine is the best solution since it has an ingredient to help drain the sinuses and relieve the pressure that causes the pain. Sinus headaches are associated with a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead or bridge of the nose. The pain usually intensifies with sudden head movement or straining and usually occurs with other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever, and facial swelling.

The most common types of headaches usually are not serious but may occur again and again over a long period of time. There are several different contributing factors that lead to the development of tension headache, migraines, cluster headaches and sinus headaches and most likely you fall somewhere in between these types of headaches. For more information please visit www.yourheadacheremedy.com.

Alyssa Nair has written articles on natural headache remedies and how to stop them before they start. Read the helpful tips and advice about stress, anxiety, depression and headaches plus check out the free online chat room.

Health-and-Fitness Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

BY:CD Mohatta

When I was a young kid, I loved to play sports with all my brothers and neighborhood. I really didn't have a natural talent for playing, but I loved the outdoors and participating in whatever they were playing. We had neighborhood football games (my favorite), baseball games, running matches and kickball. My mother always said I was a tomboy because I enjoyed playing outside with the kids.

Although I loved to play neighborhood games, when it came to competition, I wasn't the best. Our school had track meets and I always wanted to participate, but for some reason that a twelve-year-old boy couldn't understand, I could just not win. I remember one relay race in junior high where I felt confident and excited and when the whistle blew, and we all started out together. I was in the lead, but I shortly starting falling back from leaders in the pack.

I loved to run but for some reason that I wouldn't understand for 40 years, I didn't have endurance. When I ran, I'd get headaches. Many times during my school years, I would feel really sick from the headaches and any kind of physical activity would make my head pulsate even worse. Those problems kept me from being a sports superstar but I continued to participate whenever I could.

In college, I began to have really severe headaches. It was determined that I had migraines and the stress from working 2 jobs and going to school full time was making them worse. My paternal grandmother, I'd been told, had "sick headaches" that'd put her in bed for few days, so I figured I'd inherited them. When the doctor talked to me about the headaches, I began to realize that I'd had them as long as I could remember.

My earliest recollection of severe headaches was when I was about 3. I was lying on the sofa, watching the 'Wizard of Oz" with my brothers while my mother was frying chicken. My head hurt so bad it felt like it was going to split. The smell of food cooking was making me very nauseous and before the end of the show, I had a full blown migraine (although it would be another 15 years before I got the name of what I was experiencing).

I learned to live with the migraines and adapt my life around the times I'd been in so much pain. I believe that I had an angel watching over me every time I was so sick and felt like I could die and did almost die. The years that I could not perform daily activities were offset by miracles of my angel always with me.

My angel was with me when I was 52 years old and having a severe headache. It was a Friday in February. It was a miracle that my son was home from college and he'd just taken a life saving course. My son and angel were with me that Friday afternoon when I had a stroke. Because of the stroke, the miracles were going to be obvious in my life. In "Strokes and Miracles", I'll share details of my stroke and how miracles kept me alive and at peace during that scary time.

Migraine can be very troublesome. It can be debilitating for anyone. As there is no cureas yet for Migraine, we have to depend upon pain relieving pills. These pills may also caiuse side effects. Migraines do come suddenly but we get a warning before the headache gets bad. At that time take care to relax and sleep in closed room with no noise. That may stop the migraine from getting out of hand.

About the Author:
Social network users, click for myspace comments and myspace graphics. Add christmas myspace layouts to your profile.

by Pauline Houle

Warning: First and foremost, if you are plagued with severe migraines or headaches, you should have a medical examination that will rule out any physiological reality you might have to deal with in order to heal. But, if you have migraines that appear to accompany your PMS or surround your menstrual cycles, I invite you to read on.

Diane spent a third of each month with migraines for which nobody in the medical world advised her to consult therapy for. Synchronicity had it such that we met at a three-day workshop on art therapy. A very nice woman indeed. We had our meals together and learned about each other's life and career. One last day of our workshop, she claims she will probably have to cut it short for her monthly ordeal of migraines is showing its nose.

A light throbbing has worked its way up her neck and this is how it normally starts. I can see pain in her eyes and face; I can imagine what an ordeal it must be to have that ghost show up every month. She literally becomes paralysed for days and all her life is put on a stand still.

She is 38 years young. She has 2 young children and a comprehensive husband who helps her as much as he can during those moments. On the other side of the coin, these migraines have literally stopped her advancement on the work force; everybody knows about her absence from work and compensates for her.

Pills help her a bit but they never lead her back to a normal life. The rest of the time she is fine and catches up with her routine. Who would want that life? Nor you or me! Not Diane either. For the last ten years, I have researched PMS and its links to our subconscious. You read well. We all have unknown and unconscious situations that we have far too long left aside, unattended, unlooked and misunderstood. We also have a myriad of limiting beliefs about anything and everything. So it is about your many physical and emotional symptoms whether medicine calls it PMS or cancer. Did you know that 39% of the women I surveyed have similar symptoms if not every month, more often than they should?

Ten years ago when I discovered my first link between PMS and the subconscious, I was totally flabbergasted about my own discovery and results. I kept researching PMS and its links to our subconscious, and migraines came up too often.

I offered Diane to look at the possible links and the reasons why her body was reacting as such in her life. She happily consented. After an hour together, she realized how much she had just adopted a pattern that came from her own mother. As we were doing this introspection, she was amazed her pain had not become worse as it would have done in the past. "My mother used to have that same symptom month after month after month all her life. I can see how Mom also had developed a pattern of her own."

I offered to Diane that we keep in touch and that I help her during the following months. Along the way in our conversation, she also discovered she was a saviour with everybody around her. I told her that Mother Teresa had a perfect role cut out for her and she never burned out while alive. Diane, I discovered, has concerns and issues she allowed the world to put in front of her. Like so many women, she has been educated to care and had not granted herself the permission to set healthy limits. Most of us have to learn to say "NO!" at times.

She reflected long and hard to realize she did not have to be SO GOOD! Because the one who ends up paying after all, IS HER. And at what price?

Every symptom has its own limiting belief. What is yours? Where does it come from? From whom have you copied it or believed you had no choice but go along with it?

All these simple yet profound questions will help you finally connect to your own true self. You may find in the process that it becomes important you take some parts of your life in your own hands. I wish you great success and please let me know how you are doing.

About the Author

Pauline Houle is Therapist with 20 years experience and a background in Social Work and Psychodynamic trainings. She has a Masters Degree in Transpersonal Studies, keeping her focused on the big picture of PMS and what women need to know in order to cure it. She is licensed in Quebec as a Social Worker in Quebec and as a Mental Health Counselor in New York State.
source:www.goarticles.com

By: Alien

There are countless causes of headaches, but one that is often overlooked is posture. Take a minute to think about how you sit and stand. Now consider how your body feels when you are lying down. Do you experience aches or discomfort around your neck and back? Are there certain positions that seem to cause tension and trigger headaches for you?

Poor posture can result in muscle tension within and around the shoulder and neck joints and muscles. It can also exacerbate headache pain stemming from other causes. Some people find that during stressful situations, posture suffers and breathing patterns may become shallow and tensed. For this reason, it can be helpful to focus on correct posture alongside deep breathing. This will allow you to alleviate physical discomfort from a hunched over posture, for example, while also utilising deep breathing exercises to ease the bodily tension that can occur from anxiety and stress.

Consider How You Sit and Stand

It makes sense to maintain good posture by paying attention to the way you move your body. Poor posture can result in painful and chronic tension in your neck and back, leaving your muscles tensed and possibly triggering headaches. If you do find that your headaches are related to tension from poor posture, try to develop an awareness of how you hold your body during daily activities and in particular, how your sit and stand. Some of the ways you can encourage and maintain proper posture are:

* Avoid sitting or standing in one position for prolonged periods of time.
* Sit up straight and use any cushions or back supports for your lower back as needed.
* Consider a special headset if you spend a lot of time on the phone. Holding a telephone between your shoulder and head, especially for prolonged periods, can strain muscles and result in sharp tension headaches.
* Adjust computer screens so that your neck is not strained.
* When lifting anything, especially if it is quite heavy, lift with your arms and legs, not your back.

Mind Your Breathing

Breathing is obviously necessary for existence, yet many of us tend to take shallow, laboured breaths. Rarely do most people breathe deeply on a regular basis, but by consciously focusing on breathing and replacing superficial breathing with deeper breaths, you can better oxygenate your body, ease tension and help headache pain.

The effects of deep breathing can be quite powerful and it may feel unusual at first, as it is very different from the shallow superficial breathing most people perform.

Deep, slower breaths relax the nervous system and provide wonderful physical and emotional benefits for tension, which can really benefit headache pain management. It's also important to learn deep breathing as it assists in releasing tension. Try taking a slow deep breath in to a count of three, and focus on any issues in your life that are stressful and may be triggering headaches and muscle discomfort. Then, release very slowly to another count of three, and imagine your worries dissolving and releasing with your breath. The mind can be a powerful tool when used with deep breathing and may help alleviate headaches triggered by stress.

Bringing it all Together

Combining good posture with deep breathing exercises not only provides immediate stress and headache relief, but when performed consistently, it can prevent headaches as well. If you regularly work on deep breathing, you may find that eventually, you are breathing at a deeper level without conscious intent. What this means is that you have integrated more relaxed and deep breaths without having to 'force' yourself to breathe differently. Try to find a comfortable standing or sitting position that maintains correct posture and use deep breathing to release tension and stress. The benefit of these techniques is that they can be performed virtually anywhere and you can obtain immediate calming relief.

So the next time you experience a headache, consider your posture as a cause and check to be sure you are sitting, lying or standing comfortably. If you find your posture is poor, try adjusting it and also consider adding in deep breathing to provide headache relief.

In addition, you may want to consider visiting a physical therapist, who can help you to identify and correct any postural problems that may be triggering or causing your headaches. Keeping your spine and posture healthy as well as using deep breathing for relaxation is all part of headache management.
Poor posture can trigger headaches and when corrected, you may find head pain relief. Combining good posture with deep breathing exercises may also help your headaches.
Alien writes for Migraine symptoms. He also writes for home remedies for headaches and depression treatment

Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

By: Alien

Thyroid disease is considered a comorbid condition for headaches and migraines. This means that although it occurs independently of the headaches it still can intensify them and can also make treatment much more complex. A comorbid condition may have an enormous effect on the provision and success of medical treatment.

Thyroid diseases, including hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, are among the conditions now known to often coexist with headaches and migraines.

Female Hormones

A great deal of research focus in headaches involves the connection between headaches and female hormones when, in fact, endocrine hormones are also extremely important in headache aetiology. Genuine migraine headaches are not directly caused by thyroid disease. The abnormal high and low levels of thyroid hormones that are characteristic of thyroid disease can, however, intensify migraines. Any disease of the thyroid gland can impact virtually every organ in the body so it is not surprising that headaches are often intensified when a person also suffers from thyroid disease.

Thyroid disease is also much more likely to occur in women than men and when you take into account the effect of female hormones on headaches, women can be hit particularly hard with intense headache pain. The effects of thyroid disease on menstruation itself further compound the problem and can alter headache and migraine patterns.

Hypothyroidism results from an under-functioning thyroid gland. Some of the symptoms of thyroid disease include:

* Fatigue
* Weight gain
* Weakness
* Altered menstrual cycle
* Constipation
* Hair loss
* Muscle pains

Hyperthyroidism results from an overactive thyroid gland. Migraines may be prompted through an increase in oestrogen levels noted in people who suffer from hyperthyroidism. Eye problems experienced with a hyperactive thyroid can also lead to headaches and migraines, with pain centred around the eye area. Other symptoms that may be present in hyperthyroidism are:

* Fatigue
* Weight loss
* Sweating
* Altered menstrual cycle
* Greater frequency in bowel movements
* Anxiety
* Fast heart beat

Handling Headaches and Thyroid Disease

If you suspect that your headaches may be related to thyroid disease, you should see your doctor. He or she will likely have blood tests performed to determine endocrine hormone levels and to rule out any other disease states that may be causing or affecting your headaches.

For hypothyroidism, treatment usually involves a daily dose of synthetic thyroid hormone. For hyperthyroidism, there are a couple of anti-thyroid drugs available that your doctor will likely prescribe for you. Treatment depends on the level of the disease as well as other factors such as your age. If your periods have been irregular due to thyroid disease, correcting your hormones will likely help get your menstrual cycle regulated and this may also help to improve your headaches. Beta-blockers may be prescribed in addition to a primary thyroid drug, and these are also effective in treating headaches.

Immediate Relief

For immediate relief, you can usually safely take over-the-counter drugs such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen but do check with your doctor first. Although alternative therapies that are focused on relaxation may be helpful, if it is determined that you have thyroid disease, you will most likely have to take medication. Any treatments for stress can still provide benefits but can't replace synthetic hormone thyroid medication. Fortunately there have been enough advances in thyroid treatment that you can generally expect to get your symptoms under control, including your headaches.

Thyroid disease involves over or under-stimulation of the thyroid gland and can intensify headache patterns. If your headaches are a symptom of thyroid disease, controlling your thyroid through medication should help.

Alien writes for Migraine symptoms. He also writes for home remedies for headaches and depression treatment

Article Source: http://www.eArticlesOnline.com

by: Peter Rapport

Are you gaining weight unexpectedly? Are you not losing weight when you're doing everything right? What if you have hypothyroidism and you don't know it? When your thyroid is working against you, looking and feeling better is like trying to exercise with no energy.

As many as 25 million Americans have hypothyroidism. About half of them have no idea that they do. Millions more suffer this condition around the world. Hypothyroidism is the medical name for when your thyroid gland doesn't produce enough hormones.

The thyroid gland controls your entire body's metabolism. That means that your weight, you're hair, your skin, your sex drive, all sorts of things that go on in your body depend on your thyroid to work right.

When your metabolism doesn't work right because you have hypothyroidism, you may find that there's no amount of dieting or exercise that takes the weight off. You may actually gain extra weight, even though you're doing just what you're supposed to.

Your doctor may not recognize that you have hypothyroidism, because it causes such an incredible variety of symptoms that aren't obviously connected. Even blood tests don't always show this condition. People may blame you for what's not your fault.

If you have hypothyroidism, you can start taking control yourself. Hypothyroidism doesn't just lead to weight problems. It can cause anything from depression, headaches, and lack of concentration and memory problems to rough, dry hair and even hair loss.

As well as diarrhoea and loss of appetite to infertility, irregular menstrual periods and loss of interest in sex. and that's not a complete list. Because there are so many kinds of symptoms, and because not all of them appear in everyone, doctors often don't diagnose hypothyroidism.

They may treat you for a problem you don't have. They may even just send you home and tell you to take better care of yourself.

Prescription medications for hypothyroidism have caused many different side effects, including allergic reactions, vomiting, chest pains, headaches, diarrhoea, insomnia, cramps and fevers.

The possible causes of hypothyroidism can include exposure to unnatural toxins in our environment including chemicals, radiation, drugs, pesticides and excessive consumption of saturated fats.

It's especially important that products to treat this are all natural and contain only natural ingredients that have not been found to cause any side effects. That contain Ingredients to help you get your thyroid back in balance and treat the symptoms of hypothyroidism.

Once hypothyroidism starts, it never goes away. Neither do the symptoms if they're left alone. If you don't treat them; they just get worse and worse. You can't beat an under active thyroid with just will power and it won't get better if you just ignore it.

If you have the symptoms of hypothyroidism and they tell you to just take care of yourself, then do it! Act now to work towards looking better and feeling better.

--------

For more information on THYROMINE FOR YOUR THYROID HEALTH and to subscribe for "Free Health News," Discounts and Savings. Peter Rapport writes on a variety of subjects for http://www.behealthee.com for Your Natural Health Source. The Specialists In Herbal Products To Help You In Different Areas Of Your Life.

source:searchwarp.com

By: Cherisa Chapa

Stress can come in many forms - from workplace tension, marital woes, family squabbles, financial perils - only to name a few. Stress triggers your body's "fight or flight" response either enabling you to flee from harm (as in escaping a potentially harmful situation) or, more likely in our modern times, it triggers a response to a given situation or event, such as an argument, traffic jams, deadlines, etc. These situations increase our blood pressure and breathing as if we were to flee.

Chronic stress keeps our body in this "fight or flight" reaction thus leaving it at an unhealthy level that negatively affects our immune system. In fact, studies have shown that stress is related to 90% of all illnesses.

How do you recognize stress? Stress has both physical and emotional factors with each presenting their own list of symptoms, such as an inability to sleep, headaches, pain in back, shoulder, or neck areas, trouble thinking clearly, lack of concentration, and memory loss.

Learning to handle stress is essential to good health. Long-term stressful situations lend themselves to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, tooth and gum disease, hyper-thyroidism, and other major health issues.

What techniques can you use to help you to cope with stress?

* Have a distraction free bedroom by removing the TV and all work-related items from the room.

* Avoid staying in your bedroom when not sleeping or relaxing; use only at bedtime.

* Use relaxation exercises to learn how to relax, such as the one below, even while at work during a break or lunch.

* Eat right and exercise regularly, even if it is only 30 minutes a day three or more times a week.

* Plan your daily activities according to priorities. Create a check list.

* Mentally or physically check off completed tasks which will give you a sense of accomplishment.

* Participate in wellness programs or create one of your own by receiving a weekly massage, pedicure, body wrap, or another relaxing treatment.

If your stress is due to a major crisis as in disasters caused through nature, war, or an act of violence, professional help may be needed to learn to cope with the multiple emotional and physical issues involved. Consult with your health care provider about your stress factors.

Relaxation Exercise that you can use anywhere:

*Close your eyes.

*Take a deep breath.

*Inhale and exhale slowly throughout this whole process.

*Concentrate on your toes.

*Will your toes to relax.

*Next concentrate on the bottom of your feet.

*Relax the bottom of your feet.

*Continue until you work your way up to the top of your head.

About the Author:

Cherisa Chapa, LMT is the owner of Nature's Paradise Spa (http://www.naturesparadisespa.com) where you can learn more about relaxation techniques, massage therapy services, spa treatments and pampering products that you can use at home. - Finally Pampering Just for YOU!