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Humans suffer from three basic types of headaches – tension, vascular or migraines, and those caused by various diseases. Some 50 million Americans per year have at least one severe headache per month. That makes headaches one of the top health care problems in the country.
Migraines: Screamin’ Genes and Great Sex
When have some bad news for you and some worse news. First, there is strong evidence that chronic migraine headache sufferers are programmed to feel headache pain because its cause may be genetic. That’s bad news because genetic diseases are among the most difficult to correct. New even worse news. Many migraines can be caused by sex! Other causes of headaches you may not know about: red wine, aged cheeses, chocolate and sugar. What’s left!
This: Studies indicate that migraines are caused in part by allergies to your doctor about locating a trigger food in your diet. To locate the trigger to your migraine, cut dairy product, alcohol, caffeine, beans, chocolate, cured foods, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) from your diet. Then slowly reintroduce these foods back into your diet until you find the culprit.
Now for Some Good News
Identifying a problem is 50 percent of it’s solution, if we know that genetics and sex cause migraine headaches, then we can do something about them.
The New Wave of Headache Drugs
There is a new drug on the market called sumatriptan. It is the first drug capable of stopping a migraine in full swing. Sumatriptan must be injected, but a pill form is less than a year away.
Another new headache fighter is called DHE-45. You squirt this stuff up your nose as a nasal spray, and all indications are that it gives fast relief for tough headaches.
Liquid Sunshine Can Help
Some call it a miracle drug , others call it liquid sunshine whatever you call the anti-depressent Prozac, indications are that it not only lifts moods, but can chase away headaches as well. Prozac raises the levels of certain neurotransmitters in your brain which are known to fall as migraines develop.
Another drug, called Naprosyn, which is used primarily for arthritis and inflammatory conditions, has been shown to ber very effective against headaches. Ask you doctor for this drug, or one of the above.
To Prevent a Migraine
At the first hint of a headache run for the over-the-counter pain relievers, such as aspirin or Tylenol. Also try relaxation exercises, biofeedback, or beta-blockers to relax blood vessels. Don’t forget serotonin inhibitors, such as Prozac or Zoloft, and calcium channel blockers to prevent blood vessel constriction.
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