Migraine News

Migraine and Headaches - 10 Tips for Enjoying the Holidays

Holidays are times to enjoy, but those of us with problem Migraines and headaches can find ourselves actually dreading the holiday season. Ho ho ho, HA!

Don't give up on the holidays though. If there's a positive side to Migraine disease and headaches, it's that there are many things we can do for ourselves to reduce or avoid episodes. Not only does this let us reduce our pain, it also gives us some control over our disorders and restores some of the control over our lives of which those disorders seem to rob us. Let’s see how to give some of that head pain the boot!

1. Get those ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZs!

Too much, too little, or disrupted sleep is a very common Migraine and headache trigger. Experts recommend that we set times to go to bed and get up and stick to those times, even on weekends and holidays and during vacation. If you often wake with a Migraine, don’t feel rested after a night’s sleep, or experience excessive daytime sleepiness, talk to your doctor about your sleep patterns.
More: Transformed Migraine Related To Sleep Problems

2. Avoid dehydration.

For some people, even mild dehydration can trigger head pain, so drinking lots of fluids is essential. Take a bit of care with what you’re drinking as some fruit juices and caffeine can be triggers. Proper hydration is essential to good health in general, so you’ll be working on more than head pain prevention!

More: Dehydration - An Avoidable Migraine Trigger

Continue reading Migraine and Headaches - 10 Tips for Enjoying the Holidays.

Living Well - 10 Keys for Taking Control of Headaches and Migraines

Some of the most common New Year's resolutions involve health. Let's take a constructive look at what we can do to live well with migraines and headaches in 2007. Each of us can set the level of our resolutions in relation to our health and abilities. Instead of shooting for the stars, let's shoot for better, more productive days. If we catch a few stars along the way, so much the better.

Let's get started!
We'll take a look at 10 keys including:

• Evaluate Your Medical Team
• Review Your Treatment Regimen
• Dump the Guilt
• more...

Read Living Well - 10 Keys for Taking Control

As we look toward a new year, here's wishing you good health and freedom from pain!

Doctors - Helpful or Hopeless? How's Yours? Need Help?

We often talk about finding the right doctor for our needs and how to best work with our doctors. There are great doctors out there, but how do we find them? We all wish we had doctors like Dr. William B. Young at the Jefferson Headache Center who said, "An educated patient is a better patient. I'd far rather have a treatment partner than a dishrag." A look at our  forum shows that some of our members are experiencing great success working with their doctors; some aren't meeting with success at all.

It's tough to strike the right balance when things aren't going as well as we'd like or when visiting a new doctor. We live with these bodies, suffer the pain and other symptoms. We rightfully expect our doctors to listen to us, but what approach do we use?

• The pitiful victim approach. Drag yourself into the doctor's office looking like death warmed over. Whimper a bit, and hope the doctor takes pity on you. Hmmmmmmmm. I think not.
  
• The "I am woman (or man), hear me roar!" approach. March into that doctor's office and take no prisoners. Tell that doctor that you're paying him and you expect him to listen to every word you say, answer every question, or else! No, still not quite right.
  
• How about the "I really need your help, but I know there's no silver bullet and you can't just make me well. Will you work with me take control over these headaches and migraines?" approach? Now, that just might be the approach.

Of course, it's not that simple. What's a person to do? We have some information to help you determine if your doctor is right for you, how to find a good headache and Migraine doctor, a little pep talk about being a consumer of health care services, help preparing for your appointments, information about your rights to your medical records, and more. Continue Reading...

Coping with Busy Doctors

We're all familiar with the problems of too few doctors, problems communicating with doctors, busy doctors who seem to cut appointments short.

How can we get the most from our appointments with these doctors so we can better manage our headaches and Migraines? Here are some tips.

Read Coping with Busy Doctors

Back To School With a Chronic Illness

It's that time of year again. That time when it's still summer, but time for school to start is sneaking up on us. Parents know that time all too well. There are school clothes and supplies to be purchased, class and bus schedules to review, and seemingly countless other details to deal with.

When your child has a chronic illness, whether it's headaches, Migraines, or a different illness, we can't afford to put off getting our children ready for school. There are extra steps that need to be taken; extra preparations that need to be made...
Read Back To School With a Chronic Illness

Teaching my granddaughter about Migraines

From MAGNUM Support Advisor Teri Robert

Educating Migraineurs is something I do every day. There are times when it's more difficult than others, partly because I know all to well the pain and frustration that accompanies Migraine disease.

A recent Migraine education session was the most difficult ever because the Migraineur was my nine-year-old granddaughter. Alex (Alexandra) had her first Migraine when she was two and a half. Becky, her mother, is a Migraineur too and when Alex was crying and holding her head, shying away from light, and wincing at loud noises, Becky recognized the signs. Alex's pediatrician confirmed Becky's fears.

When I was visiting a few weeks ago, Alex came home from Bible school not feeling well. She said her tummy was upset, and she didn't want any lunch or even anything to drink. It was a very hot day, and it had been very hot at Bible school, so everything was attributed to that at first. She finally told me that light was bothering her and her head hurt. She had a Migraine. She didn't do much the rest of the day, and we were all supposed to go out to dinner that evening to celebrate her other Grandma's birthday. Although I offered to stay home with her, Alex insisted on going to dinner. By the time we got to the restaurant, she was feeling bad enough that her father had to take her home.   Continue Reading...

MAGNUM Recommends Pain Tamers(TM) At Sea

MAGNUM's own brilliant Dr. John Claude Krusz and Teri Robert have joined forces Helen Dearman to form Pain Tamers(TM) At Sea to provide opportunities for chronic pain, headache, and Migraine patients to learn about their conditions and management techniques. In the setting of an ocean cruise, the goal of Pain Tamers(TM) At Sea is to provide a peaceful, relaxing setting for educational seminars combined with a short vacation.

The first Pain Tamers™ At Sea cruise is scheduled for October 12 through 16, 2006, departing from Galveston, Texas, aboard the Carnival “Fun Ship” Ecstasy. Each of the three days will include three hours of seminars on the treatment of chronic pain, headaches, and Migraine disease; coping skills; building support systems; and more.

This Pain Tamers™ At Sea event is limited to the first 100 people to register to ensure the best experience for all participants. Early registration is suggested. Continue reading Unique Education Series Setting Sail!

What do you do for yourself?

There are many ways in which we need to tend to our health. Obviously, we need to work with our doctors on our headache and Migraine care. There are other areas that need our attention to maintain the best possible overall health.

One of the most essential things we can do is be sure to take time for ourselves. About.com's Holistic Healing Guide Phylameana lila Desy asks, "Are You Allocating Enough 'Me time' Into Your Day? " Take a look. She has some excellent suggestions and content. Also take a look at About.com's Headaches and Migraine site's Relax for Better Health and Less Head Pain. Remember -- there are some things our doctors can't do for us; we have to do them for ourselves.

Did you know . . . Orgasm can either trigger or relieve a Migraine? Read about it in Orgasm & Headaches/Migraine

Enjoy the weekend!

Tips To Avoid or Reduce Head Pain

A positive aspect of headaches and Migraine disease is that there are many things we can do for ourselves to reduce or avoid episodes.

Not only does this let us reduce our pain, it also gives us some control over our disorders and restores some of the control over our lives of which those disorders seem to rob us. Let’s see how to give some of that head pain the boot! On to our tips!

On the Radio Thursday: Call In and Talk To Teri Robert

Tune in and call in Thursday (April 20)! MAGNUM Support advisor will be joining host Helen Dearman for her weekly radio show Pain Tamers on VoiceAmerica Health and Wellness. Their topic will be Empowerment: Taking Control Over Headaches and Migraine. The show airs live online at 4 p.m. central time/5 p.m. eastern time, and is an hour long... More info...