Posts Tagged Migrain

Stroke – Definition, Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Stroke is a disease that affects the blood vessels that supply blood to the brain. Without blood to supply oxygen and nutrients and to remove waste products, brain cells quickly begin to die. Stroke is sometimes called a “brain attack. Stroke is a medical emergency and can cause permanent neurological damage or even death if not promptly diagnosed and treated. It is the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of adult disability in the United States and industrialized European nations. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of disability. Stroke kills about 150, 000 Americans each year, or almost one out of three stroke victims. Strokes affect blacks more often than whites, and are more likely to be fatal among blacks. Men have more strokes than women. But, women have a risk of stroke during pregnancy and the weeks immediately after pregnancy. The cause of stroke is an interruption in the blood supply, with a resulting depletion of oxygen and glucose in the affected area. This immediately reduces or abolishes neuronal function, and also initiates an ischemic cascade which causes neurons to die or be seriously damaged, further impairing brain function. Risk factors for stroke include advanced age, hypertension (high blood pressure), previous stroke or TIA (transient ischaemic attack), diabetes mellitus, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, atrial fibrillation, migraine with aura, and thrombophilia. Practice blood pressure is the most important modifiable risk factor of stroke.

Many other risk factors, such as cigarette smoking cessation and treatment of atrial fibrillation with anticoagulant drugs, are important. There are two main types of stroke. One (ischemic stroke) is caused by blockage of a blood vessel. Usually this type of stroke results from clogged arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis. Fatty deposits collect on the wall of the arteries, forming a sticky substance called plaque. Other (hemorrhagic stroke) is caused by bleeding. Bleeding strokes have a much higher fatality rate than strokes caused by clots. Some people have defects in the blood vessels of the brain that make this more likely. The flow of blood after the blood vessel ruptures damages brain cells. Hemorrhage (or bleeding) from an artery in the brain can be caused by a head injury or a burst aneurysm. Aneurysms are blood-filled pouches that balloon out from weak spots in the artery wall. They’re often caused or made worse by high blood pressure. Aneurysms aren’t always dangerous, but if one bursts in the brain, they cause a hemorrhagic stroke.Symptoms of a stroke include sudden numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding speech; sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble with walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination and sudden severe headache.

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How Weather Can Affect Your Migraine Headache

Anyone who suffers from migraine headaches probably knows that there are certain triggers that may bring one on. Eating chocolate, drinking wine and even stress have been found to increase the incidence of migraine in many suffers. But one trigger that many people may not know about and have little control over is the weather.

Migraine headaches are extremely painful headaches which result from changes in the blood vessels of the brain and can be severely debilitating including other symptoms such as sensitivity to sound and light, nausea and vomiting. More common in women, about 18% of them suffer from this while only 7% of men are affected. Sometimes migraines sufferers also reports seeing auras or smelling strange smells.

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How to Relieve Headache & Migraine Pain While Pregnant

Pregnancy is three trimesters on a big hormonal roller coaster. For some women, these changes in hormones can bring blessed relief from migraines, especially in the second and third trimester. But for others, the hormonal fluctuations of pregnancy can be the trigger that causes migraines. So what’s a woman to do to find headache relief pregnant? Is there help? Yes! You have a range of options. But before trying any of them, see your doctor to discuss which option is right for you and your baby. Also, if your migraine headache is accompanied by fever, blurred vision, lasts for hours or returns often, see your physician immediately.

The first and easiest thing you can do to prevent a migraine headache while pregnant is to avoid migraine triggers. The most common triggers are caffeine, chocolate, foods containing monosodium glutamate, cheeses and processed meats. A healthy, balanced diet during pregnancy is achievable even when avoiding these foods. If chocolate is a mandatory food group in your pregnancy, you can give yourself a chocolate trial to see if it is the culprit. If it isn’t…INDULGE!

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