Migraines and Treatments
Our patient Ms. Blum is a 28-year-old white female who presents with symptoms of a migraine, such as waking up by a severe headache that she states is often made worse when she turns on the light. In addition, Ms. Blum presents with several factors that can trigger her migraines including her lack of sleep, her stressful life as concluded by her statement that this has been a difficult period in her life and her approaching deadline to turn in her dissertation, her weekend alcohol consumption, her menstrual cycle since she notices that a couple of days before her period starts she experiences these headaches, also she states that food doesn’t seem to appeal to her and it takes her effort to eat a meal, and her diagnosis of major depressive disorder.
Migraines, which are three times more dominant in women than in men, are characterized by frequent attacks of moderate to severe, painful headaches that are often associated with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and light. This headache pain typically occurs on one side of the head and is described as pulsing, pounding or throbbing pain lasting 4-72 hours if left untreated. Migraines may also present with or without an aura (sensory warning symptoms).1
Lack of sleep and food, alcohol consumption (particularly wine), tobacco smoke, bright lights, strong odors, loud noises, specific foods, certain medications (vasodilators), emotional or physical stress, anxiety, environmental changes and hormonal fluctuations during menstrual cycle may trigger a migraine.2 Additionally, Ms. Blum was diagnosed with depression, which has been linked to migraine headaches. Studies have shown that patients suffering from migraines are at an increase risk of developin...
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One out of every 20 Americans will become depressed this year. This is obviously a very major and serious problem. St. John’s Wort’s main ingredient, hypericin, is what appears to help alleviate mild to moderate depression, although not much is known about whether or not it proves helpful in severe depression. Hypericin is the red pigment of the plant and it seems to inhibit monoamine oxidase (MAO) and the breakdown of the brain’s neurotransmitters and is also a SRI, serotonin reuptake inhibitor. However, according to Jean Carper in Miracle Cures, “recent research finds hypericin less potent an antidepressant than the whole plant extract itself, suggesting the herb’s complex mixture of chemicals, including xanthones and flavonoids, also are critical in the plant’s pharmacological benefits”.
This essay will aim to look at the main principles of cancer pain management on an acute medical ward in a hospital setting. My rational for choosing to look at this is to expend my knowledge of the chosen area. Within this pieces of work I will look to include physiological, psychological and sociological aspects of pain management.
Aura symptoms need to be documented in the history as with all other documentation of diagnosing headaches. Migraines are more frequent in the early morning, although the attack may occur any time throughout a day. Migraines cause throbbing head pain, nausea, changes in the appetite, discomfort to be in lighted area, and discomfort with sounds. The pain can be debilitating or moderate in pain depending on the severity, duration, states, current medication use and triggers. MOH are more common cause with migraines, although triggers are unique and vary from smells, sleep changes, medications, stress, anxiety, depression, hormonal factors, to unknown etiology, furthermore each patient treatment should be
Herbal remedies have been used throughout the world for thousands of years and recently their use has become popularized in America. People tend to view herbal remedies as being safer then prescription drugs because they are believed not to contain chemicals or cause side effects. St. John’s Wort is an herbal remedy, which prevents the destruction of seratonin, a natural anti-depressant, is often used to treat depression. Due to the increasing interest it St John’s wort, as well as in other herbal remedies, there has been a great deal of research done recently in the effectiveness and safety of this herb in regards to depression.
Patients who endured moderate to severe migraines were interviewed a physician and had to complete a migraine diary for one month and a migraine headache information form. Patients who met the criteria were then offered to participate in the study followed by completing several questionnaires. Before undergoing the surgery, the patients were then injected botulinum toxin type A in the area where they felt the most pain from their migraine. Depending on where the patients
For the first research log I chose an article from the Harvard Health website on migraine sufferers have a higher risk for stroke after having surgery. The article states that a study that included 124,558 patients, with 45 percent of them being men, had a history of having migraines either with or without aura.
My head aches nearly every day. Some days from a migraine and some days from the after effects of one. I’m dizzy, weak, and exhausted. My vision snows out. I forget what I’m saying in the middle of a sentence; I forget even my friends’ names. School work is impossible all I want to do is curl up and cry.
Other triggers can be anything from eye strain, dry eyes, alcohol, fatigue, smoking, a simple cold or flu, sinus infection, caffeine, poor posture (which is a problem for many, myself included), and emotional stress. A dull head pain, pressure around the forehead, and tenderness around the forehead and scalp will start to develop after a while. These types of headaches are very easy to manage because a simple pain killer or over the counter drug can be taken to alleviate the pain within 30 to 45 minutes. The Most Important
1. The types of specialists that can help with a migraine diagnosis are doctors who focus on treating people with migraines. These doctors can be internal medicine doctors, family practice doctors, neurologists, or other specialists who see many patients with headache disorders. Most migraine & headache specialists have completed additional training and have additional certification in treating headaches. They may also work in a clinic dedicated to treating headaches. In addition, a neurologist is a doctor trained in diagnosing and treating disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. Neurologists examine and treat the nerves in the head and neck as well as diagnose problems with memory, balance, speech, thinking and
Migraines are not as common as many believe, actually, only about 12 percent of the U.S population gets migraines (Reinald Shyti, Boukje de Vries, Arn van den Maagdenberg, 2011). The recurring headache can range anywhere from moderate to severe. There are four stages of symptoms starting with Prodrome symptoms which occur one to two days before a migraine attack. Prodrome symptoms include constipation, mood changes, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased thirst and urination, and frequent yawning. The second stage is Aura which lasts for about 20 to 60 minutes and may occur before or during a migraine. Symptoms of the Aura stage include flashes of light, vision loss, pins and needles sensation in arm or leg, numbness or weakness on face or one side of the body, speech difficulty, hearing noise or music, and uncontrollable jerking. The third stage is the Attack stage that can lasts 72 hours if not treated. Symptoms of the attack stage include pain on one side or both sides of the head, pain that feels throbbing or pulsing, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and lightheadedness sometimes followed by fainting. The last stage is Post-dromed symptoms which occur after a migraine.
Have you ever experienced a migraine or headache when you were stressed or upset? You often experience these migraines or headaches and repeated dose of medication does seem to help the problem permanently. If this case, you are suffering from a psychosomatic disease or disorder. A psychosomatic disease is a disease or disorder that involves the mind and body. Psychosomatic means mind (psyche) and body (soma). An example of a psychosomatic disease that involves the mind and body are migraine headaches. A migraine is a headache that has many symptoms. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and the sensitivity to light. People who suffer from this, they can experience a throbbing pain that is felt on one side of the head. The pain is generally made worse by physical activity.
Stanley, Janet E., Stanley J. Watson, and John A. Benson. Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base. Washington D.C.: National Academy P, 1999.
Migraines may be felt specifically on one side of the head, produce moderate to severe pain, and may be aggravated by physical activity. The patients may experience auras, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. This was a major precedent when selecting patients for the study.
Some triggers can be the smell of certain strong perfumes while another is the flickering of fluorescent lights and another is changes in the environment surrounding them. Triggers can range from multiple categories and be a couple different things within them from food triggers to visual triggers. An example of such triggers are fermented chocolates and excessive amounts of caffeinated drinks to flashing lights like sunlight shining through trees while driving or a computer screen in a dark room. Stress ranks in at the top of most common migraine trigger in most cases being as most who suffer from migraines are highly responsive to emotions.
What is a migraine? A migraine is extreme pain in your head that can cause you to see different things. Usually migraines happen on one side of the head. Headaches are different for every person. The pain in migraines are extremely painful. All though every person that gets migraines has different experiences with pain. People that have migraines often may experience different symptoms every time they get a migraine. Migraines have been a life changing thing to many people. They are more common in women than men because of hormones.