MigraineCast

Don't Ignore Head Trauma and Headaches

Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

The recent death of wife, mother, and actress Natasha Richardson has brought the issue of minor head trauma to the bright light of the news. Ms. Richardson was skiing on a beginners slope in Canada with her children when she fell. She laughed, got up, said she was fine, and refused medical care. About an hour later, she developed a headache and was taken to the closest hospital. That hospital soon transferred her to a hospital with a trauma center. Later, she was transferred to a New York hospital so her family could be with her in what would be her last hours.

What happened to Richardson happens all too often. Even though she didn't hit her head very hard and felt fine at first, the blow to her head caused a traumatic brain injury, an epidual hematoma. That occurs when blood pools between the skull and the thick lining of the brain. When injuries such as Richardson's are treated early, the results are usually good, and the patient recovers. However, if treatment is delayed, the outcome is not good because the damage has already begun...

Ready for our newest podcast? Here it is! Download Treat Head Trauma and Headache.mp3 (9374.2K). In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Until next time, Live Well!

Writing As a Release from Migraine

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Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

One of the most difficult problems presented by Migraines and other headache disorders is finding ways to help us copy
e with them. They're isolating and frustrating, along with many other descriptive terms we could come up with.. We come up with coping methods that vary widely.

There's one activity that I often see Migraineurs engage in as a way to deal with their feelings -- writing. Writing can often be done even in the midst of a Migraine. It doesn't require much movement, and it can be distracting. Some people write just for themselves. Others write to share with others -- to share their feelings, offer encouragement, vent about life with Migraines, or to help people who don't have Migraines or other headache disorders understand what it's like to live with them. Migraine and headache sufferers are writing blogs, diaries, short stories, and poetry.

Ready for our newest podcast? Here it is! Download Writing as a Release from Migraine.mp3 (10844.3K) . In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Until next time, Live Well!

Speak Up for Better Migraine Treatments

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Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

I think most of us with Migraines or headaches that are frequent enough to require preventive treatment have complained about the preventive medications available to us. Not a single one of them was originally developed for Migraine and headache treatment. Not one. Yes, we have over 100 medications in use as preventives, but they're all hand-me-down medications that were developed for other conditions then discovered to be helpful for Migraine and headache prevention.

For Migraine abortives, to actually stop a Migraine rather than just masking the pain for a few hours, we rely upon triptans -- Imitrex, Maxalt, Zomig, Amerge, Relpax, Axert, and Frova -- ergotamines such as DHE 45 and Migranal, or Midrin. That's it. Some experts in the field refer to all the triptans except Imitrex as "me-too" drugs or "variations on a theme."

Another issue for us is not having enough doctors who specialize in the treatment of Migraine disease and other headache disorders.

So, the big question here is WHY don't we have better treatments and more trained physicians?

Ready for our newest podcast? Here it is! Download Ask_For_Better_Migraine_Treatment.mp3 (14553.7K) . In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Until next time, Live Well!

Migraines, Exercise, and Intimacy

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Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

Today, we'll address another question that's been coming up lately...

Several times recently, people have asked the question, "Can I exercise if I suffer from Migraines?" The simple answer is, "Yes, most people can." But it's not that simple. There are a couple of related issues that people have also asked about. One is Migraines triggered by exercise. The other is how difficult it is to exercise if you have frequent Migraines.

Ready for our newest podcast? Here it is! Download Migraines_Exercise_Intimacy.mp3 (8813.3K) . In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Understanding Even When YOU Don't Have Migraines

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Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

Today's podcast is a bit different. Yes, it's for Migraineurs -- people who have Migraine disease -- but it's also for people who don't have Migraines.

If you have family members, friends, or coworkers who have Migraines, you need to know that what you do or don't do can have an enormous effect on their lives.

So, today, I want to tell talk with you about what Migraines are and how people and things in their environment can help or hurt Migraineurs...

Ready for our newest podcast? Here it is! Download MigraineCastUnderstanding.mp3 (14156.2K) . In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Migraines: Yes, We Can!

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Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

As I watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama yesterday (and I promise you that this podcast is NOT going to be political), I thought of a slogan he used often during the campaign and during his acceptance speech, "Yes, we can!"

My thoughts about that slogan focused on our country, but only for a few moments; because, as usual, my thoughts quickly moved on to the millions and millions of people in the world living with Migraine disease - 36 million in the United States alone.

Migraine can be a pernicious and debilitating disease. For some of us, it can take over our lives, if we let it. And that's where "Yes, we can!" comes in.

We've learned that Migraine is a genetic neurological disease caused by genetics and overactive neurons in the brain. At this point, there is no cure for the disease. BUT, Migraine specialists and researchers tell me that they can find effective preventive regimens for 95% of Migraineurs. That means that the odds of our controlling this disease are excellent.

Ready for our newest podcast? Here it is! Download Migraines_Yes_We_Can.mp3 (7857.4K) . In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Until next time, Live Well!

Migraine Risks - Some Perspective

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Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

Over the last few years, we've seen research statistics demonstrating that having Migraine disease increases our risks of other health problems such as stroke, cardiovascular disease, and brain damage. The mainstream news media and some bloggers have reported these findings with sensationalized headlines that had people in a panic running to their doctors in fear. You're bound to have seen headlines such as "Stroke Risk Doubles for Migraine Sufferers."

On the other end of the spectrum, on the rare occasions when Migraine sufferers are shown to possibly have a lower risk for another health issue, the media and those bloggers come up with headlines that sound as if having Migraines will save our lives or are really a good thing - headlines such as "Migraine's Silver Lining" or "Migraines Prevent Breast cancer!"

I think not!

So, where does the truth lie? Usually somewhere between "The Sky Is Falling" and "Enduring World Peace Achieved."

Let's take a look at some of these reported risks and supposed benefits of having Migraine disease and put them in perspective...

Ready for our newest podcast? Here it is! Download Perspective_On_Migraine_Risks.mp3 (13796.2K). In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Until next time, Live Well!

Living Well In 2009 Despite Migraines and Headaches

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Welcome to MigraineCast the podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

Another year gone by. 2008 was a good year for some of us who found the right doctor, the right treatment regimen for us, great support, and a reduction in Migraines. To those of you in that group, congratulations!

For some of us, however, 2008 wasn't so kind, and Migraines and headaches continue to plague us, compromising our lives in countless ways... pain, decreased quality of life, problems in jobs and careers, issues in our personal relationships, and more.

Now that the rush of the big winter holidays is over, it's time to focus on 2009 and what we can do to make it better than 2008. If there's anything positive I can say about Migraine disease, it's that although it can take time to find the right treatment regimen, there actually are many treatments that can help us manage this disease and recover the lives we once had and want to have again.
To get to the point, here are some tips for living well all year, despite Migraines, and having a better 2009...

Ready for our first podcast of 2009? Here it is! Download Live_Well_In_2009.mp3 (14218.3K). In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

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Migraine as an Invisible Illness

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Welcome to MigraineCast the weekly podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

One of the biggest challenges faced by people with Migraines and chronic headaches is the level of understanding of those around them. Migraineurs often say that only other Migraineurs can understand them and what Migraines do to their lives.

One reason for that is that Migraine disease and chronic headaches are "invisible" illnesses. Yes, people can sometimes see that we're in pain, but the illness, the source of the pain, isn't something they can see or feel for themselves. We don't have a visible wound or any visible scars. We don't need crutches or a wheel chair, or other assistive devices. Let's take a look at invisible illness...

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Until next week, Live Well!

Is Stress a Migraine Trigger?

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Welcome to MigraineCast the weekly podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network. This week, we're taking a look the relationship between stress and Migraine disease.

There is some controversy as to whether stress is an actual trigger. The International Headache Society has moved it from their list of triggers to their list of exacerbating factors on the premise that it doesn't by itself trigger Migraines but it does make us more susceptible to our triggers. So, what does it matter if stress is an actual trigger or an exacerbating factor that makes us more susceptible to our triggers?...

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The Phases of a Migraine Attack and Their Symptoms

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Welcome to MigraineCast the weekly podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network.

When many people think of a Migraine attack, they think only of a very painful headache. The reality is that a Migraine attack usually has several symptoms and those symptoms can be broken down into four phases. Not everyone experiences all the phases, and we might experience symptoms and phases during one Migraine attack that we don't experience during the next. The four phases are prodrome, aura, headache, and postdrome. Let's take a look at those phases and their potential symptoms.

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Setting Reasonable Goals for Headache and Migraine Treatment

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Welcome to MigraineCast the weekly podcast brought to you by MyMigraineConnection.com and the HealthCentral Network. This week, we're taking a look setting realistic treatment goals -- goals that give us something to strive for, but aren't so high that we give up.

Recently, someone with very frequent and severe Migraine attacks told me something her husband promised her. He promised her that, when she'd been Migraine-free for six months, he'd buy her a plane ticket to visit a friend. On the surface, that seems like a nice thing to do. But it brought to mind the subject of setting realistic goals -- goals that aren't too easy, but aren't so difficult that we'll want to give up. I consider my Migraine preventive regimen to be extremely effective, but it's been many years since I was Migraine-free for six months...

Ready for this week's podcast? Here it is! Download MigraineCast062607.mp3. In some browsers, podcasts can be a bit slow to load, so please be patient if it doesn't load immediately. (In my experience, podcasts load and play fastest in Firefox.)

While you're here, please take a look to your right on the page where you'll see a variety of ways you can subscribe to our podcast.

Until next week, Live Well!