Genetics and Headaches

Genes. They aren't all about your hair color, eye color and average expected height. Metaphorically speaking, genes can also be a pain. In particular, it is commonly accepted that many types of primary headaches may be connected to genetics. While environment is certainly a factor in whether or not you experience a headache, your race, gender and age are a few of the genetic factors that may

Twenty Years of Debilitating Pain, Can Neuromuscular Dentistry Help?

Comment from Kathy, 20 year history of pain in forehead, nose and all upper teeth. Very debilitating. Multiple doctors, multiple treatments.....no reliefDr Shapira response:Dear Kathy,The pain you describe follows the innervation of the trigeminal nerve. It sounds like you are an excellent canidate for an evaluation and probably a diagnostic orthotic. It is always necessary to have a complete

Understanding Stress Headaches

Stress headaches (also referred to as tension headaches) are the most common type of headache among adults. Stress headaches don't typically keep a person from performing daily tasks, however they can make performing these daily tasks terribly unpleasant.The causes of stress headaches are commonly rooted in environmental or emotional triggers. Because the body prefers to exist in a state of

Blood Pressure and Headaches

When it comes to blood pressure and headaches, there is an ongoing debate as to which is the real culprit: do spikes or drops in blood pressure cause headaches, or can headache pain, especially when due to an underlying condition, cause one’s blood pressure to fluctuate at dangerous levels? Either way, the irony is that people suffering from severe headaches are more likely to go see a doctor,

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and Headaches

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury every year. And, in many cases, traumatic brain injuries go untreated because the victim does not realize how severely they have been injured.One of the most obvious indicators of a traumatic brain injury is a headache. Even if you think you have only experienced a

Causes of Headaches

What causes headaches? Asking that question is like asking, "What's for breakfast?". It seems like a simple question, but you have now opened yourself up for an onslaught of follow-up questions: "How hungry are you?", "How do you like your eggs?", "Do you even eat eggs?". So, in asking the question, "What causes headaches?", you need to start looking at the metaphoric "main course" - What kind

Stress Headaches and the Time Out

Your toddler has discovered the power of the tantrum, and so has your boss. You're late, you're hungry and now you have a headache. This could be a stressful day. If you tense your muscles, grind your teeth or stiffen your shoulders in response to stress, you may be causing yourself a stress headache and subsequently making things worse. Manage your stress and help keep your headaches at bay by

Sinus Headaches - When Even Blinking Hurts

Sinus headaches accompany sinusitis, a condition in which the lining of your sinuses become swollen and inflamed due to allergies, infection, cold or structural issues in the sinus area. Your eyes hurt, your face hurts, your head hurts, and at times, the pressure and pain can be so intense, it may even feel like your eyelashes hurt.Sinusitis can affect anyone. You may be more likely to develop

Primary and Secondary Headaches

You'd think headaches are just about pain, but how a headache presents itself can tell you a great deal about what is going on in your body and in your brain. So what are the differences between types of headaches and why does it matter what kind of headache you have, when all you want is relief? Because the two most commonly diagnosed types of headaches, called called primary and secondary

Migraine Headaches

There should be a reality show, titled "When Migraines Attack". Picture this - people swimming in rivers of red wine, while sleep deprived or being dressed-down at work by a clueless supervisor trying to cover his own back. It could be funny, if it wasn't so painful. Sadly, migraine headaches are no laughing matter, especially to those who suffer from migraines. Even though a significant

Headache Support Groups

Each year, millions of Americans experience either intermittent or chronic headaches. Yet, when you have a headache, it's easy to feel isolated and overwhelmed by the pain. The important thing you need to know is that you are not alone. Just like there are several types of headaches, there are several type-specific support groups across the country, and it does matter which one you choose.

Prevention of Migraines: Press Release reprint

It is widely accepted that almost all headaches wether classified as vascular, neurogenic , hormonal or muscular in orgins are caused primarily by the Trigeminal Nervous system. While there are many drugs that can be utilized in the treatment of migraines and other headaches one of the best diagnostic proceures may not only clarify why the headaches occur but eliminate, decrease and/or prevent

Headaches and Natural Treatment Options

Do you suffer from headache pain but cringe at the idea of taking a lot of medication? Luckily, there are several natural headache treatments for you to explore. You may or may not know that an over dependence or misuse of standard, over-the-counter pain medication can actually cause problems, or exacerbate your headache pain. And, keep in mind that with pain relief products you're only masking

Cluster Headaches

The term "cluster headache" refers to a type of headache in which the sufferer may experience an episode of excruciating headache pain one to three times per day, every day, over a period of time called the "cluster period". While not life-threatening, cluster headaches can absolutely affect quality-of-life. Often referred to as "suicide headaches" because of the severity of the pain, these

Types of Headaches

A headache isn't just a headache. Whether chronic, recurring or intermittent, headaches are your body's way of telling you that there's a problem. There are several different causes of headaches and there are several different types of headaches. To accurately establish a diagnosis and to properly treat your symptoms, your doctor needs to understand what type of headache you have. Sometimes,

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. It has long been a popularly held belief that tension headaches were solely caused by conditions such as stress or fatigue. But as the science of headache treatment has evolved, many doctors now understand that there are a myriad of triggers for tension headaches. Along with stress and fatigue, some of the most commonly recognized causes

CLUSTER HEADACHES AND SLEEP APNEA: CAUSE AND EFFECT AND/OR CURE?

Cluster Headache patients please pay close attention. Sleep apnea has a major statistical connection to your pain. Sleep apnea is a TMJ disorder according to the NIH report (http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/meetings/workshops/tmj_wksp.pdf) CARDIOVASCULAR AND SLEEP-RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS. Oral appliances can treat sleep apnea (http://www.ihatecpap.com) and migraines,

Migraine perspectives from Neurologists who suffer from Migraines

This is an interesting abstract on how Neurologists in France view Migraine.I was surprised that the views of neurologists who suffered from migraine were similar to those who di not. The most common rugs used were anti-inflamatories (1) and Triptans (2). The article stated that migraine patients are usually undertreated. What would have been most interesting would be the differences in

New Developments in Migraine Treatment and how they relate to Neuromuscular Dentistry and Posturology

A recent article in Current Opinions in Neurology reviewed Migraine treatments. While it mentioned the use of medications such as Botox (onabotulinum toxin type A), triptans , Topiramate, gabapentin, petasites and tizanidine and a new nasal form of dihydroergotamine it also discussed risk factors associated with Temporo-mandibular (TMJ, TMD) disorders, sleep apnea and treatments like occipital

MIGRAINE PATIENTS UTILIZING TRIPTANS HAVE HIGHER CO2 LEVELS IN SLEEP. IS THIS A DANGEROUS FINDING OR A THERAPEUTIC EFFECT?

An abstract in Sleep abstract supplement "THE EFFECTS OF TRIPTANS ON RESPIRATORY DYNAMICS AND SLEEP ARCHITECTURE IN PATIENTS WHO SUFFER FROM MIGRAINE HEADACHES" found no changes in Polysomnography but did find there was a significant finding of increased end-tidal CO2. These higher levels of CO2 may fit with the vascular theory of migraines.On the other hand the high end-tidal CO2 values may be

TMJ Disorders can adversely affect the entire family.

TMJ disorders rarely only affect the patient but family friends and colleagues a well. Well there are many symptoms that are discussed it is actually the sum of these symptoms that changes patients personalities. A young mother who has dealth with severe pain uring the day has much less patience with her children and will often be short with them for no reason. She will then feel guilty about

HEADACHES, MIGRAINES, FIBROMYALGIA AND TMJ DISORDERS

There is an intimate cooection between TMD and Fibromyalgia and Tension-type and Muscle contraction headaches. These can also serve as triggers for many types of migraines and chronic daily headaches.The connection is the Trigeminal Nerve that controls blood flow to the brain and contributes over half of all input to the brain an central nervous system from the body.It is generally recognized by