Understanding Your Migraines

Twelve percent of the world's population is affected by migraines, tallying up to more than 35 million people in the US alone. The World Health Organization lists it among the top ten most disabling conditions. But even with those numbers, why are we still plagued with this disorder and what can we do, in our daily lives, to manage this devastating and demoralizing brain illness? Understanding Your Migraines: A Guide for Patients and Families addresses, in clear prose: · The impact migraines can have on your life, and your family's; · How to communicate and work with your medical team to make sure nothing is overlooked in your quest to conquer your migraines; · Non-medicinal and new experimental ways to reduce migraine symptoms; · The special and important cases of dealing with migraine during pregnancy, in children, and in adolescents; · How you can find online and community resources for learning more. Understanding Your Migraine: A Guide for Patients and Families brings together the expertise of two eminent headache neurologists, Dr. Morris Levin and Dr. Thomas Ward, who have each been caring for headache patients for more than 35 years. Peppered with patient cases to show how to successfully deal with a variety of headache issues, the authors address common concerns in an easy-to-read and comprehensive manner, making this a must-have on every bedside table.

Health & SICKNESS -- Consumer Health . In the United States, eighteen percent of women, six percent of men, and four percent of children suffer from migraine headaches. All races are affected, although, for reasons which are unknown, whites are more likely than African Americans to be afflicted with the condition, and Asian Americans are least often migraine sufferers. Migraine is an inherited condition-many families can trace it back for generations-and it has enormous economic and social consequences, both to individual sufferers, and to the society as a whole. The cost to the U.S. society alone is in excess of $13 billion per year in lost productivity and in health care. Understanding Migraine and Other Headaches provides up-to-date information on the causes and diagnoses, as well as current preventive measures, effective treatments, and surgical procedures. The book gives an overview of every major type of headache, including the debilitating, nausea-inducing forms of migraine, episodic tension-type headaches (the most common form), chronic daily headaches, and more obscure head-aches such as trigeminal neuralgia and cluster headaches. This book is intended for those who are burdened by headaches as well as for their families, coworkers, employers, and friends. As such, it is written in a lucid and simple style that is accessible both to lay readers and medical professionals. In the last two decades, revolutionary new migraine-specific medications have been developed. This book undertakes a comprehensive look at medications for acute as needed treatment of headaches and for preventing the onset of an attack. It offers guidelines for assessing headache pain, the level and type of medication needed, possible side effects, and drug effectiveness. Stewart J. Tepper is director of the New England Center for Headaches in Stamford, Connecticut.

The up-to-the-minute guide to understanding and treating migraines for all migraine sufferers and their families Across America, twenty-eight million people suffer from migraines, costing the nation millions of dollars in lost work and school days, medication, and countless visits to doctors and hospitals. At the world-renowned Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, Dr. Seymour Diamond has spent more than thirty years helping thousands of headache sufferers conquer their debilitating pain. At last, the resources of that institution are available in a book. Dr. Diamond's Conquering Your Migraine is a comprehensive guide to the identification and treatment of all types of migraine, including pediatric headache, hormonal migraine, and coexisting migraine and tension-type headache. This book includes: The most up-to-date research on the cause of migraine, including if and how it will affect treatment How to identify the danger signs of migraine Identifying and treating migraine when it is linked to depression Why more than 70 percent of migraine sufferers are women and what their particular circumstances mean for treatment How the miracle drugs of the twenty-first century can stop your migraine attack The latest in non-drug and self-help treatments, including relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and preventative therapies If you or someone close to you suffers from migraine, Dr. Diamond's Your Migraine is the lifeline you need to help free you from pain.

Twelve percent of the world's population is affected by migraines, tallying up to more than 35 million people in the US alone. The World Health Organization lists it among the top ten most disabling conditions. But even with those numbers, why are we still plagued with this disorder and what can we do, in our daily lives, to manage this devastating and demoralizing brain illness? Understanding Your Migraines: A Guide for Patients and Families addresses, in clear prose: - The impact migraines can have on your life, and your family's; - How to communicate and work with your medical team to make sure nothing is overlooked in your quest to conquer your migraines; - Non-medicinal and new experimental ways to reduce migraine symptoms; - The special and important cases of dealing with migraine during pregnancy, in children, and in adolescents; - How you can find online and community resources for learning more. Understanding Your Migraine: A Guide for Patients and Families brings together the expertise of two eminent headache neurologists, Dr. Morris Levin and Dr. Thomas Ward, who have each been caring for headache patients for more than 35 years. Peppered with patient cases to show how to successfully deal with a variety of headache issues, the authors address common concerns in an easy-to-read and comprehensive manner, making this a must-have on every bedside table.

Draws on the latest scientific findings to identify the unique characteristics, chemical makeups, and structural differences of migraine-prone brains, offering insight into the role of the central nervous system while outlining a comprehensive program to reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches. Reprint.

Many people who suffer from headaches never consult a doctor, believing that no help is available, while others become frustrated and give up the search for relief. Fully revised and updated, this valuable book can save you time and trouble and help you stop the pain. It describes the full range of treatment options for migraines, cluster headaches, and tension headaches. It includes easy-to-understand information on the actions and side effects of hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription medications that prevent or abort headaches or dull the pain of a headache in progress. Special highlights: Details on the medications that have revolutionized migraine treatment Discussion of how hormones affect migraines Quick-reference guides to the medications that are most likely to work for your particular condition Helpful suggestions on how to describe your headache to your physician Hard-to-come-by information on headaches in children, teens, women, and people over fifty Alternative treatments, including herbs and acupuncture Self-help strategies such as relaxation techniques and biofeedback A national index of headache clinics and organizations

The up-to-the-minute guide to understanding and treating migraines for all migraine sufferers and their families Across America, twenty-eight million people suffer from migraines, costing the nation millions of dollars in lost work and school days, medication, and countless visits to doctors and hospitals. At the world-renowned Diamond Headache Clinic in Chicago, Dr. Seymour Diamond has spent more than thirty years helping thousands of headache sufferers conquer their debilitating pain. At last, the resources of that institution are available in a book. Dr. Diamond's Conquering Your Migraine is a comprehensive guide to the identification and treatment of all types of migraine, including pediatric headache, hormonal migraine, and coexisting migraine and tension-type headache. This book includes: The most up-to-date research on the cause of migraine, including if and how it will affect treatment How to identify the danger signs of migraine Identifying and treating migraine when it is linked to depression Why more than 70 percent of migraine sufferers are women and what their particular circumstances mean for treatment How the miracle drugs of the twenty-first century can stop your migraine attack The latest in non-drug and self-help treatments, including relaxation therapy, biofeedback, and preventative therapies If you or someone close to you suffers from migraine, Dr. Diamond's Your Migraine is the lifeline you need to help free you from pain.

The many manifestations of migraine can vary dramatically from one patient to another, even within the same patient at different times. Among the most compelling and perplexing of these symptoms are the strange visual hallucinations and distortions of space, time, and body image which migraineurs sometimes experience. Portrayals of these uncanny states have found their way into many works of art, from the heavenly visions of Hildegard von Bingen to Alice in Wonderland. Dr. Oliver Sacks argues that migraine cannot be understood simply as an illness, but must be viewed as a complex condition with a unique role to play in each individual's life.