Thank you so much for your understanding and support yesterday. I'm much better, but I can feel the migraine crouching and lingering.
BONUS!!!
Oh! My aching head!
So let's talk migraine, cluster and tension head aches. (Information is taken from Medical-Surgical Nursing textbook 6th edition by Ignatavicius and Workman, and Modern Essentials 9th edition from Aroma Tools).
1. Migraine - chronic, episodic, multiple sub-types, lasting longer than 4 hours with varying triggers.
a. with aura - visual changes
b. without aura - most common
c. atypical - less common and includes menstrual and cluster headaches
Description: unilateral (one sided), frontotemporal (front of head, temples). Pain is usually
throbbing and often worse behind one eye or ear. Often it is accompanied by scalp sensitivity,
anorexia (inability to eat), photophobia (light sensitivity), phonophobia (sound sensitivity),
and nausea with or without vomiting. Most people tend to have the same symptoms each time
they experience a migraine. May occur with tension headaches.
2. Cluster Headache - unilateral (one sided), brief - less than 4 hours, intense pain. No known cause or triggers.
3. Tension Headache - most common - chronic, longer than 4 hours, caused by stress or tension.
Description: bilateral (both sides), neck and shoulders - muscle tenderness, pain - base of skull and forehead. May present with aura, light and sound sensitivity, nausea and vomiting
as well. Migraines may occur with a tension headache.
Triptans, such as Imitrex, are often prescribed for migraines. They only work on 25% of mine depending upon the trigger(s). I have found that the combination of NSAIDs and caffeine works well for all of my migraines. I also make sure that I'm hydrated, have eaten recently - ruling out low blood sugar, and I also keep a neck wrap and eye pillow in the freezer. Infusing and/or topical application of essential oils works very well too. I love doTERRA Past Tense. That alone has stopped many headaches for myself and many others.
Interestingly enough, the Med-Surg textbook lists peppermint oil, massage and acupuncture/acupressure in their list of "complementary and alternative therapies". Modern Essentials lists these oils as primary recommendations for migraine and tension headaches: Headache Relief Bled (aka Tension Relief, Past Tense), peppermint, Soothing Blend (aka Deep Blue). Basil is also listed as a primary for migraines. I was out of Past Tense Blend from doTERRA, so I was infusing basil, peppermint and spikenard. It helped as long as I remained lying down.
When treating pain, any pain, remember to "start low and go slow". In other words, when you hit a 3-4 out of 10 on the pain scale for longer than 20 minutes it's time to think of treating the pain by using water, food, caffeine, heat/cold, essential oils, and/or the lowest dose of OTC medications. Wait an hour, reassess the pain, if it isn't gone or going away, then repeat or continue the above using OTC medications per instructions on the box or as directed by your health care provider. If this doesn't provide relief within an hour, i.e. pain is decreasing or gone, then use OTC or prescription medications as directed by your health care provider. Don't get out a sledge hammer to kill an ant so to speak. Of course there are times and reasons to use prescriptions and higher doses of OTC medications right away. These vary depending upon the individual situation as well as the treatment plan created by you and your health care provider.
Hope you have a wonderful and pain free day, or at least tolerable.
Tomorrow: Arnica
To your Health!
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