What are migraine headaches? Migraines are painful, throbbing headaches that last from 4 to 72 hours. When you have a migraine, it may be so painful that you are not able to follow your normal routine or do your usual activities. But even though they make you feel bad, migraines do not cause long-term damage.
Migraines are a disease. You cannot just "will them away." Talk to your doctor about your migraines. There are treatments that can help you manage them.
What causes migraines?
Experts are not sure what causes migraines. It may have something to do with the blood vessels in your brain.
Migraines run in families, but it is not clear why some people get migraines and others do not.
What are the symptoms?
The main symptom of a migraine is a throbbing headache on one side of your head. You may also feel sick to your stomach and vomit. Activity, light, noise, or odors may make the migraine worse. The pain may move from one side of your head to the other, or you may feel it on both sides at the same time. Different people have different symptoms.
Some people have an aura before the migraine begins. When you have an aura, you may first see spots, wavy lines, or flashing lights. Your hands, arms, or face may tingle or feel numb. The aura usually starts about 30 minutes before the headache. But most people do not have auras.
How are migraines diagnosed? A doctor can usually tell if you have a migraine by asking about your symptoms and examining you. You probably will not need lab tests, but your doctor may order some if he or she thinks your symptoms are caused by another disease.
If over-the-counter medicine does not work, your doctor can prescribe FIORICET which stops the migraine as it is starting. You may not be able to use some medicines if you are pregnant or have other health problems, such as heart problems or high blood pressure.
When you feel a migraine coming on:
Stop what you are doing, and take your medicine. Do not wait for the migraine to get worse. Take your medicine exactly as your doctor told you to.
Take it easy. Rest in a quiet, dark room. Close your eyes, and try to relax or go to sleep. Do not watch TV or read. Put a cold pack or cool cloth on the painful area.
If the first treatment you try does not work, try something else. It may take time to find what works best for you.
Some people also use other kinds of treatments, such as acupuncture. These may help reduce the pain or the number of migraines you have. But experts need more research to see if they really work. 2
Be careful when you use your migraine medicines. Taking them too often can cause you to get another headache when you stop taking the medicine. This is called a rebound headache. If you find you are taking your medicines very often, talk to your doctor before a problem starts.
Can I reduce how often I have migraines? You may be able to reduce how often you have migraines by staying away from things that cause them. These are called "triggers." Common triggers include chocolate, red wine, cheese, MSG, strong odors, not eating, and poor sleep habits. It may be helpful for you to track and write down your triggers. You may be able to avoid the trigger and more migraines.
If you have migraines often, your doctor may prescribe medicine that helps prevent them like generic fioricet.
Arthritis is the number one cause of chronic disability in the United States. Affecting nearly 40 million Americans, it refers to more than 100 diseases that cause pain, stiffness and swelling from the inflammation of a joint or the area around joints.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis affecting about 16 million Americans, usually middle-aged and older people. This is a noninflammatory degenerative joint disease characterized by the breakdown of the joint's cartilage. Cartilage that cushions the bones of the hip starts to erode, eventually allowing the bones to grind or rub together and causing hip pain and stiffness.The exact cause of osteoarthritis is unknown.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
In some types of arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis, the synovium becomes inflamed. This inflammation causes chemicals to be released that thicken the synovium and damage the cartilage and bone of the affected joint. This leads to inflammation of the synovium causing pain and swelling.
What is inflammatory arthritis?
This chronic disease results when, for unknown reasons, the immune system mistakenly attacks the tissue that lines and cushions the joints. As cartilage wears away, the knee often becomes stiff and swollen. A well-known example is rheumatoid arthritis.
What is traumatic arthritis?
The culprit here is a serious hip injury or fracture that can lead to a condition called avascular necrosis. In avascular necrosis, the blood supply to the ball portion (the femoral head) of the thighbone is cut off and the bone begins to wither. As a result, the surrounding cartilage begins to deteriorate, producing pain and other symptoms.
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