Migraine headaches are different then a standard stress or tension headache. You can describe headaches in groups or primary and secondary group types

Headaches are described as being either primary or secondary.

Primary headaches include migraine, cluster headache, chronic daily headache, tension-type headache, and medication overuse headache

Secondary headaches are can be a symptom of something else like a sinus infection or a side effect of an illness or stress.

Migraine being a primary headache would not surprise most people, especially anyone who has ever suffered from one.

A migraine is not just regular headache or is the symptoms always the same as a headache. Moderate to very severe head pain is the most common migraine symptom; there are usually other symptoms that help diagnose frequent hurtful headaches as a migraine. It is important for you to understand and recognize these symptoms in order to help your doctor diagnose your headache and provide you with proper treatment.

The effectiveness of migraine treatment depends on a variety of factor. Treating migraines with prescriptive medication can be very effective, but don’t count on it.

Many do find relief through the newer medications on the market, but there are plenty who suffer through the trial period without any gain in the end. You may have to try out several medications before you come across the one that finally ends your misery.

Treating migraine through homeopathy is becoming a very popular alternative to medicine-based treatments. Homeopathy is basically a method or theory of healing that attempts to stimulate the body into healing itself by using natural remedies. Part of a homeopathic treatment is preventing the headache from starting in the first place.

In homeopathic treatments it’s very important to determine what your migraine trigger is. How successful you are in avoiding your, how proactive your are in administering your treatment, the patient is in using treatments such as relaxation or drugs and how well the patient responds to treatment. All contemporary knowledge about migraines points to chemical reactions in the brain causing blood vessels to constrict and then expand creating a sudden blood flow as the process, which creates the headaches, associated with migraines. Therefore the key to avoiding migraines is limiting exposure to triggers.

An enormous list of triggers has been accumulated through research into migraines. Among the most common triggers to be aware of: Stress, aroma, menstruation, sleep pattern disturbances, climate change, and diet. A huge amount of scientific research has been processed about the various triggers of migraine headaches and in short, the researchers have come to believe that two primary culprits stand out in the crowd of triggers. Many researchers have decided that food and food additives are part of the main reasons behind triggering migraines. On the other hand, many researchers are adamant that the primary trigger for migraines is stress.

It’s very important know triggers your migraine so you can determine whether to avoid it or not. Finding trigger by journaling (writing down what you eat and what stresses happen around the time a migraine happens can help in preventing the triggers in the first place.

Modern medical techniques for migraine relief are leaning more toward preventive applications and preventive medications also.

Migraine prevention medicine is different from migraine pain relief medicine. For most people who suffer headaches, migraine prevention medicine is a whole new way to treat their migraines. Preventive (prophylactic) medications are prescribed for severe headaches that occur more than twice a month, and that significantly interfere with daily activities. Preventive medications are intended to reduce both the frequency and the severity of the headache and are usually taken daily.

Often doctor prescribed migraine treatments are separated into these categories; migraine prevention medicine and acute migraine pain relief medicine. Here’s how the two types of medicine differ. Severe migraine pain relief medicine is taken at the start of migraine headache pain. Migraine prevention medicine is taken daily to help reduce the frequency of migraines, so you can have fewer of them. It does not provide relief from the pain of a migraine in progress.

So whether or not a person suffering from an acute migraine wants homeopathic techniques or medical research and a doctor’s advice finding triggers and preventive measures are both suggested.

Taking in too much caffeine has been found to cause migraines. On the other hand taking in just enough caffeine has been found to successfully prevent migraines. What's the deal?

Caffeine withdrawal is the primary cause of caffeine-related migraines. Therefore, using caffeine as a preventative method in migraine relief can be done in two ways. The first is the easiest, and paradoxically also the most difficult. Simply limit your ingestion of caffeine to zero. No caffeine, no caffeine withdrawal. Get it? The second method involves a little work, but it does work. All that is required is to take in enough caffeine over intervals that occur close enough together to ensure that you don't go into withdrawal. Both methods have their advantages and their disadvantages, both require certain sacrifices, but more importantly both work to keep caffeine withdrawal at bay which keeps migraines at bay.

You would think that complete abstinence from caffeine would thoroughly rid yourself of migraine headaches. And yet this is not always the case. In theory, it works just fine, but as a relief program it suffers the same fate as sexual abstinence: Not everybody is capable of sticking with the program; the urges are just too strong to deny. Another problem is that the all too easy intake of caffeine without realizing you are doing it. Complete and total caffeine abstinence requires educating yourself on all available sources of caffeine. It's not nearly enough just to give up coffee and Mountain Dew. In order to successfully avoid caffeine you have to be aware of all the sources of caffeine. If you are going to take the route of giving up caffeine altogether, for instance, you'll have to be prepared to give up or use alternative non-caffeinated versions of: tea, chocolate, liqueur, pudding, pain-relief medications, energy drinks, diet pills, stay-away pills.

So perhaps, then, the route of maintaining caffeine intake appeals to you. The advantage here is that you don't have to print out a twenty-page list of all the products in the world that contains caffeine. You just merely need exert control over when you take in caffeine and how much you ingest. Once you establish that control, however, you can practically kiss your migraine goodbye.

This method involves the process of making sure you receive doses of caffeine It works best if you set out a pattern whereby you can intake the caffeine at regular intervals. Now don't get all excited about stopping by Starbucks throughout the day or going to the coffeemaker. Coffee and tea rely on caffeine infusion methods and therefore aren't the best method of ingestion in this particular method. Because of the diffusion, your caffeine amount varies significantly from cup to cup. Ideally, you should purchase either caffeine tablets or soda. Using these gives you much more precision over controlling the amount of caffeine you are actually taking in.

You can find caffeine tablets that contain 100 mg or 200 mg per dose. Save yourself a little money by purchasing generic rather than brand name tablets. As for soda, the amount of caffeine varies somewhat with Mountain Dew on the high end, though if you want to take the trouble to search them out you can also find higher-dosage soft drinks specifically designed to you a jolt. For instance, Jolt Cola!

The following caffeine amounts are found in 12oz servings of these soft drinks:

Mountain Dew: 55 mg of caffeine.

Coca-Cola: 34 mg of caffeine

Diet Coke: 45 mg of caffeine

Pepsi Cola: 38 mg of caffeine

Once you have decided how you are going to go about ingesting the caffeine, the next thing to do is make sure you keep a detailed journal of your dosing. Keep an accurate record of the date and time you take the dose, the amount of the dose, how you ingested the dose (tablet, soft drink, medication, etc.), the time of dose and the amount of dose, etc. Also note any headaches you get and be sure to include such information as date, duration of headache, severity, etc. If you don't see a change immediately, try altering it a little by either changing the times you ingest the caffeine or the amount. And make sure you keep to the regimen once you've found one that words.

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Taking in too much caffeine has been found to cause migraines.   On the other hand taking in just enough caffeine has been found to successfully prevent migraines.  What’s the deal?

Caffeine withdrawal is the primary cause of caffeine-related migraines.  Therefore, using caffeine as a preventative method in migraine relief can be done in two ways.  The first is the easiest, and paradoxically also the most difficult.   Simply limit your ingestion of caffeine to zero.  No caffeine, no caffeine withdrawal.  Get it?  The second method involves a little work, but it does work.  All that is required is to take in enough caffeine over intervals that occur close enough together to ensure that you don’t go into withdrawal.  Both methods have their advantages and their disadvantages, both require certain sacrifices, but more importantly both work to keep caffeine withdrawal at bay which keeps migraines at bay. 

You would think that complete abstinence from caffeine would thoroughly rid yourself of migraine headaches.  And yet this is not always the case.  In theory, it works just fine, but as a relief program it suffers the same fate as sexual abstinence: Not everybody is capable of sticking with the program; the urges are just too strong to deny.   Another problem is that the all too easy intake of caffeine without realizing you are doing it.    Complete and total caffeine abstinence requires educating yourself on all available sources of caffeine.  It’s not nearly enough just to give up coffee and Mountain Dew.  In order to successfully avoid caffeine you have to be aware of all the sources of caffeine.  If you are going to take the route of giving up caffeine altogether, for instance, you’ll have to be prepared to give up or use alternative non-caffeinated versions of: tea, chocolate, liqueur, pudding, pain-relief medications, energy drinks, diet pills, stay-away pills.

So perhaps, then, the route of maintaining caffeine intake appeals to you.  The advantage here is that you don’t have to print out a twenty-page list of all the products in the world that contains caffeine.  You just merely need exert control over when you take in caffeine and how much you ingest.  Once you establish that control, however, you can practically kiss your migraine goodbye.  

This method involves the process of making sure you receive doses of caffeine  It works best if you set out a pattern whereby you can intake the caffeine at regular intervals.  Now don’t get all excited about stopping by Starbucks throughout the day or going to the coffeemaker.  Coffee and tea rely on caffeine infusion methods and therefore aren’t the best method of ingestion in this particular method.  Because of the diffusion, your caffeine amount varies significantly from cup to cup.   Ideally, you should purchase either caffeine tablets or soda.  Using these gives you much more precision over controlling the amount of caffeine you are actually taking in.

You can find caffeine tablets that contain 100 mg or 200 mg per dose.   Save yourself a little money by purchasing generic rather than brand name tablets.   As for soda, the amount of caffeine varies somewhat with Mountain Dew on the high end, though if you want to take the trouble to search them out you can also find higher-dosage soft drinks specifically designed to you a jolt.  For instance, Jolt Cola! 

The following caffeine amounts are found in 12oz servings of these soft drinks:

Mountain Dew: 55 mg of caffeine.

Coca-Cola: 34 mg of caffeine

Diet Coke: 45 mg of caffeine

Pepsi Cola: 38 mg of caffeine

Once you have decided how you are going to go about ingesting the caffeine, the next thing to do is make sure you keep a detailed journal of your dosing.  Keep an accurate record of the date and time you take the dose, the amount of the dose, how you ingested the dose (tablet, soft drink, medication, etc.), the time of dose and the amount of dose, etc. Also note any headaches you get and be sure to include such information as date, duration of headache, severity, etc. If you don’t see a change immediately, try altering it a little by either changing the times you ingest the caffeine or the amount.  And make sure you keep to the regimen once you’ve found one that words.

According to the American Council for Headache Education (ACHE), school nurses treat an average of at least ten students a month for headache complaints.  Many of these turn to be migraine headaches.  If you thought migraine was just an adult disease, consider the following statistics.

Recurring headaches occur in 38% to 83% of children 7 to15 year of age

Recurring headaches occur in 1% to 37% of children 3 to 6 years of age

Migraine headaches occur in approximately 1.2% to 11% of children.

Headaches in children is a far more serious problem that most people realize.  The truth is that most kids under eighteen have headaches several times a year, typically either tension headaches or migraines, though children certain cannot be considered immune to cluster headaches.   The frequency of migraines rises among females once they enter puberty; far more teenaged girls experience migraines than teenaged boys.  This disparity is usually linked to estrogen changes the begin with the onset of menstruation.

There are several warning signs that indicate that migraines may be a problem.   A child need not be complaining of more than a few of these in order to be concerned about the possibility that he is suffering from migraines.   Just one or two may be enough to warrant further investigation.  School is certainly an environment that is conducive to several of these symptoms and so even if a student does complain of two or three of these that also doesn’t necessarily mean that migraines are the cause. 

Be aware not only of a student complaining about things, but also the consistency and the context.  For instance, if  student exhibits signs of nausea and must leave the room suddenly to vomit, it could be a sign of a migraine, or it could just be a math test next period.   A student suffering from migraine often exhibits personality changes.  This may be unusual in elementary school, but once a student makes it to the upper levels of education, you can pretty much guarantee personality changes.   Be especially attuned to statements by the student indicating that the severity of the current headache is the worst he’s ever experienced.  This is definitely something be concerned about.   If the student is running a fever of complains about a stiff neck, a migraine could very possibly be the root the cause.

It’s very important for teachers to take an active role in identifying students who may be suffering from migraines.  Headaches, especially migraines, can seriously undermine the entire school experience.   In addition to affecting the student’s academic performance, headaches may also curtail the student’s desire and ability take part in activities and extracurricular fun.  Headaches may even be a sign of more serious trouble, from depression to a tumor.   Teachers also present a secondary authority source that may be less threatening to the student that family members; she may be more comfortable confiding about a history of headaches in you than in her parents.

Finally, there are some things a teacher can do to help students who suffer from headaches.  They won’t necessarily relieve the pain and they certainly won’t solve the problem, but they could help and they certainly won’t hurt.

Children and teens should drink at least 4 to 8 glasses of fluid a day so if your school policy allows permits, allow students to bring water bottles to your class.

It is recommended that children get 8 to 10 hours of sleep each night so why not help them achieve that by giving them a little extra time to get their homework done before going home, offer extra encouragement for them to get sleep.

Certain foods such processed meats, cheeses, caffeine, chocolate can trigger a migraine so if you notice your student who is suffering from headaches is constantly ingesting some or all of these, advise him to abstain.  

Stress and uncertain schedules often trigger migraines, so if you notice the student is taking on too much, arrange a conference with his parents to discuss the possibility that rearranging his schedule may contribute to lessening his headaches.

Believe the child when he complains of headaches and send him to the clinic.

Many people with migraines go for years without being properly diagnosed because they continue their erroneous assumption that what they are experiencing is merely a common sinus headache. One study found that a whopping 97% of people who described their headaches as sinus headaches were actually experiencing symptoms associated with migraines. The problem is that the symptoms of migraine headaches and sinus headaches often overlap, leading to confusion that can be very serious if your migraine goes undiagnosed. One reason behind this confusion may lie in the fact that the same nerves that carry migraine pain also travel to the sinuses. Pain in the sinuses, face or around the eyes can be felt during a migraine on one or both sides of the head. In addition, the nerves that cause stuffy or runny nose and watery eyes can be also be activated during a migraine.

Sinus headaches

Sinus headaches usually result from a sinus infection or allergies, or else follow hard upon the heels of a cold or the flu. The cause of sinus headaches are an inflammation of the sinus passages, which are the air cavities located behind and above your nose. The increased pressure that results from the closing of infection of the sinuses is what causes the headache. The pain is involved with a sinus headache can be quite severe and last for an extended period of time. They tend to begin in the morning after waking.

The usual treatment for sinus headaches is antibiotics but physicians are beginning to question the validity of this approach because of the building up of resistance to the drug when it taken repeatedly. Common sinus headache symptoms include pain and pressure around the eyes, an ache in the upper teeth, fever or chills and swelling about the face.

Heat and ice can be used to relieve the facial pain of sinus headaches with many doctors recommending hot compresses, hot drinks such as tea or broth, and even a steamy shower. A cool-mist humidifier can also be of tremendous help in keeping your sinuses moist.

Migraine headaches

So how do migraines differ from sinus headaches, then, and how do you determine which one you’ve got. To begin with, there isn’t just one migraine headache, but two. Migraines with aura and migraines without aura. Common migraine symptoms include pain that is prefaced by visual disturbances, a throbbing on just one side of the head that ranges from mild to extreme, nausea, vomiting, an increased sensitivity to both light and noise.

Migraines require a trigger to get your head to hurting. These triggers are wide in scope and can very significantly from person to person. Most migraines seem to be triggered by food. The most common food triggers seem to be wine, chocolate, aged cheese, processed meats, Chinese food and caffeine. Other triggers include flashing lights, loud noises, menstruation, intense exercise, weather changes, exposure to smoke or perfumes, lack of sleep, stress, or sex In addition, some medications such as birth control pills and estrogen replacement therapy have been proven migraine triggers.

So what’s the big deal with misdiagnosing a migraine headache as a sinus headache? Well, for one thing all that money you’re shelling out on medicine specifically marketed it not actually designed to treat sinus headaches will do you no good whatever if you are suffering migraines. In addition, if you are under the delusion that you are experiencing sinus headaches you may be unduly extending the life of your migraines by continuing to eat food triggers, or continuing to experience environmental triggers that you could and should otherwise avoid.

Basically, treating a migraine headache as it were a sinus headache is really no different from treating a toothache as it were a sinus headache. The problems are completely different, regardless of how similar they may seem and how much they may have in common physiologically. A sinus headache is a headache; a migraine is a disease that has as one its symptoms excruciating head pain. Do yourself a favor. If you are absolutely convinced you are suffering sinus headaches, go see a doctor who knows the difference.