Cluster Headaches And Natural Treatments

Nearly everyone will suffer a headache (or several) throughout their lives which do not have some sort of underlying medical condition causing the pain.  These headaches are Migraine, Tension and Cluster.

I've received a lot of feedback from my clients, telling me how much they've enjoyed my Migraine and Headache Relief program to cure both their tension and migraine headaches.  My program is all natural and requires no medication.

Some of you have asked me if my program can help treat cluster headaches.  Cluster headaches are the most rare of the primary headaches so I'll first explain what each of the different types of primary headaches are in order to help identify which type of headache you might be suffering from.

A tension headache is described as pain in the head, neck and/or scalp.  It can feel like a band squeezing the affected area.  Over 80% of headache sufferers fall into this category.

Women suffer from tension headaches twice as much as men.  For most sufferers, the pain is tolerable and most can complete daily tasks while experiencing the headache.

Triggers include:  Depression, stress, anxiety, fatigue, lack of sleep and poor posture.  The headaches tend to last from 30 minutes up to a week.  They are diagnosed as either episodic (less than 15 days per month) or chronic (more than 15 days per month).

Most of us who suffer from tension headaches do not require medicine for treatment.  We can gain relief from the pain via deep relaxation and breathing exercises, like my Migraine and Headache Relief program.

Migraine headaches, however, are considered vascular.  This is an abnormal sensitivity of the arteries and the blood flow into the brain which causes pain in the affected areas.  This type of headache is the second most common of the primary headaches.

A migraine headache is caused by abnormal blood flow to the arteries which in turn causes the arteries to constrict and dilate improperly and then causes a throbbing, painful sensation on the affected side of the head but sometimes spreading to both sides.

Women are three times as likely to suffer from migraines than men.  For a few, the attacks are infrequent and not that severe but for most others, they are frequent and debilitating, meaning that the sufferer is unable to perform many daily tasks.  These headaches can last anywhere from 4 hours to 72 hours, however, they can occasionally last for weeks.

Migraine symptoms include:  Light and/or sound sensitivity, nausea, vomiting, an aura of "seeing spots" and sensitivity to smells - all of which tend to worsen with physical movement.

Triggers can include:  Stress, fatigue, changes in weather, some foods (red wine, some cheeses, chocolate), fumes, loud noises and in some cases, other headache medication.  Medicine is generally prescribed but most of the available migraine medications sport "rebound" headaches, which often feel like tension headaches.

Natural treatments include deep breathing and/or relaxation exercises or oxygen therapy.

A cluster headache is the least common of the primary headaches but is by far the most painful.  It has even been dubbed the "suicide" headache due to the fact that some with this condition have resorted to this as a means of dealing with the pain.

Cluster headaches get their name because the headaches tend to occur in clusters.  They will happen several times per day, lasting for the same amount of time and occuring at the same time per day.  They tend to linger for several weeks, will dissipate and then recur with the same frequency and intensity.

Cluster headaches are much more severe than migraine or tension headaches and often strike without warning on one side of the brain only (unilateral), with pain behind the eye of the affected region.  The pain tends to last an hour or less but the headaches strike several times per day.

The cause of cluster headaches is unknown but what is known is that the blood flows abnormally in the affected area, causing the blood vessels to dilate and this in turn puts pressure on the trigeminal nerve.  Sufferers of this type of headache generally find more relief from staying active, rather than motionless like with migraine or tension headaches.

Men are five times as likely as women to suffer from cluster headaches.  Other symptoms include:  drooping eyelid, watery eyes and blocked nasal passages.  In fact, many doctors misdiagnose cluster headaches as sinus headaches.

There are triggers for cluster headaches which include:  Fatigue or lack of sleep, sleep apnea, snoring, nitroglycerine, stress, smoking, alcohol, and some foods.  Just like migraines, cluster headaches are regarded as episodic or chronic.

There is a seasonal rhythm to most cluster headaches and many sufferers are affected during spring or fall.  As mentioned, the headaches generally happen several times a day at the same time of day, with many activated during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep.  This is why some sufferers will try NOT to sleep to avoid the headache, but that just keeps the cycle going.

Several studies have been performed on cluster headache sufferers and one common theme has come forward - sleep apnea and excessive snoring seem to be the most common trigger.  These both involve not getting enough oxygen to the brain.  When these conditions were treated, researchers found that most of the time the cluster headaches subsided.

In order to diagnose this type of headache your doctor should perform a physical examination as well as medical history since some cluster headaches are genetic.  The doctor may also run a CT or MRI to rule out a secondary condition causing the headache.

While most often prescribed to treat the problem, most pain medication is only preventative - it won't prevent the headache.  The preventative medicines that do exist tend to come with potentially serious side effects.

One effective treatment once the headache has begun is oxygen therapy.

My completely natural Migraine and Headache Relief Program incorporates additional oxygen promoting blood flow to the areas of the brain that require it.  And if snoring may be your trigger, my all natural Stop Snoring Program has achieved amazing results.

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