Category: Blog

Headaches and migraines are an unfortunate fact of life for many of us. But you don’t have to suffer in silence — you deserve relief and you can get it.

Headaches

Headaches are a continuing pain in the head (sorry, we had to) for many, many people in the United States. Check out the stats:

• 1 to 4 people in a household get headaches
• Over 12% of the population gets headaches
• 18% of them are women and 6% are men
• If a parent has headaches, there is a 40% chance their children will get them

There are 4 main factors to address when trying to prevent headaches:

1. Stress will often trigger a headache. Reduce causes of stress in your life whenever and wherever possible.
2. Sleep — or lack thereof — is a big factor. The average person needs 7 – 8 hours of sleep. In addition, keeping a regular sleep schedule can help protect against headaches.
3. Exercise is vital — getting 20 – 40 minutes of exercise can help reduce stress (and therefore headaches). So get moving!
4. Diet is the final of the Big Four. You can help stave off headaches by not skipping meals and drinking plenty of water. Note that consuming too many caffeinated beverages can trigger headaches.

If you are unsure of what triggers your headaches, try keeping a headache journal. Make sure to track the following every day until your next doctor appointment:

• All consumed food and beverages
• Any medications you take
• Your sleep cycle (When do you sleep? What time do you go to bed and wake up?)
• Any physical activities or exercise

At your next doctor appointment, show your doctor the heachache journal so she or he can figure out what you need to do next.

Migraines

Do you know or suspect that you from migraines? You are not alone: an astounding 36 million Americans do as well.

But what is a migraine exactly? A migraine is a recurrent, throbbing headache that typically affects one side of the head and is often accompanied by nausea and disturbed vision. Other symptoms include:

• Dizziness
• Vomiting
• Sensitivity to light, sound, and odors

Severe migraines may trigger additional symptoms. Be sure to see a doctor if you experience the following:

• Confusion
• Fever
• Numbness
• Shortness of breath
• Slurred speech
• Stiff neck
• Persistent vomiting
• Unexpected symptoms affecting your ears, eyes, throat,or eyes
• Unremitting diarrhea
• Vision loss
• Weakness
• Paralysis

A migraine can be debilitating, but you don’t have to take it lying down: you can reduce or even stop your migraines using the following 4-step system:

1. Maintain Your Overall Health: Achieving or maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial.
2. Avoid Triggers: These can include alcohol, caffeine withdrawal, stress, and skipping meals.
3. Incorporate Acupuncture: Acupuncture may help relieve stress, a common factor in the triggering of migraines.
4. Take Medication: Depending on how frequent and/or severe your migraines are, you may need medication. To explore the current options, see your primary care provider (PCP).

Finally: as with headaches, it may be helpful to keep a migraine journal. If necessary, you can take the journal back to your PCP and inquire about next steps.

Nearly 26 million Americans have asthma, while an astounding 30% of adults and 40% of children have allergies. (Count yourself lucky if you somehow have neither!) This month, in the interest of offering information — and hopefully relief — we’re focusing on both asthma and allergies, and when to seek medical help for one or both.

Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease that causes your breathing tubes to become inflamed. Common symptoms include:

• Coughing
• Shortness of breath
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness

Asthma happens when an outside particulate or event to triggers you. Common triggers are as follows:

• Pollen
• Chemicals
• Smoke
• Dust
• Stress
• Too much exercise

Once triggered, you may experience swelling, mucus build-up, and tightening of your airways.

Luckily, there is treatment for asthma. Treatment includes avoiding triggers and/or taking prescription medication (ask your doctor which medication is right for you). If you think you or a loved one may have asthma, schedule an appointment with your primary care provider immediately. Asthma should be monitored and treated by a healthcare professional.

Allergies

Most people hear “allergy” and think of someone with hay fever — the classic sneezing-coughing-eyes-watering-runny-nose type of allergy. But an allergy describes any instance in which the immune system experiences something as harmful and overreacts, which triggers the productions of antibodies called immunoglobulin E.

People can be allergic to many different things, including:

• Medications
• Food
• Insects
• Latex
• Mold
• Pet urine, saliva, and dander
• Pollen

Allergic reactions can induce irritating symptoms like watery eyes, a runny nose, sneezing, and a rash/hives, as well as more serious effects such as trouble breathing and mouth/throat swelling (called anaphylaxis). Problems with breathing or mouth/throat swelling can result in the hospitalization and even death.

Treatment options for allergies include avoiding allergens, taking certain medications, and immunotherapy:

• Avoiding Allergens:
  • Get rid of carpets (especially old ones)
  • Don’t have your animals sleep with you
  • Be mindful of what plants you buy for your home
  • Deep clean your bathroom
  • Exercise between 5 and 10 AM
  • Leave shoes at the door
  • Get rid of musty furniture
  • Wash or air out all new furniture, towels, bedding, and clothing before using
    Get a good vacuum
• Medication: Ask your doctor which of the many options is right for you.
• Immunotherapy: Describes the prevention or treatment of a disease using substances that stimulate an immune response. Ask your doctor if this could help you!

Asthma and Allergies

Asthma and allergies often go hand in hand — your allergies may, for instance, cause your asthma to act up. If you’re allergic to something and breathe or touch it, you may have an allergic reaction that then triggers an asthma attack. Controlling your allergies will help moderate your asthma; conversely, controlling your asthma can prevent your allergies from acting up.

Alcohol consumption is a charged topic. We constantly see bars and alcohol advertisements — as well as cautionary, if sensationalized, tales in the media — but we rarely have the necessary and difficult discussions about safety, addiction, and abuse. Education and open communication can, however, go a long way to ensure that we consume responsibly and pass on healthy habits to future generations.

It’s important to know how alcohol works in order to understand its power. Alcohol is a depressant, which means it slows the function of the central nervous system and alters the drinker’s perception, emotion, movement, vision, and hearing. When you drink alcohol, about 20% is rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream. The rest absorbs into your gastrointestinal tract.

Here are things that alcohol consumption can make us feel at first:

• Relaxed
• Self-confident
• Happy
• Sociable

Time and/or further consumption can lead to:

• Slower reflexes
• Poor coordination
• Impaired thinking
• Poor decision-making
• Depressed mood
• Memory lapses
• Reduced ability to operate a vehicle

As you can see — and perhaps know from personal experience — alcohol can produce good feelings but also can, in excess, lead to negative feelings and experiences. The reality is that alcohol consumption is associated with a litany of problems, including:

• Violent behavior and unprotected intercourse in teens and young adults
• Sexual assault
• Car accidents (in 2013, roughly 31% of car accidents were caused by drinking)
• Suicide
• Relationship issues
• Drowning
• Cirrhosis, ulcers, stomach bleeding, and pancreatitis
• Heart-related issues such as cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, and arrhythmia
• Bone deterioration and osteoporosis
• Neuropathy (a common nerve condition)
• Cancers, including of the liver, breast, esophagus, pancreas, mouth, larynx, and pharynx

All of this might be less worrisome were drinking not so incredibly common: about 87% of people 18 and older have consumed alcohol, with about 70% doing so in the last year and 56% in the last month. More worrisome is the frequency of binge drinking (defined as drinking 5 or more drinks in one sitting) and heavy drinking: roughly 25% of those 18 and older said they had a binge drinking incident in the past month and 7% said they participated in heavy drinking in the past month.

Okay so we have all of this information — now what do we do about it? The National Institute of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) provides excellent resources for identifying, avoiding, and addressing alcohol abuse and alcoholism, including the following tips for moderation and talking to your teen about drinking. Check out the condensed versions below and then head to NIAAA’s website for more information.

Moderation can be hard for all us — especially when it comes to an addictive substance like alcohol. NIAAA recommends the following techniques for reducing and moderating your drinking (full list here):

• Keep track.
• Count and measure.
• Set goals.
• Pace and space.
• Find alternatives.
• Avoid “triggers.”
• Plan to handle urges.
• Know your “no.”

Talking to your teenage child about drinking is vital to avoiding problems down the line and resolving them if/when they do arise. NIAAA suggests doing the following when talking to your child about alcohol (full list here):

• Treat the discussion as a two-way conversation — not a lecture.
• Ask about their own views on alcohol.
• Explain important facts about alcohol.
• List the many good reasons not to drink.
• Dispel the “Magic Potion” myth.
• Discuss methods for resisting peer pressure.
• Think about how you will or would answer the question “Did you drink when you were a kid?”

When it comes to your diet, the guidelines are fairly simple: eat a diet rich in fruits, veggies, whole grains, and unsaturated fat. The hard part, of course, is actually doing it!

In the interest of helping you start — or continue — to eat healthily, we’ve put together a list of the benefits of a good diet. Some may surprise really you!

Top 5 Benefits of a Healthy Diet:

1. You will be happier and less stressed. What we eat affects our brain, and certain foods can increase good hormones and/or moderate detrimental ones. A banana, which contains dopamine, is like a mind booster. Dark chocolate has polyphenol, which ups serotonin (a neurotransmitter) in a similar way as antidepressants. Foods with vitamin C, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium help lower the hormone that causes stress.
2. You will maintain the weight you want — or lose if you need to. Eating a wide range of healthy foods contributes to weight loss and/or maintenance. Everyone’s healthy weight range is different, so make sure to talk to your doctor about what is best for you.
3. You will reduce your risk for heart disease and high blood pressure. Trading junk food for fruits and veggies will lower your risk of heart disease. It will also help regulate or prevent high blood pressure — a serious and common ailment that can lead to heart disease.
4. You will be at lower risk of getting cancer. Your lifestyle and diet affect your risk of getting cancer. Eating lots of fruit and veggies helps lower that risk.
5. You’ll be more efficient. Eating unhealthy food puts you at risk of losing productivity. Eating a healthy diet will give you more energy and help you get things done.

Still not convinced? Don’t take our word for it — try it for yourself and see how you feel!

March is National Nutrition Month. Get involved »