Thread: Hey, Colin
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Old 05-11-2003   #2
cj
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Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: Down Under
Posts: 5,202
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peaches, how exactly do your migraine's start when the weather is like it is now?
how does that differ from your normal migraines?
do you feel a pressure in your sinuses or in a specific point behind your face, or is it in your ears?

There's been a few studies done on the effect of weather on our aches & pains ... I did some research last year while I was sick, because i seemed to have something always aching and i hate the concept of taking a tablet to cover up the symptoms of a problem - it doesn't fix it, it just makes you ignore it until next time. the weather can be responsible for a lot of varieties of muscle & nerve spasms because your body doesn't have the right tools to adapt quickly to weather changes - especially when the weather changes quickly.

You can reduce your symptoms by finding exactly the part of your body that starts the migraine - the best way to do this is with a diary (yeah i know, YAWN) - record the migraine, where it starts, how bad it is and what the weather was on that day ... air pressure & cold fronts effect the sinuses, eardrums & the veins behind the eyes ... they then send signals to your brain which starts doing that relax/contract thing that we call 'throbbing' to try to help the body to cope with the change.

Guess what one of the MAIN causes is?! dehydration!!
keeping the blood cells plump with water reduces the effects when high pressure occurs - if your blood cells don't have enough water, they make extra effort to get that water when they start to feel air pressure, doubling the effect of the migraine. You may be able to move somewhere to avoid the high pressure, but it would be a lot cheaper to hydrate your body so it can cope better with the weather

Water as a cure

Here's some extracts from some articles ....

Though the results of their research are a promising step to firmly establishing the link between weather and headaches, doctors still are unclear as to why changes in the weather affects people so strongly.

"There's definitely a very interesting relationship between weather and migraines," said Dr. Matthews, who believes a dense bundle of veins at the back of the nose holds the key. The veins internally regulate the humidity of inhaled air so that it doesn't damage the lungs, according to Matthews.

"These veins have to adjust to a certain pressure, be aware of the air pressure, to figure out how much they have to dilate or contract," he explained. "If there's a sudden change, they have to adapt to keep the air at the right humidity. In migraine sufferers, this vascular system adapts too quickly. Basically, people with migraines and weather triggers have trouble adapting their vascular system to changes in the weather."

from: Weather may be a headache for migraine sufferers

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Migraines
Migraines are headaches caused by constriction or dilation of the blood vessels in the brain. Pain generally occurs on one side of the face or head. Sufferers sometimes feel nausea and sensitivity to light or sound. Triggers include stress, hormonal fluctuations, certain types of food and weather.

According to research by the New England Center for Headache, as many as half of all migraines are triggered by weather. (Read more about it in our news coverage from July 2001.) Many migraine sufferers single out cold, dry weather as the culprit, though almost any weather change can be a problem. Some doctors suggest that patients keep a detailed headache journal, so they can anticipate weather changes and take preventative medication, if necessary.

Sinus headaches
Sinuses are the air cavities in the bones around your nasal passages. When sinuses become clogged or infected, the resulting pressure can cause a headache. Symptoms include pain in the front of the head and around the eyes, yellow or green nasal discharge and perhaps a fever. It's believed that barometric pressure changes may bring on headaches, if the sinus cavities are slow to equalize air pressure. Damp, cold weather can intensify sinus pain.

A recent study suggests that most people who think they are suffering from sinus headaches may actually have migraines -- especially in cases where weather is an obvious trigger. Since symptoms of both types of headaches can vary, visit your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
from: Weather triggered health conditions
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One thing that really helped my muscle aches was salt water baths twice a week... put pure rock salt (about 2 big spoons) in a hot bath, and soak until the water is no longer warm. Salt draws the toxins out of the system which are a common cause of muscle aches, but you have to drink heaps of water or this will dehydrate you more.

You've probably already been through all this a hundred times, but ya never know when you are going to find a nugget of information that starts you on a run of success so please forgive my verbal fart. It gets so much easier when you understand why the stupid body feels how it does.

I hope you feel better soon, and if not, I recommend the weather in Florida - the humidity rocks for aches of all kinds.
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