Putting Our Heads Together

Anatomy of a Migraine

When many people think “Migraine,” they think only of the pain of Migraine. In reality, a Migraine (often called a "Migraine attack") consists of far more. The typical Migraine attack actually consists of four parts, referred to as phases or components. It's important to note that not every Migraineur (a person with Migraine disease) experiences all four phases. Also, attacks can vary with different phases experienced during different attacks.

The four potential phases of a Migraine attack are:

• prodrome
• aura
• headache
• postdrome

Knowing what symptoms may occur during these phases of a Migraine attack can be very helpful. Recognizing the prodrome phase, for example, can help us recognize early in the attack that we're getting a Migraine, letting us be ready to treat it.

Learn more about the four possible phases of a Migraine and their potential symptoms in Anatomy of a Migraine.

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© Teri Robert, 2010 Last updated May 31, 2010

Gotta Love This Migraine Blogger and Her Latest Post

Very few things irritate me as much as incorrect or misleading information about Migraines. That includes all the scammers out there who know we can be desperate and are out to make quick $$ from us.

There are times when I want to rip someone's head off their shoulders and stuff it down their neck because of the nonsense the put up on the Internet. I want to rant and rave and say nasty things about them. LOL! But, I can't really do that. Since this is my career, my avocation, my livelihood, I feel it important to behave, write, and speak professionally.

Fortunately for all of us, Arabella is out there writing her blog, Migraine Truth. The header of her blog states, "Because I'm tired of misconceptions, misunderstandings, and outright lies!" Yesterday, Arabella wrote a blog entry that had me cheering, "Common Myths - The Biggest Myth I've Seen." In this entry, she talks about a horrible article she found and an even more horrible web site that's linked to from the article.

If you haven't seen this blog, or even if you have, I hope you'll take a few minutes to read Arabella's most recent post from the link above. Of course, I'm flattered that she links to my writings often as sources of "truth," but that's truly not the reason I love her blog. I love it because it's so straight forward and honest. I love it because someone needs to be just that blunt, and I'm not in a position to do so.

Arabella, thank you for speaking out and for being so vigilant. Your blog fills a vital need for Migraineurs trying to find good information online.

Live well,

 

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© Teri Robert, 2010 Last updated May 29, 2010

Review: SootheAway for Migraine

When you have a Migraine or headache, do you use heating or cooling therapy? Do you reach into the freezer for a gel or ice pack or throw a pack into the microwave to heat up? If you do, the SootheAwayTM Continuous Thermal Therapy device is something worth considering.

I'll admit that I was a bit skeptical, but that skepticism turned into a very pleasant surprise when I tried the SootheAway. With traditional cold and hot packs, I always have problems getting and keeping the temperature right. When I microwave a hot pack, it seems that I always get it too warm or not warm enough. Even if it's the right temperature, it doesn't stay that way very long. Cold packs are the same way. Straight from the freezer, they're too cold against my skin at first. Then they warm up too soon, and I have to get up to get another one from the freezer.

Read more in Review: SootheAway Continuous Thermal Therapy,

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© Teri Robert, 2010 Last updated May 24, 2010

Migraine Research Funding - Exciting News

Last week was an exciting week. I was privileged to spend two days in Bethesda for a National Institutes of Health headache research planning meeting.

Lack of effective treatments is a big problem for those of us with Migraine and other headache disorders, and one of the biggest issues surrounding this is the very small amount that the NIH invests in Migraine and headache research.

The purpose of this meeting was to look at how this issue can be resolved. It was a great meeting, one that has left me hopeful.

You can read more about this in Migraine Research Funding - An Important Step.

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© Teri Robert, 2010
Last updated May 23, 2010

Review: Migraines Managed

I have to admit that it took guts to build a web site and "publish" the e-book "Migraines Managed."

Julieann claims, "Migraines Down 75%, Medications Down 95%, My Drug-Free Insider Secret."

So...

• What is her secret?
• Is it worth $14.97?
• Can it help you?

Read my review to find out!

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To subscribe, CLICK HERE.

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© Teri Robert, 2010
Last updated May 22, 2010

Migraines and Medication Overuse: Video

If you have Migraines or headaches, hopefully, you know about medication overuse headache (MOH), aka rebound. In a nutshell, the use of any acute medication to treat a Migraine or headache more than two or three days a week can make matters worse by causing MOH. You can read more about MOH in Medication Overuse Headache: When the Remedy Backfires.

Sadly, too many people are never educated about this issue. Even neurologists sometimes don't know about it, so they don't warn their patients. Just this morning, I heard about a Migraineur whose neurologist told her to take an NSAID twice a day, every day. In reality, he was setting her up for MOH and sentencing her to a daily headache.

Maybe a video will help with understanding MOH better. Some of the information in this video, such as the number of Migraineurs in the US, isn't accurate, but the info on MOH is pretty good.

I hope this has been helpful to you. If you have questions or need more information, please let me know.

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Medical review by John Claude Krusz, PhD, MD.

© Teri Robert, 2010
Last updated May 14, 2010

Stroke Awareness: Essential for Migraineurs

Research has shown that people with Migraine are at increased risk for stroke. Stroke Awareness Month, sponsored by the National Stroke Association (NSA), is a good time to learn about stroke -- the symptoms, what to do if you think you're having a stroke, and how to prevent stroke.

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of disability.

During Stroke Awareness Month this year, the NSA encourages everyone to: Act F.A.S.T.:

F = FACE	Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A = ARM	Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S = SPEECH	Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
T = TIME	If you observe any of these signs, it's time to call 9-1-1.

Stroke awareness is a vital issue for people with Migraines. Please take the time to read Stroke Awareness: Essential for Migraineurs.

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© Teri Robert, 2010
Last updated May 11, 2010

When It Seems Too Good to Be True: May 2010 Migraine & Headache Blog Carnival

Welcome to the May 2010 Headache and Migraine Disease Blog Carnival.

The Headache & Migraine Disease Blog Carnival has been created to provide both Migraine and headache patients and people who blog about Migraines and headaches with opportunities to share ideas on topics of particular interest and importance to us.

The theme of the May carnival is "When it seems too good to be true." It's hosted this month by Diana Lee on her blog Somebody Heal Me.

Please take a few minutes to read this month's carnival, When It Seems Too Good to Be True.

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© Teri Robert, 2010
Last updated March 10, 2010