by admin | Nov 9, 2016 | Comorbidity
Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders and Headache
What are metabolic disorders? A metabolic disorder occurs when there is any disruption in the normal chemical processes of one or more organs in your body. Most metabolic disorders are inherited, but not all are. There are also metabolic conditions that affect the functioning of the body that are not a permanent condition, such as vitamin D deficiency or alcohol overuse, which is self-inflicted, but which does adversely affect the functioning of your body’s organs.
While the list of endocrine and metabolic disorders is quite long, there are a few that can affect the risk of headache or migraine, such as thyroid disorders or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.
This raises the issue of whether or not obesity should be included here, or whether it is a genetic issue. Obesity does involve metabolic processes. Whether or not it is genetic, and to what extent, remains controversial. It is increasingly clear, however, that increasing obesity is correlated with an increased risk of chronic daily headache and with increased migraine frequency and severity.
by Christina Peterson, MD
updated Nov 9, 2016
by admin | Oct 13, 2016 | Triggers
Food Triggers in Migraine
Food triggers are those most commonly talked about – everyone has heard about them. But in truth, only about 25% or so of migraine sufferers have any food triggers, perhaps a bit higher for alcohol as a trigger. For most people, migraine food triggers are not food allergies. Migraine sufferers with various food triggers have been tested for allergies to their offending foods, and no markers of allergy (IgE) have been found.
If you do think you have a food trigger, avoiding that food can reduce the number of headaches you have.
Triggers are additive, so food triggers in addition to other triggers, like sleep deprivation or hormonal changes, can more easily bring on a migraine attack. It is not usually necessary to go on a special migraine trigger elimination diet to discover what your food triggers are. It is usually sufficient to keep a food diary in conjunction with a headache diary.
These are common food triggers:
Aged Cheese, Sour cream, Yogurt, Buttermilk
Citrus
Nuts
Legumes:
Peas
Beans
Soy:
Soy sauce
Tofu
Edamame
Soy “Nutraceuticals” used instead of estrogen HRT
Soy may hide in ingredients as texturized vegetable protein
Onions
Garlic
Pickled foods, Vinegar: Salad dressings, Ketchup, Relish
These are moderately common triggers:
Aspartame (Nutrasweet®)
Chocolate
Wine, Beer, Other alcoholic beverages
Wheat/gluten*
Caffeine
*This pertains largely to those who have a comorbid condition called gluten insensitivity, or celiac disease. This condition is a little more common in migraine sufferers than it is in the general population.
Sulfites
The following foods contain sulfites:
Wine, especially red
Dried apricots, apples
Dehydrated potatoes
Shrimp, lobster
Used as a dough conditioner
Used to bleach food starch
Glacéed fruit
Jams
Prepared gravies
Molasses
Soup mixes
Vegetable juices
Fruit juices
Hard cider
Nitrates/Nitrites
The following foods contain nitrates or nitrites:
Smoked fish
Corned beef
Bologna
Pastrami
Pepperoni
Canned ham
Bacon
Sausages
Frankfurters/ Hot dogs
Beef jerky
These are less common triggers:
Bananas
Papayas
Pineapples
Figs
Avocados
Olives
Yeasty foods, like freshly baked bread
Intensely sweet foods
Intensely salty foods
MSG – this may hide as the following:
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Hydrolyzed plant protein
Natural flavoring
Kombu extract
MSG has been debated as a trigger. Many people are convinced it is their trigger, even though the scientific basis for this has been questioned, as glutamate is widely distributed throughout the brain as a neurotransmitter. It may, in fact, be the sodium or impurities in MSG to which migraineurs are reacting.
Here are some links for further information about MSG:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/jul/10/foodanddrink.features3
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/manufac.html
by admin | Apr 12, 2016 | Types of Headaches
Cluster Headache
Cluster headache involves severe pain which is one-sided, occurring in the eye or orbital region, or in the temporal region of the head. The pain is associated with redness of the eye, tears, nasal stuffiness, facial sweating, pupil constriction, a droopy eyelid (called ptosis), and often with a sense of restlessness. The headache pain occurs anywhere from once every other day to 8 times a day, and lasts 15 minutes to 3 hours.
Pain appears in regularly occurring episodes one or more times a day for several weeks, then symptoms disappear between “clusters.” Cluster attacks may not recur for months or years. In some cluster headache sufferers, there is a seasonal pattern to their occurrence, with attacks occurring in spring and fall, or in winter and summer.
Although cluster headaches are fairly well-known, they are actually not that common. Cluster headache affects less than 1% of the general population.
Cluster headache was once far more prevalent in men, with an 8:1 male:female predominance. More recently, that ratio has dropped. At present, the ratio has dropped to a 2.1:1 male:female predominance. The reason for this change is not clear, but may reflect changes in women’s lifestyles.
Cluster headache can be severe, and has been called the “suicide headache.”
A recent study has found a correlation between cluster headache and exposure to passive smoke in childhood.
by Christina Peterson, MD
updated April 12, 2016
by admin | Nov 17, 2015 | Comorbidity
There are several other neurologic disorders that are more common in migraine sufferers. Why “other?” Because migraine itself is a neurological disorder, since it originates within the brain. The three most commonly occurring neurological disorders among the non-elderly are migraine, epilepsy, and head injury. (Amongst the elderly, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s become more prominent. For most migraine sufferers, headaches either disappear or become less prominent around age 60.)
Epilepsy occurs more commonly in migraine sufferers. A genetic link has been discovered between the two.
There is also a relationship between mild traumatic brain injury and headache, of course, as it can result in posttraumatic headache. They may have migraine-like features. And head injury represents a risk factor for the development of chronic daily headache.
Other less commonly occurring neurological conditions that occur more frequently in migraine sufferers are restless legs syndrome, essential tremor, and multiple sclerosis.
The correlation with multiple sclerosis is not well understood, and further research has been suggested.
by admin | Nov 5, 2015 | Comorbidity, Women & Headaches
Endometriosis and migraine
Endometriosis is more common in women who have migraine headaches, and migraine is more common in women with endometriosis.
An Italian study found that 1/3 of women who had endometriosis also suffered from migraine headaches. About 5% of women of reproductive age have endometriosis. Another study found that of women with pelvic pain, 2/3 experience migraine – about three times the rate of the general population. Not all the women with pelvic pain had biopsy-proven endometriosis.
Several studies have now also shown an increased incidence of endometriosis in migraine sufferers, and this is felt to be most likely due to common genetic factors. Migraine attacks were more frequent in women with endometriosis than in women with migraine and no endometriosis, and migraines began at a younger age.
References:
3. Tietjen GE, Bushnell CD, Herial NA, et al. Endometriosis is associated with prevalence of comorbid conditions in migraine. Headache. 2007;47(7):1069-1078. Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/176355994. Nyholt DR, Gillespie NG, Merikangas KR, et al. Common genetic influences underlie comorbidity of migraine and endometriosis. Genet. Epidemiol. 2009;33(2):105-113. Available at:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18636479by Christina Peterson, M.D.
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