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Migraines & managing
migraine headaches
Migraines - You may have heard some of the myths concerning
migraine
headache and the people who suffer from them. What follows are
the eight most common myths about migraines...as well as the
facts.
Myth: Having migraines
is a sign that you have psychological problems.
Fact: Migraine is a
biological disorder, not a psychological symptom. Some people
with mental health problems may have migraines, but migraine
is not the cause or the result of these problems.
Myth: A particular type
of person tends to get migraine: hypersensitive, uptight,
perfectionist, compulsive.
Fact: Researchers who
have intensively studied the personality makeup of migraine
sufferers have found no evidence of a "migraine
personality."
Myth:
You bring migraines on yourself. It's all in your head.
Fact: Migraine is a
genuine medical disorder -- as real as heart disease, high
blood pressure, or diabetes.
Myth: There isn't much
you can do about migraines; you just have to learn to live
with them.
Fact: Migraine cannot be
cured, but in most cases it can be controlled by avoiding
identified triggers and treating with medicines available
over-the-counter, or those your doctor may prescribe.
Myth: Migraine is so
awful, it's got to be a sign of something terribly wrong.
Fact: All of the
manifestations of migraine are a temporary response to a
biochemical chain of events in the central nervous system.
When the biochemical balance returns to normal, the symptoms
subside.
Myth: Migraine is just
another excuse to leave work early or to miss work altogether.
Fact: Migraine sufferers
have a legitimate medical reason to take time off from work
for treatment and recovery because the migraine condition has
real biological causes and should be recognized as a medical
condition.
Myth: Migraines are due
to allergies.
Fact: Coincidence is the
only link between allergies and migraines. Allergies and
headaches are common occurrences. Because some people have
both, they assume there is a causal connection.
Myth: The more
medication you take for a migraine, the better you'll feel.
Fact: Exceeding the
recommended dose of any medication won't provide more relief.
Instead, it may create more serious problems.
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Managing migraine
headaches
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