Headache Symptoms – How to Tell Your Type of Headache

How often do you shift your priorities towards something that you dislike doing? Experts reckon that painkillers take priority over all important work, when headache paves way into our life. We all have experienced it! The head busting feeling associated with severe headache can be downright annoying to handle. Somehow it hampers our coordination and drives us mad enough to take a pill or a quick nap leaving behind heaps of pending work.

As such, there are several noticeable symptoms that tell us about the type of headache we are suffering from. Let’s take a brief look at the symptoms connected with the most regular types of headaches that has plagued the world today.

Tension Headache Symptoms

Arguably, this is the most common type of headache that results due to stress, emotional trauma and exposure to loud noise. From medical point of view, one can experience such headaches in two forms such as episodic or chronic headache. Feeling of tightness is experienced by individuals suffering from tension headaches. The pain starts from the backside of the upper neck and head. In some cases, individuals also showcase symptoms of nausea and vomiting along with the mild pain. When we talk about episodic headaches, one can experience moderate pain in the front or side of the head. Episodic tension lasts for about 30 minutes to a few days. Chronic headache victims experience different degree of pain throughout the day.

Cluster Headache Symptoms

Unlike tension headache, cluster headache situation can be really painful. The exact cause of this type of headache is still a mystery in the eyes of medical science, although hypothalamus abnormalities are cited as the main cause. If you incorporate sudden changes in your sleep pattern, then this change can trigger cluster headache. Apart from the penetrating pain, burning sensation can be felt around the facial area such as eyes and nose. The pain usually lasts for an hour.

Sinus Headache Symptoms

Sinusitis is held responsible for the cause of sinus headache. The most predominant symptoms associated with sinus headache are inflammation in the eyes, cheeks and nasal passage. Steep and deep pain will be experienced by the sufferer in the forehead area. In some cases, the pain can penetrate into the cheek and nose area. Sudden facial movements can intensify the pain.

Migraine Headache Symptoms

Migraine headaches are characterized by severe pain on both sides of the head. Intense pulsating sensation can be experienced by the victim. Other symptoms include nausea, tiredness, vomiting, lack of appetite and blurred vision. Certain food items like also trigger migraine headache. The irony lies in the fact that this type of headache can last for a longer duration, thus disrupting your day to day life.

Headaches can prevent you from doing lots of things in life due to its disturbing symptoms. Major efforts will be required from your end, even for conducting simple tasks. It’s important to resort to timely medication, in order to ensure that this dreadful condition does not hang around your head for too long.

(article by: Rick Missimer)

Eye Floaters Cure

Eye floaters, a term that makes you imagine an open ocean with picnickers going for a swim with some kind of floaters to help them float in the cool water. Well, this not what one means by the term eye floaters. This is an medical term that is also known as vitreous floaters or eye spots. The eye floaters look like small specks of black or gray, cobwebs, circles or strings floating in the field of vision. These eye floaters are visible to only those who experience them.

Eye floaters may be momentary spots and you may see them when you look at a blank wall. One may occasionally see these small squiggly lines or tiny specks floating across their field of vision. This occasional spotting is not a big worry and is a common phenomenon. In this article we shall see some information regarding eye floaters cure. But, before we move on the eye floaters cure, let us understand this interesting medical phenomenon.

What Causes Eye Floaters
Eye floaters are commonly seen as a geriatric disorder as there are changes in the vitreous humor due to aging. The vitreous humor is a jelly like substance that is filled in your eyeballs. It helps to maintain your eyeballs in their round shape. There are millions of fibers that surround the vitreous humor that are attached to the retina. This retina is an light sensitive tissue present at the back of your eyes. You can read in detail regarding the eye floaters causes.

The consistency of vitreous humor changes with time and it becomes partially liquefied. This causes it to shrink and pull away from the interior surface of eyeball. With the shrinking of vitreous humor, it gets clumpy and stringy. These clumpy bits block light that passes through the eye and causing tiny shadows on the retina. If a section of the vitreous humor pulls away suddenly, it will lead to appearance of eye floaters. One may even experience light flashes when the fine fibers in the vitreous humor pull over the retina. These eye floaters are thus, the shadows of the vitreous humor debris and you do not actually see these bits. These eye floaters do not remain still, instead float around the eye that makes them appear like 'drifting'. You can read more on eye floaters and flashes.

The other reason for developing eye floaters include eye injury or eye strain. Abnormal growth of blood vessels, hemorrhages inside the eye may also cause eye floaters. Benign eye floaters may also be an indication of a serous eye complication. The fine fibers may be pulled so hard that they may cause the retina to tear away from its position. This pull may not cause vision problems, but it may lead to a retinal tear or retinal detachment that may lead to permanent loss of vision.

Symptoms of Eye Floaters
The symptoms of eye floaters include small objects of different shape appearing in your vision. These objects move, appear and disappear slowly. They move as you move eye and are the most noticeable against a plain bright background. These backgrounds include a bright wall, the sky, computer screen, etc.

When do Eye Floaters need Medical Attention
As mentioned above, eye floaters are a common phenomenon. However, if you experience eye floaters with bright light flashes, you need medical help immediately. If you experience a sudden appearance of a flood of eye floaters, it means the vitreous humor is pulling away from the retina. Or it may even mean the retina is getting detached from the back of the eye. The blood vessels attached to the retina are torn and there may be internal eye bleeding.

Some may experience a cloudy area on the side field of vision in one eye. Many people have described this symptom as a 'curtain' closing on part of their vision. This is a sign of retinal detachment and needs eye floaters treatment immediately. The surgeon may have enough time to reattach the retina and restore its function, or else vision may be lost permanently. The posterior vitreous detachments (PVDs) are more common and may not be categorized as a medical emergency.

How to Get Rid of Eye Floaters
Many times, it becomes a nuisance to have spots and specks floating around your eyes. Thus, many people seek some kind of eye floaters cure. Eye floaters generally fade with time and become less irritating. Generally, one does not require any kind of eye floater treatment. However, if the eye floaters are hampering and interfering with ones vision, the doctor may advice 'vitrectomy'. This is a surgical procedure that uses a hollow needle to withdraw the vitreous humor from the eye. Saline liquid is used to replace the vitreous humor. But, this surgery may lead to other complications like retinal detachment or cataract. Surgery is advised only in very rare cases and carried out by a few immensely experienced ophthalmology surgeons.

If the eye floaters are not an indication of serious complication and surgery is out of the question, then the only eye floaters cure is getting used to it. The more you become used to seeing these eye floaters, the less will you notice them. The doctor may advice you with some eye drops and herbal remedies that will help reduce their appearance. Speak to your doctor regarding your condition and learn to deal with them positively.

You should maintain proper eye care and eat a healthy diet to keep your eyes healthy to avoid eye problems. This was some information related to eye floaters treatment. These are harmless spots most of the time that appear and disappear on their own. In case of sudden appearance of flood of eye floaters, seek medical help immediately. So, if you suddenly begin to 'see' a 'sea' of eye floaters, remember, you need to meet your doctor straightaway.

(article by Batul Nafisa Baxamusa)

Getting Down with High Blood Pressure

When you heard something like a fit person died of heart attack due to hypertension, this this would have taken you by shock. On other hand you will see people who are plump and out of shape, but these people will have normal blood pressure. No one can say whether these kind of people will get hypertension and these kind of people will not get hypertension.

Every one should always check their blood pressure numbers correctly as this disease is called silent killer.

When you see a rise in blood pressure, there is actually a lot of things to remember before hitting the panic button. Your blood pressure cannot be determined by single reading. Blood pressure numbers depend mostly on the circumstances it is taken.

The same thing will happen with stress. When you have a tiring day at work, you will have a high blood pressure. When you have some pain that will rise the blood pressure number. So it is not appropriate to check your blood pressure numbers when you have any pain.

Ideally, your blood pressure should be taken after sitting for at least five minutes. You should never take it just after having a cigarette or drinking anything containing caffeine. Don't trust a reading that is taken when you are emotionally excited for any reason.

The main factor that contributes to blood pressure is being obese. When you get abnormal number when the reading is taken several times, then it's time to act.

You can get your hypertension to normal levels by following a regular exercise pattern and by losing few pounds.

Decreasing your salt intake will help you in a big way. Salt is also another major factor.

Breakfast cereals, luncheon meat, almost anything that has been processed has had large amounts of sodium added to it. Put down the saltshaker, eat more raw vegetables and fruits and you may be amazed at the effect it will have on your blood pressure.

Tension and stress are great contributors to hypertension. Relaxing normally is very good for health.

Your mind will also be free of tension after relaxing. Only a clear head can take better decisions.

These are the best combination to kill hypertension. Low salt, regular exercise and relaxation.

A few minutes a day with my High Blood Pressure Progam will bring amazing results. The exercises are easy and can be done almost anywhere.

(article by Christian Goodman)

B Vitamins Fact Sheet

The B vitamins have a wide and varied range of functions in the human body. Most B vitamins are involved in the process of converting blood sugar into energy. Diets rich in these vitamins are particularly important for pregnant and breast-feeding women and for people who require more energy, such as athletes and heavy-labor workers.

General deficiencies of vitamin B
Deficiencies of B vitamins are uncommon in the US, but when they occur they usually involve several B vitamins because many of them come from the same food groups. Alcohol interferes with the body’s absorption of these vitamins. Elderly people are at risk for vitamin B deficiencies because they often have inadequate diets, and prescribed medications may interfere with B-vitamin absorption.

General toxicity of vitamin B
Because the B vitamins are water soluble and eliminated in the urine, toxic reactions from oral administration of most B vitamins are extremely rare, the exceptions being niacin and B6. (For specific adverse reactions from deficiencies or high dosage levels, see individual discussions of B vitamins, below.) It should be noted that B15 (pangamic acid) and B17 (laetrile) are neither vitamins nor nutrients. These are chemicals that are highly dangerous and have no proven nutritional or other value.

Deficiencies and toxicity of vitamin B1
Thiamin is essential for converting blood sugar into energy and is involved in metabolic activities in the nerves, heart and muscles, and in the production of red blood cells. Thiamin is found in almost all foods, but the best source is pork. Good sources of thiamin include dried fortified cereals, oatmeal, corn, nuts, cauliflower and sunflower seeds. Recommended RDA is 1.2 mg per day for men and 1.1 mg for women. Thiamin supplements for people with normal diets and good health are unnecessary. Severe vitamin B1 deficiency, known as beriberi, is rare in the US but can occur in alcoholics, in severely malnourished people, or in people who receive long-term dialysis or intravenous feeding. Symptoms may include visual disturbances, paralysis, staggering, loss of sensation in the legs and feet, psychosis and congestive heart failure. No toxic effects have been reported for thiamin.

Deficiencies and toxicity of vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
Like thiamin, riboflavin is important in the production of energy. Some dietary sources are liver, dried fortified cereals and low-fat yogurt. The recommended DRI for adults is 1.7 mg. Deficiencies affect the skin and mucous membranes, which may be seen as cracks on the lips or corners of the mouth, eczema of the face and genitals, a burning sensation on the tongue, or eye irritation. Supplements for people with normal diets and health are unnecessary. Large doses of riboflavin are generally considered to have no toxic effects, but one study has indicated that high consumption of vitamin B2 may increase the risk of stomach cancer. (In the same study, vitamins B1, B3 and B6 were protective.)

Deficiencies and toxicity of vitamin B3 (niacin)
Niacin, also known as nicotinic acid, helps break down blood sugar for energy and also acts as a vasodilator, which means it widens blood vessels and increases blood flow. Dietary sources are mackerel, swordfish, chicken, veal, fortified dry cereals, pork, salmon, and beef liver. Current DRI recommendations are 20 mg. Niacin may be prescribed to improve cholesterol levels, but supplements are unnecessary in people with normal health and diets. A deficiency of niacin causes pellagra, a chronic disease that can cause eczema, intestinal and stomach distress, depression, headache, thinning of the hair and excess saliva production. Anemia may occur, although this is probably due to an accompanying deficiency in folic acid. Even mildly high doses of niacin can cause hot flushing of the face and shoulders, headache, itchiness and stomach problems. Some individuals have reported heart disturbances and temporarily lowered blood pressure. Large doses may produce ulcers, gout, diabetes and liver damage, which are usually reversed when high doses are discontinued.

Deficiencies and toxicity of vitamin B5
Pantothenic acid, as with many B vitamins, is involved in metabolism of fats, carbohydrates and proteins, as well as in production of steroid hormones and other important chemicals. Dietary sources are whole grains, beans, milk, eggs and liver. Recommended adequate intake (AI) is 4 to 7 mg. Supplements are unnecessary in people with normal health and diets. Deficiency is unlikely unless there are also other B-vitamin deficiencies. Symptoms of B5 deficiency include abdominal distress, a burning sensation in the heels, and sleep problems. Although no toxicity has been reported in humans, high doses have caused liver damage in rats.

Deficiencies and toxicity of vitamin B6
Vitamin B6, or pyridoxine, affects over 60 proteins in the body; most importantly, those that play a role in the nervous system, in red and white blood cell production and in heart disease. Food sources of B6 are meats, oily fish, poultry, whole grains, fortified dry cereals, soybeans, avocados, baked potatoes with skins, watermelon, plantains, bananas, peanuts and brewer’s yeast. Current DRI recommendations are 2 mg in all adults, although for heart protection some experts recommend 3 to 6 mg. Deficiencies are very uncommon but can cause skin problems and nervous system disorders, including impaired memory and concentration. B6 deficiency may also increase risk of kidney stones. In rare cases, infants are born unable to metabolize. In such cases seizures or convulsions can occur, and vitamin B6 must be administered. Deficiency is associated with increased levels of the chemical homocysteine, which has been associated with heart disease, birth defects and possibly Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables may reduce homocysteine levels. Very high doses (2000 mg per day) can cause nerve damage with symptoms of instability and numbness in the feet and hands, which may be permanent in some cases. An excess of B6 also reduces the effects of L-dopa, the drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Deficiencies and toxicity of vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 is essential for the production of blood cells, manufacturing genetic material and for healthy functioning of the nervous system. The only natural dietary sources of B12 are animal products, meats, dairy products, eggs and fish (clams and oily fish are very high in B12), but as with other B vitamins, B12 is added to commercial dry cereals. The RDA is 2.4 mcg a day. Deficiencies are rare in young people, although the elderly may have trouble absorbing natural vitamin B12 and may require synthetic forms from supplements and fortified foods. Symptoms of mild vitamin B12 deficiency include memory loss, instability, disorientation, decreased reflexes and possibly hearing loss. Deficiencies also elevate homocysteine (see Vitamin B6, above). When vitamin B12 deficiencies are due to lack of a protein known as gastric intrinsic factor (a genetic defect), pernicious anemia can develop. This serious disorder must be treated with injections of vitamin B12 to avoid neurologic damage.

Vitamin A Fact Sheet

Vitamin A is part of a group of compounds called retinoids and is essential for growth, bone development, night vision, reproduction and healthy skin. It is present in animal products (such as liver), dairy products, eggs and fish liver oil, and is also converted from carotenoids, which are found in dark red, green, and yellow vegetables. Vitamin A is best absorbed when taken with a meal that includes dietary fat.

Average DRI is 875 mcg. Supplements are rarely recommended for people with normal diets because there is risk of toxicity.

Deficiencies of vitamin A
Deficiencies of vitamin A can cause skin disorders and eye damage. In less-developed countries severe deficiencies cause blindness in 250,000 children each year. Diets low in vitamin A may also increase the risk of developing cancer. Deficiencies in the US are rare but can result from inadequate diets (usually in preschool children) or in women who are pregnant or breast-feeding; from intestinal disorders, such as cystic fibrosis, steatorrhea (excessive fat in the stool) and biliary obstruction; from hyperthyroidism; and from cirrhosis of the liver and other liver diseases.

Toxicity of vitamin A
Vitamin A can be very toxic when taken in high-dose supplements for long periods of time. Almost every part of the body can be affected, including eyes, bones, blood, skin, central nervous system, liver, and genital and urinary tracts. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, vomiting, headache, skin damage, mental disturbances and, in women, infrequent periods. Severe toxicity can cause blindness and may even be life threatening. Liver damage can occur in children who take RDA-approved adult levels over prolonged periods of time, or in adults who take vitamin A in excess (as little as five times the RDA-approved amount). In children, chronic overdose can cause fluid on the brain in addition to other typical symptoms. Pregnant women who increase their intake of vitamin A are at risk for birth defects in their babies. High consumption may also increase a woman’s risk of gastric cancer, osteoporosis and bone fractures.

Although supplements can do us a world of good, remember that just because a product calls itself a vitamin or supplement, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you. Synthetic vitamins can actually be dangerous, so it’s important to be educated about them.

Junk Food Addiction may be Clue to Obesity: Study

Bingeing on high-calorie foods may be as addictive as cocaine or nicotine, and could cause compulsive eating and obesity, according to a study published on Sunday.

The findings in a study of animals cannot be directly applied to human obesity, but may help in understanding the condition and in developing therapies to treat it, researchers wrote in the journal "Nature Neuroscience."

The study, involving rats, found that overconsumption of high-calorie food can trigger addiction-like responses in the brain and that high-calorie food can turn rats into compulsive eaters in a laboratory setting, the article said.

The scientists also found decreased levels of a specific dopamine receptor -- a brain chemical that allows a feeling of reward -- in overweight rats, as has been reported in humans addicted to drugs, the article said.

"Obesity may be a form of compulsive eating. Other treatments in development for other forms of compulsion, for example drug addiction, may be very useful for the treatment of obesity," researcher Paul Kenny of The Scripps Research Institute in Florida said in a telephone interview.

Obesity-related diseases cost the United States an estimated $150 billion each year, according to U.S. federal agencies. An estimated two-thirds of American adults and one-third of children are obese or overweight.

For the study, Kenny and colleagues headed to the grocery store.

"We basically bought all of the stuff that people really like -- Ding-Dongs, cheesecake, bacon, sausage, the stuff that you enjoy, but you really shouldn't eat too often," he said.

They also bought healthy foods and devised a diet plan for three groups of rats.

One group ate a balanced healthy diet. Another group received healthy food, but had access to high-calorie food for one hour a day. Rats in the third group were fed healthy meals and given unlimited access to high-calorie foods.

The rats in the third group developed a preference for the high-calorie food, munched on it all day and quickly became obese, Kenny said.

The rats in the experiment had also been trained to expect a minor shock when exposed to a light. But when the rats that had unlimited access to high-calorie food were shown the light, they did not respond to the potential danger, Kenny said. Instead, they continued to eat their snacks.

"What we're seeing in our animals is very similar to what you'd see in humans who overindulge," he said. "It seemed that it was okay, from what we could tell, to enjoy snack foods, but if you repeatedly overindulge, that's where the problem comes in."

(article by JoAnne Allen)

Difference Between a Cold and the Flu

There is a difference between a cold and the flu. Both affect the health and mindset of individuals yet colds have milder symptoms than the flu. They both start with cold weather when the temperatures change drastically.

The flu is contagious and spreads easier than the flu. Whereas the cold is not contagious. The flu creates the achiness with fever and chills in some cases. It affects the entire body versus the cold being concentrated in the head or nose. Colds start out generally as an irritation in the nose or with a sore throat. Congestion appears within a few days as the virus spreads in the body. The flu starts without any warnings proceeding to a fever resulting the body aches and feelings of exhaustion.

The cold leaves the individual with a sore throat and runny nose that appears after a few days as the virus progresses. The fever associated with the cold is lower than with the flu that may go as high as 101 degrees. The flu causes sore or stiff muscles. The cold symptoms are concentrated in the throat and nose versus the flu having all over body aches.

The flu suffers have their stomachs affected resulting in nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea and are generally harsher in younger children. The cold does not have these symptoms.

The energy levels of the flu suffer is lower and effects their daily performances, leaving the individuals feeling exhausted. The cold lowers the energy levels yet not as drastic as the flu. People with colds are tired due to their bodies fighting the cold virus yet they generally can still function in most areas of their life.

Colds can last for several weeks being more of an irritant to the individuals compared to the flu suffers that are usually sick for a few days and cannot function if the flu is severe. The flu takes longer to recover from taking up to two weeks to fully recover from the virus within the body.

The cold suffers will gradually recover from their colds as the symptoms lessen into a cough and reduced runny noses and sore throat. Most individuals experience a gradual relief with lessens symptoms as time passes.

The flu suffers can have an extreme case of the flu one day yet the next day not have any symptoms other than a small amount of fatigue. They still take about a week to fully recover yet do not have the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. They will sometimes feel weak for several days after the flu reached its full capacity.

The cold in comparison to the flu is less strenuous on the body even though the symptoms last longer. The flu is harder since the symptoms ravage the body causing the body to take longer to recover.

(article by Stan Tian)