Brief Answer:
Atypical Pain & Migraine Management

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX

Thanks for contacting Ayurveda with your health concern and following is step wise approach and management:

1. weather related headache is often related with two factors:
i. Sinus problem [history of flum & congestion]
PS. flum [phlegm] and congestion might require examination with ENT specialist for sinusitis or any other evaluation/referral [chest specialist]

ii. Migraine [assumption of migraine in history]
PS. A 2004 study conducted at the New England Center for Headache followed 77 migraine patients who kept headache diaries for 2 to 24 months. The headache diary data were compared to National Weather Service data. The most interesting thing about this study was that 63% of migraine sufferers thought they were affected by the weather.The weather factors most likely to influence migraines were temperature and humidity, high or low.

2. changes in sleep pattern can cause headache or make them worse e.g. taking caffeine [tea/coffee] at bed time or if you sleep late at weekend? [sleep gets affected]
3. Avoid factors which precipitate the attacks. e.g. sleeping late, tension, starvation, chocolates, cheese, alcohol, dry food, excessive sex and suppression of natural urges, excess physical/mental exertion.
4.
a. flum/congestion indicates weak immune system: thus diet rich in vitamin C (Citrus fruits) and vitamin E (sunflower seeds, almonds,apricots,peanuts) is/are rich in anti oxidants and thus helps in improvement of Immune System.

b. Ayurveda medicines for Migraine i.e. "ARDHAVBHEDAK" contains bhasma and Ras [mercury] but in purified form, so contact with your local/ experienced Ayurveda Doctor regarding their dosage since adverse affect during continuation phase/pregnancy can be given to the herbs concerned.

5. some of the safe and result oriented medicine which can be given/practiced in Migraine are:
. put 2-3 drops of coconut water into nose.
. apply garlic pod paste on forehead.
. put 4-5 drops of lime juice into opposite side nostril.
6. purified til tail: 280 ml
kapoor-chandan-dalchini: 1o gm each i.e. 9ml
mix all the ingredients and safely put in a bottle: you can use 4-4 drops as massage or put in ears.
. use of cephagraine drops or after inspection which part of head is affected, use of 10 drops of mustard oil in same nostril.[right or left]
. early morning after wash room, eat roasted chana
PS. chana should be well chewed and must be warm
. crush RIPE grapes and drink [don't add water in it]

. Take:
Cereals: wheat
Pulses: Black gram
Fruits & Vegetables: brinjal, mango, pomegranate, grapes [black], garlic, drum stick [shigru]
Others: clarified butter, oil,milk,coconut water,sour vinegar [kanji],sesame
Lifestyle:assage on head, gentle pressing, rest

Avoid:
Cereals: special variety of rice [kodrava,sanvaka]
Pulses: green gram,pigeon pea,peas,chickpea
Fruits & Vegetables: jambu,bitter gourd.
Others: betel nut, excessively heavy food
Life style: excessive exercise, suppression of natural urges,use of uneven bed, night awakening.

7. Prescription medicines which I usually practice is/are: vrihat vaat chintamani ras, mahalaxmi vilaas ras, godanti bhasma, dashmoolarisht, shadbindu tail, cephagraine tablets/drops


PS.
. It is recommended that as a routine one must test the following signs [so kindly have a health checkup, at your nearest Hospital or Clinic] for the following
i. Blood Pressure for Hypertension.
ii. Sinus Tenderness over maxillary & frontal sinuses, and look for any focus of infection in teeth, tonsils & ears.
iii. tenderness on nape of neck or pain on neck movements.
iv. if associated fever, check with neck stiffness.
v. Check eyesight for any refractive error and blood sugar for low glucose in blood.

PS
If there is any neurological sign found by General Physician he may refer you for Neurologist opinion

please revert back with your clarifications for further line of treatment.

Dr. Munish
Naimittika

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Brief Answer:
Overview and ENT/Neurologist Consultation

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX

Thanks for reverting back.

1. Since both sinusitis and migraines have nasal congestion along with headache, [the pain pathway that leads to migraine also activates the Parasympathetic nervous system which leads to runny nose and eyes, which leads many people to believe they have a sinus infection], there are some primary differences in both symptoms and causes:

i. prior to migraine attack one may have period of aura [sensation/feeling of nausea] which is absent in case of sinusitis.
ii. if pain is primary complaint, most often is migraine but if primary symptoms are fever/cough/nasal discharge it could be headache due to sinusitis.
iii. if there is/are aggravating factors for headache like [light/noise/environmental & hormonal changes] it is probably migraine, while sinus headache is not affected. [cold/allergy attacks are aggravating factor for sinusitis]
iv. Chronic sinusitis is never a cause of headaches.
v. If discharge [greenish yellow] is the chief complaint, this is clearly a symptom of sinus, if there are visual disturbances and feels pain pulsating in a particular head portion, these are due to migraine.
vi. Treatment failure may suggest either an alternative diagnosis or multiple conditions occurring at the same time, such as migraine aggravated by sinusitis.

PS. People who have frequent headaches involving the front of their head/face should not only be evaluated by an ENT [for sinusitis] but should also see a neurologist [for possibility of migraine], who might come up with X-ray,CT/MRI brain to exclude/include the possibilities.

Do revert back for concern(s)


Dr. Munish
Naimittika

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Brief Answer:
Accompaniments of Migraine

Detailed Answer:
Dear XXXX

Thanks for reverting back

1. since nasal congestion [autonomic disturbance], visual disturbances are symptoms and too much or too less sleep and weather changes are the trigger for migraine [which are included in your history] thus one can possibly think on the management of Migraine [already described earlier]

2. Today many researchers suspect genetics,at least partially behind migraine, called as [complex polygenetic disorder], depending upon the accompanying neurologic deficit such as hemiplegic migraine,basilar migraine and ophthalmoplegic migraine [i.e. why evaluation with Neurologist is necessary]

PS. The only way you can find out is by process of elimination i.e. identifying triggering factors [diet/lifestyle as described earlier], but are again explained for better understanding:
i. Food items: cheese,dairy products, citrus fruits,chocolates,onions,sea food
ii. Food additives: monosodium glutamate [fast food],aspartame,nitrates,caffeine.
iii. alcohol: red wine,beer
iv. hormonal changes [females]: ovulation,menstruation,pregnancy.
v. physical exertion: excessive exercise,fatigue
vi. Visual stimuli: bright lights,glare
vii. Auditory stimuli: loud noise or music
viii. Olfactory stimuli: pefumes and certain odours
ix. sleep: too much or too little
x. Others: weather change/head/neck trauma,hunger,stress/anxiety.

3. As explained earlier, headache is less prominent in chronic sinusitis, but inflammation and congestion if remain for long time in sinuses results in swelling of the sinus membranes causing blockage to outflow of mucus, thereby abnormal pressure occur inside the sinuses which creates pressure-pain in the forehead or face, between and behind the eyes, or in the cheeks and upper teeth, depending on which sinuses are involved [and false diagnosis of migraine may be established], again examination and evaluation is important.

4. although orange is rich in vitamin C [helps improve immunity] but since citrus fruits are also mentioned in triggering factors for migraine thus avoid them as much as possible.

5. due to presence of protein casein in milk, it metabolize lactose in milk to lactic acid, whereas vitamin C of orange juice is also acid [ascorbic acid], thus when two acid meets they result in 'curdling' leading to perception of mucus production.

PS. Of course, perception is not always supported by research..


Dr. Munish
Naimittika

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