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Migraine Leading To Ailments of the Heart

Many of you might not know but the truth is this- if you are a migraine patient then chances of a stroke or a cardiovascular disease might shoot up to three times. And all thanks to the pills you are taking for migraine.

The anti-inflammatory medicines prescribed for migraine patient contains such drugs that increase risk of blood clotting which ultimately results in heart failure or other cardiovascular ailments. 

Recently, Migraine Awareness Week was launched that led to clarifications about this neuropsychological ailment. The awareness related to migraine is deeply needed as one in every seven persons is suffering from this hapless disease. Migraine is usually identified with visible symptoms like disability in adjusting to new atmosphere,  discomfort in certain situations,  absenteeism or loss of attention among other factors. Headaches are secondary level of migraine where temple region feels boiling.  Headache may spring up to unbearable level for which pills and therapies are needed to keep the temper controlled.

The problem with migraine is that it is not like normal headache that subsides with pills.  The pain is similar to tension type migraine where one side of the head or both sides may feel throttled. Those who have migraine complain of nausea,  vomiting, intolerance to loud sounds and trouble in sleeping.

The factors that lead to migraine start from an unhealthy diet. This is followed by lack of exercise or any physical activity in general leading to debility. As a result,  insomnia develops and when adequate sleep is not met, stress and with time, migraine develops.  It is thus categorised as a neurological disorder whereby it can attack anyone, be it men or women.

According to Dr. Girish Navasundi, Senior Consultant Cardiologist,  Apollo Hospitals, Bengaluru,  higher order migraines where people hallucinate and certain aura is developed certainty leads to problems of the heart as patients are subjected to heavy doses of anti inflammatory pills. NSAIDs (Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs) increase risk of having heart attack or stroke. Medicines like Ibuprofen and Naproxen should be avoided. 1 in 4 people suffering from migraine develop an aura. This includes vision with blind spots, flashing lights and blurred and wavy light in vision. Sensing blackout while in the sunlight for a long time might also be a symptom. These are just an indication of a strong headache and mark the arrival of a shooting pain in temple region. 

Migraine with aura may hinder one's ability to read and drive. Some people lose a part of their vision called hemianopsia.

One kind is classified as retinal migraine where a variety of visual symptoms are identified. Patient of this category may experience difficulty in speech and comprehension, language disturbances and slight motor problems. In this type of migraine, possible blindness of one eye before and after headache is observed.  According to Dr. Amol Naik,  Regional Head, Medical Services,  Dr Agarwal's Eye Hospital Bengaluru, medicines can be of help but permanent vision loss is one of the complication of this migraine type.

The complications do disappear by bringing significant change in lifestyle, including nutrition rich diet and medication therapies.  Treating migraine with Botox is seen as a new way of curing this neuro disorder. Refractory migraine (vision related migraine)  does not respond to drugs but can be treated by Botox. This method also keeps the pain away for a long time and does not cause any neuro or visionary disorder. 

“ It is better to have a local medicine injected to the face muscle than to treat it with super speciality drugs that cause further deterioration of the vision”,  says Dr. Debraj Shome,  Director, Facial Plastic Surgeon and Botox Expert, The Esthetic Clinic.  

The most common reason for this sudden surge in migraine patients is sleep deprivation and irregular diet habits. Migraine is nothing but excessive production of chemicals and neurotransmitters in the blood vessel of the brain. Such a person is usually hyperactive and very attentive. Urban population especially seems to be the main trigger as they are awake late at night and indulge in excessive mobile usage. Youth working at MNCs tend to do night shifts that hampers the natural sleep pattern. This causes a number of gastrointestinal problems and headaches. Also, ageing population suffers from migraine and become susceptible to heart ailments. 

According to Dr. Rajesh B Iyer,  Senior Consultant Neurologist and Epileptologist, Vikram Hospital, Bengaluru, practice of yoga, 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep, on time and healthy meals,  staying hydrated and avoiding bright sunlight are some points to be noted for migraine patients to lead a happy and stress-free lifestyle. Also, to get a good night's sleep, a walk at twilight, light meal at night, avoiding heavy literature reading before going to bed and avoiding day time naps seems to do the trick. 

Doctors Find a Link Between Exercising and Remembering 

Doctors Find a Link Between Exercising and Remembering 

Do you remember what you learn?  Maybe exercising could be of help.  Researchers from UNSW have found a link to exercising and remembering.  The study shows that exercising immediately after learning may help you to remember well. 

The research was carried out based on conducting 4 experiments with 265 participants. Some of them performed 5 minute or light aerobic exercise after learning and some did none of it. The results varied between experiments but those who remembered well what they learnt were the ones who did physical activity after learning. They remembered the material well and retained it for a longer time

The research was published in the online journal, ‘Cognitive Research:  Principles and Implications’.  Surprisingly, the participants who remembered well were women only and no man showed any of these signs in any of the experiments. The author of the study, Dr. Steven Most,  School of Psychology, UNSW, says that either it was because of gender difference or experiment conditions due to which women fared better than men.

From the study, it is evident that exercising should be involved in schools and even nursing homes so that memory can be retained better in students. Learning and remembering is a crucial part of children and adolescents and helps them grow and nurture in a positive way. Some schools cut short the recess to include more time for studies whereas exercising is the key to boost the student's memory power. Following points can be inculcated to widen a student's learning capacity:

• Intermittent breaks should be included during the school hours for the students so that they break a leg and remember well what they learnt earlier

• This will not only help them remember well but also refreshen their mind and mobilize their body

• If the children can take a break while studying, they can also study when they play. Giving them something to learn while they are on their game can help them grasp more

• Exercises like yoga or aerobics should be included in their daily routine to make their mind and body hale and hearty.