Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common headaches people experience. Pain is experienced on both sides of the head. It usually starts on the back of the head and spreads forward. The pain is usually dull and sometimes radiates to the shoulders and neck. It generally does not get worse with activity.

Causes of Tension Headaches:

• Missing meals
• Stress/anxiety
• Not enough sleep
• Foods such as chocolate and cheese

Know the 4 stages of a migraine attack

While everyone experiences migraine in different ways, there are 4 general symptom stages of a migraine attack. Learning to recognize these stages can help you understand what to expect. Migraine is a true organic neurological disease. A Migraine is caused when a physiological (not psychological) trigger(s) cause vasodilatation in the blood vessels of the head, which causes nerve endings to release chemical substances called neurotransmitters, of which the neurotransmitter serotonin is an important factor in the development of Migraine.

Stage 1: Pre-headache (also called Pro-drome)

Pre-headache symptoms often begin hours or days before migraine headache pain. These symptoms may include the following.

• Fatigue or other changes in behavior
• Mood changes
• Food cravings
• Gastrointestinal problems
• Sensitivity to light or sound

What you can do

• Reduce stress
• Prepare a plan of action

Stage 2: Migraine aura

Aura typically begins 20 to 60 minutes before the headache phase (stage 3) and usually fades before the headache begins. Sufferers may experience visual symptoms, such as seeing:

• Flashing lights
• Zigzag lines
• Blank spots before their eyes

What you can do

• Implement your plan of action and inform family, friends, and coworkers of that plan
• Find a quiet, dark room in which to relax

Stage 3: Migraine headache

This stage involves intense head pain that may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light (also called photophobia), and sensitivity to sound (also called phonophobia).

• The pain can last anywhere from several hours to as long as several days
• The pain may be on one or both sides of the head

What you can do

• Keep your medication handy
• Avoid unnecessary activity
• Find a quiet, dark room in which to relax

Stage 4: Post-headache (also called Post-drome)

The period following the headache. Some sufferers may experience 1 or more of the following symptoms:

• Tiredness
• Head pain
• Cognitive (mental) difficulties
• Hungover/hangover feeling
• Gastrointestinal symptoms

What you can do

• Make notes about your migraine attack and possible triggers
• Review your migraine plan of action and make any necessary adjustments
• Thank the people who helped you while your migraine headache was at its worst
• Keep your Flanax Pain Reliever Tablets handy in case the migraine headache returns

The following Migraine Trigger Chart provides a helpful list of some common migraine triggers.

Common Potential Migraine Triggers

Lifestyle	Food	Physical	Environmental
Emotional stress	Chocolate	Menstrual cycle or other hormonal changes	Weather or seasonal changes
Depression	Nuts, peanut butter		Travel through different time zones
Too little sleep, or changes in sleep	Cheese, yogurt, sour cream		Odors or pollution
Exercise or overactivity	Red wine or other alcoholic drinks		Bright light
Skipping meals/fasting	Processed meats
	Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
	Coffee in excess

People who do not suffer from migraine headaches can’t understand the pain and incapacitation that a migraine sufferer endures during a migraine attack. The problem is worse when the migraine person has a migraine at work there is little one can do other than have a sympathetic or enlightened supervisor and coworkers. Most employers will allow the migraine sufferer to go home and wait for the attack to stop.

However depending on the migraine/headache frequency some employers may not be as accommodating. Belmora LLC offers a guideline below of how to manage your headaches/migraines so you are not in jeopardy of being fired and can find a path so that your headaches are not an obstacle to your career progression within your work organizations.

Dealing with your Insecurity at Work

The first step is understanding the company culture which you work within. Some companies allow their workers to work from home, work flexible schedules, and/or telework. Other companies and occupations such as the retail environment, manufacturers, and those in the restaurant/hotel industry do not have that flexibility. For the migraine sufferer working for companies and/or industries whose culture is not as flexible, the migraine sufferer may endure more anxiety than their co-workers due to the fear of having a migraine attack during work. This may be leading to irregular sleeping/eating habits which can be both confining and anxiety provoking.

In addition, the Migraine sufferer may be overly sensitive to perceptions of not working enough (because of time lost during headaches) and may compensate by feeling constantly pressured to work harder and do more — even if his or her work is comparable or better in both quality and quantity, to that of others. A nagging sense of not accomplishing enough can cause perpetual stress that can further aggravate headaches.

Sometimes migraine sufferers may limit their career potential at work by not applying for higher positions within their company due to the fear of their migraines/headaches that may develop when such person is challenged with a more demanding job. If you are one of these people, and you are at a job that is below your capabilities, you may experience frustration and discontent, reduced job satisfaction, reduced organizational commitment, increased job searching behavior.

It may benefit you to talk to your supervisor/manager and inform them of your migraine/headache attacks. This may provide you with the benefit of not having anxiety of developing a migraine/headache since your boss has been informed by you and is aware when you do develop a migraine/headache. Also your boss may see you as a stronger worker since your boss sees you performing the same duties as your co-workers knowing that you do suffer from migraines/headaches.

Social Anxiety

Some people with migraines/headaches also avoid social situations with friends and/or family. This may limit the social network of the migraine sufferer and as a result deprive the migraine sufferer of social fulfillment.

Migraine sufferers may avoid social situations because; a) they want to avoid drinking alcohol because they trigger his/her headaches, b) they avoid bars/parties because the cigarette smoke may also trigger his/her headaches, c) they want to avoid late night partying because he/she has found that irregular sleep hours trigger headaches, and d) they avoid very long meetings or long-distance travel because he/she has found that missing meals may also trigger his/her headaches.

You are not alone, there are many reasons why people avoid social certain social situations. Women with small children, religious people, conservative people, others with disabilities or medical issues, and even the obese and unattractive all feel victimized by the inability to fully participate in their social network available to them.

Again we encourage those with migraines to not let your migraines/headaches control your life. Let your friends and family know you suffer from migraines/headaches and that certain “triggers” may cause you to develop a migraine. Your friends/family will help you by undertaking social activities that lack your migraine/headache “triggers”.

Not letting your Migraines/Headaches Stop you in Life

No single solution will work for all Migraine sufferers as each person’s headache experience (in terms of frequency, duration and severity) and employment situation will be different. Here are some general ideas that may be helpful, depending on one’s situation.

1. Understand your migraines/headaches

Learn the stages of the migraine/headache as we have provided you on our website. Try to log your migraine/headache attacks to determine if you have “triggers” that trigger your migraine/headache attack.

2. Don’t be critical of yourself

Migraines/headaches are a disease state and your friends, family, co-workers will understand this if you tell these people of your condition. They should support you should you develop an attack and help you avoid your “triggers”.

3. Seek a Better Fit, if Needed

Finding jobs, occupations, and social networks that will reduce your exposure to migraine “triggers” will lower your stress and anxiey of developing an attack and will help you better cope with your migraines/headaches.

4. Have your Flanax Pain Reliever Tablets Nearby

Knowing that you have an analgesic that is effective in stopping the migraine/headache should provide comfort that if you do develop an attack you can simply take your Flanax Pain Reliever Tablets. Flanax Pain Reliever tablets last longer than other analgesics so you can feel confident that your pain relief will be longer lasting helping you get back to your routine quicker.

5. Treat Early!

It is very important to start taking your Flanax Pain Reliever Tablets at the first sign you experience of having a migraine/headache. Taking two Flanax Pain Reliever Tablets in your prodromal/preheadache phase will be most effective. Then take another Flanax Pain Reliever Tablet 1 hour later if you still don’t have effective migraine/headache relief.

Cluster headaches occur on one side of the head and include tearing and a stuffy noise. These headaches occur repeatedly every day at the same time for several weeks and then go away.

A cluster headache begins with a severe, sudden headache. It usually strikes 2 to 3 hours after falling asleep, usually on the REM stage. The pain occurs on one side of the head and it may be described as:

• Burning
• Sharp
• Steady

The pain may occur in, and around, one eye. It may:

• Involve one side of the face from neck to temples
• Get worse quickly, peaking within a 5 to 10 minute period

The most intense pain may last 30 minutes to 2 hours.

When the pain takes place on on side of the head, the eye and nose may be affected as well. Symptoms can include:

• Swelling under, or around, the eye (may affect both eyes)
• Excessive tearing
• Red eye
• Rhinorrhea (runny nose) or one-sided stuffy nose (same side as the head pain)
• Red, flushed face

Cluster headaches may occur daily for months, alternating with periods where no headaches occur (episodic), or they can recur for a year or more without stopping (chronic).

Sinus headaches cause pain in the front of your head and face. They are due to inflammation in the sinus passages that lie behind the cheeks, nose, and eyes. The pain tends to be worse when you bend forward and when you first wake up in the morning. Runny nose, sore throat, and nasal congestion usually accompany these headaches.

Headache Treatment

Flanax Pain Reliever tablets can stop the pain from headaches.

Consult your doctor before undertaking any treatment. The goal of headache treatment is to identify the causes or triggers in order to avoid them.