Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Migraines are thought of as normal neurological functions interspersed with episodes of headaches. At least 20% of migraineurs meeting the International Headache Society criteria have changed the pattern from episodes of migraine into patterns of chronic headache. Chronic headache often does not return to normal neurological function. This evolving process from episodic headache to chronic headache is called transformation. In the population segment of chronic daily headache, migraine appears to be a progressive neurological disease. The decline of normal neurological function between episodes of migraine greatly exacerbates the migraine syndrome.
Transformation is a process that occurs usually over years. Usually the migraineur starts off having acute episodic migraines. As someone continues to have migraines over time, the pain can occur more often and start merging together with a mixed headache pattern of lower severity migraines intermingled with more severe episodes. The mixed headache pattern can further transform into chronic daily headache. These transformed headaches can be caused by rebound phenomenon or can happen by reasons that are not fully understood at the present time.
A threshold can refer to a horizontal piece of building material beneath a doorway or window, but the meaning is different in medical jargon. Threshold refers to the point at which stimulus or stimuli are of sufficient intensity to produce an effect. The threshold for migraines can be lowered (migraines may happen more easily) by having repeated migraines. Facilitation or kindling describe this phenomenon. Migraines make the sensitive body more sensitive. In other words, migraines breed migraines. The lower threshold for migraines is made easier as though kindling were put on a fire. Uncontrolled migraines not only cause more migraines but eventually cause transformed migraines. A severe stimulus, injury, illness, or stress can provoke the nervous system to generate uncontrolled migraines. The migraine pain changes over time. This change is called transformation. You can imagine one of your kid's transformers changing from a robot to a plane or car, but can you imagine your migraines changing from a more classic presentation to chronic neck pain, sinus pain, or constant headache. Well believe it or not, over time migraines do transform. Usually a decade or more is necessary for transformation of episodic to chronic migraine. One of the sincere goals of my new book, Doctor, Why Do I Feel This Way?, is to prevent transformation in migraineurs who have not reached this stage.
An example of severe stimulus is smoking. The trigeminal nerve (sensation of the face) and the cervical (neck) nerves are adjacent to each other in the brain stem (the base of the brain). What affects one affects the other. Migraineurs who smoke usually will develop neck problems. It is absolutely essential for the migraineur who smokes to abstain! Smoke is a smell. The sensitivity to the smell is the problem! Also secondhand smoke, perfumes, and severe allergies are major problems. Neck pain can be debilitating and frustrating. The migraineur with neckaches can develop extreme sensitivity to stress and after years will frequently develop fibromyalgia. To find out more, go to http://www.migrainesyndrome.net.
J. Wes Tanner, MD is a family practice and headache specialist who has been treating people for about 30 years. He has extensive experience in treating migraines and fibromyalgia with excellent success. In Doctor, Why Do I Feel This Way?, Dr. Tanner exposes the secrets and myths about fibromyalgia and the migraine syndrome. To find out more, go to href="http://www.migrainesyndrome.net">http://www.migrainesyndrome.net.
Menopause and Concentration
Menopause can adversely affect your ability to concentrate. It may become even more difficult to focus than before, you may also feel disorientated and experience a general state of mental confusion that is all-too-common at this mid-life transition.
These symptoms can be further exacerbated for women who have undergone a hysterectomy. Women find themselves often worrying whether or not they have forgotten to turn the iron off, or maybe they frequently forget to turn off the television before departing for work.
Menopause closely correlates with some decline in mental functions such as memory loss and the ability to clearly concentrate. Your ability to recall certain events and the ability to focus is often affected due to crucial hormonal imbalances in your system.
Estrogen regulates many female processes and plays a role in working with the neurotransmitters in the brain, sending signals to and from; in effect estrogen is responsible for maintaining healthy memory. Lost levels of this vital female hormone will quite simply affect your brain's ability to function.
Couple this with the fact that menopausal woman are already undergoing stressful situations with numerous midlife transitions such as aging parents and children leaving home, and often women find themselves in very challenging situations.
Excessive stress can cause forgetfulness and you might feel distracted by the new range of responsibilities you have to face as you move into this next phase of life. Depression and fear over facing issues such as long-term illness, death and living alone can also result in difficulty in focusing, feelings of disorientation and mental confusion.
Remember, your concentration may be affected, but it is not as a result of getting older. It is the result of the hormonal imbalance and that can be helped significantly with natural, bioidentical hormones.
Refrain from smoking and drinking alcohol – both of these can significantly increase menopause symptoms. Consume hormones that speed up bodily processes, like the over-the-counter drug DHEA. DHEA is short for dehydroepiandrosterone and is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands as well as by the brain and the skin, and is the most abundant steroid in the human body.
It has been reported that by the time we reach the age of 80 our DHEA level is only 15% of what it was when we were 25. Researchers say DHEA may prove to protect against cancer and heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol and preventing blood clots.
Recent studies also demonstrate that DHEA improves memory, strengthens the immune system, prevents bone loss and may even protect us from diabetes and autoimmune disease. It has been shown to fight fatigue and depression as well as enhance feelings of well being and increase strength. If all this sounds too good to e true, DHEA has also been reported to alleviate symptoms of menopause, reduce body fat and even enhance libido. Stay tuned for more on DHEA.
About The Author:
Cathy writes frequently on mid-life issues for women and men particularly menopause and andropause. A copy of her book can be found at http://www.howtoconquermenopause.com
FAQ about L-Glutamine
1. What is L-Glutamine and where does L-Glutamine come from?
The extremely popular amino acid L-Glutamine can be found in protein powders, beans, meats, fish, poultry, dairy products, and of course, L-Glutamine supplements from Bodybuilding.com.
2. What does L-Glutamine do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this?
Glutamine is highly in demand throughout the body. It is used in the gut and immune system extensively to maintain optimal performance. 60% of free-form amino acids floating in skeletal muscles is L-glutamine. L-glutamine plays a very important role in protein metabolism, and it appears to be a very important nutrient for body builders. When supplemented, it may help body builders reduce the amount of muscle deterioration that occurs because other tissues that need glutamine will not rob the glutamine stored in the muscle cells.
3. Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency?
Bodybuilders can particularly gain from the intake of glutamine. Since bodybuilders use a lot of their glutamine when working out, they are more susceptible to health related problems, as the immune system relies heavily on this amino acid.
Catabolism or muscle break down can occur if the body robs muscles of glutamine for use elsewhere such as nitrogen transport or maintaining the immune system. Glutamine supplementation is certainly important in keeping muscles building--not deteriorating.
INDICATIONS AND USAGE
Glutamine has been shown to be beneficial when administered in the form of glutamine peptides via TPN in some patients with varying forms of catabolic stress, e.g., some cancer, transplantation, intensive-care, surgical and immune-suppressed patients. Benefits from enteral glutamine supplementation are generally less pronounced, but preliminary significant results have been reported with the use of oral glutamine in very-low-birth-weight infants and in some major trauma patients in whom glutamine seems to strengthen immunity, particularly in the gastrointestinal tract. Glutamine may help protect against some of the side effects of cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
There is little concurring evidence that glutamine is an effective ergogenic aid, but there is some suggestion that it might help protect against exercise-induced immune impairment. Some dated research suggesting that glutamine might help curb alcohol craving has not been followed up. Claims that it helps prevent neurodegenerative disorders or that it modulates mood have not been substantiated.
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