The opinions sprinkled throughout this document are coming from a vegetarian viewpoint. If you like your meat, by all means, enjoy it for the summer.

In the “dog days” of summer, not many of us like to cook, or be in a hot kitchen. And most cooked food tends to be on the heavy side—not good for a hot summer day. There are the typical summer foods such as salads, fruit, and sandwiches. Are there any other summer foods that do not involve meat? What about planning a menu around these great summer foods? And is there a lower calorie, higher satisfying meal plan? Never fear—the Summer Weight Loss Menu Planner is here!

The typical American summer picnic meal usually consists of some type of meat, starch, and maybe a vegetable if you’re lucky. Or maybe, if you are really lucky, some fruit as well. And then, we also can’t forget the pop, cookies, pies, etc. Oh, and the ice cream! Summer is famous for ice cream! Which, by the way, is my favorite dessert. What if I told you that you could have your ice cream, and enjoy fewer calories? Or, that you can have your hot dog with fewer calories?? Would that be a blessing in disguise? Read on, and you will learn different substitutes for your favorite foods, and you can save half the calories.

Veggie hot dogs have become a little more popular in the last few years, and there are some that taste great, and others that you can use as a mini baseball bat. First of all, let’s just look at the calories of a chicken hot-dog (the healthy alternative to pork or beef, right?) versus a vegetarian hot dog. One chicken hot dog has 120 calories. Not bad, compared to the other hot dogs, right? Not really, when you consider that one vegetarian hot dog contains only 40 calories. (This depends on the brand you buy, but they are generally around the same amount.) This may something to think about when you are planning your picnic meal.

Then, let’s look at the different brands of hot dogs. Morningstar Farms makes a variety of vegetarian alternatives, which are great tasting, and healthy. However, their hot dogs are less than desirable. When heated, they are okay; but when they cool down, they have the consistency of plastic. Not a very good alternative when you are trying to make the switch from meat to meat alternatives. There are other brands that taste better, including Super Links and Big Franks made by Worthington and Loma Linda. These brands are a little hard to find in a regular store, but there is a web site that carries these products, and more! http://www.nomeat.com carries a wide variety of products and brands, including the brands you see in the stores. They also have a recipe section where you can find recipes in which you can use the products you buy there.

So, you have a place to buy your vegetarian alternatives to meat; now what do you serve with them? Most people like to serve potato salad, macaroni salad, etc. Or you can have more food for fewer calories if you choose fruit. Most of us like fruit, so this is not a big switch. If you like potato salad, go ahead and have some. The point to this? Use fruit, with all of its fiber, to fill you up, and have a little taste of the higher calorie foods. Any fruit would be fine for weight loss, and summer is the prime season for the best tasting fruit.

So what about dessert? Most everyone knows that frozen yogurt has less calories than ice cream. What if you are cutting out all dairy products? You can still have your frozen dessert treats, if you choose a tofu-based treat. But isn’t tofu a main dish sort of thing? As I have touched in another article, tofu is a blank slate, and does not have any flavor before it is worked with. Tofu can be made into cheesecakes, ice creams, puddings, etc. It truly is a versatile food. Tofutti makes excellent ice cream! I just recently began buying that instead of the dairy ice cream, and it has even passed a picky eater’s approval–my kids!

You can also make your own cakes and cookies without all the extra fat and calories. How, you ask? Well, take a look at your favorite cookie or cake recipe. Do you notice the eggs and hard fats? Take out many calories and unhealthful items in there and replace them with lower calorie, healthier alternatives. If you are wondering what you can replace them with, I will show you in future recipes and articles. (Don’t forget to look for more vegetarian, lower calorie recipes coming soon in a paid report!) One alternative you can use right now is egg substitutes, such as Egg Beaters. They have the same properties as eggs, but have only 30 calories per serving. So all you are adding to your recipes with egg replacers may be 60 calories at the most. As far as the butter, you can make your own nut butters, or coconut butter, and save yourself some calories. You can even you more flour and water.

There are just a few suggestions in this article. But, if you look around and keep your options open, I am sure that you can come up with even more appetizing suggestions for me.

I will never forget that phone call, the moment is frozen in my mind. It was the pediatrician, the doctor himself, and not the nurse. “The nurse always calls with test results,” I thought to myself, “this is not good.”

“Well,” he said, “it looks like the EEG is showing some seizures.” I tried to wrap my mind around the concept. I knew nothing of seizures at the time, had known only a few epileptics and, though I knew what to do for someone during a seizure, I was unable to grasp the concept that my child had this terrible disorder.

“Is it epilepsy?” I asked, feeling like an idiot, like I should know more on the subject somehow.

“Yes,” he said, hesitating a bit. “We need to start him on tegretol…” And that was the beginning. Little did I know just how much our lives would now change.

It had started about six months earlier, when our perfect little boy, then about two years old, suddenly started speaking less and losing words in his vocabulary. I was pregnant at the time with our second son, so we thought for a while it might be jealousy. It eventually became apparent that this was not the case. As we began evaluations to get him into speech therapy, his preschool teacher noticed him staring oddly, then resuming his activity. It was recommended we have him evaluated for seizures.

Ridiculous as I thought it was at the time, we agreed and began the process, seeing the neurologist a few weeks later. He asked all the right questions, honing in on exactly what was wrong. As we walked to the parking lot, I looked at my husband, Ron, and said, “He knows exactly what is going on with Rob. He just cannot say without the right tests.” About a week later, we prepared for the EEG: keeping Robbie up all night so he would sleep the next morning. Little did we know at the time that this would become a yearly ritual.

The EEG went smoothly, the tech did not believe he saw any seizures, “But the doctor will need to review the tape,” he told us. Just being official, I thought at the time, nothing to worry about. But then that call came. It was seizures, and a lot of them.

Rob was having absence seizures, once called petit mal. He would stare off into space for a few seconds and then pick-up and carry on as if nothing had happened. As often as he was doing this, perhaps hundreds of times a day, he was missing out on important stimuli. Our pediatrician once described it as flipping channels on the TV, never getting to watch an entire show and not being able to know what is going on around him. We noticed some odd behaviors starting, repetitious actions, as to be able to make his world predictable so when he “ checked out” he would be able to deal with his surroundings when he came back. He withdrew socially and started having tantrums more often. This is not uncommon in children who have communication disorders. It becomes very frustrating to try to get across the simplest need or want, and they act out of that frustration. Robbie had lost his speech, perhaps because his brain was trying to deal with the world checking out every few minutes. We had thought of Landau Kleffner Syndrome, another seizure disorder, as his symptoms were almost classic for it. His seizure type and location of the seizures did not fit the profile, however, so this was ruled out.

For months, we went to the doctor every few weeks to measure Robbie’s medication levels and make sure that his liver function was not being affected by his meds. As his medication began to work, it became every few months. He started a preschool program for special needs children and began to receive intense speech therapy. In the mean time, I began to pour over every book I could find on the subject, I researched epilepsy as best I could at the local library. Not having the advantage of the Internet at the time, my library was limited, but I was able to find out about epilepsy and absence seizures.Along with the technical aspects of epilepsy, I learned much more from Robbie himself. First, I learned to treat him like any other child. If a child is never pushed a little, there will be no need from him or her to try to improve. I also learned, no matter what the “experts” say, don’t give up hope. A child’s value is not dictated by IQ, there is much more and every child has potential. Mostly, I learned patience. Not with Robbie, per se, but with epilepsy. Nothing will work overnight, the brain and body need time to heal and grow. All we can do is make sure the child get the therapy and medicine that is needed, and sit back and wait.

We have been very lucky. Robbie’s seizures were very easily controlled with tegretol and, after three years of drug therapy, we were able to successfully wean him from his medication. He still is behind in speech and some learning issues, almost exactly two years behind, as if he had to start all over again when the seizures began. I still worry, I think I always will. Will he fall sometime, bump his head, and begin having seizures again? Will hormones during puberty bring them on again? Only time will answer these questions, in the mean time, I do not let these thoughts consume me. I do mourn a bit for the carefree childhood he has lost, but I really think what he has had to endure will make him stronger. I have gone on to share our experiences, as I am doing now, to help others realize they are not alone, as I once felt.

And Robbie? Well, I am not sure he really understands what has happened to him, but I know he does realize he is different somehow. He is growing more social again and the odd behaviors we once saw are fading. I hope one day to have a normally functioning son. Though his IQ tests out quite low, I know he is a bright boy, and, more importantly, a sweet and loving child without a mean bone in his body (though I doubt his little brothers would agree). And he is still our perfect little boy.

Parenting a child with epilepsy, whether the child has developmental problems or not, means having to accept the child for what he or she is and loving them unconditionally. It means accepting life in and out of doctor’s offices, clinics, and hospitals. Rejoice in small steps and don’t let the setbacks discourage you. In the end, all that can be seen is a wonderful gift of a child.

Pain and inflammation are caused by torn muscles and you can get some relief from these by taking Tylenol or ibuprofen. If the pain is so severe that it restricts your activity, it may be better to see your physician as he can give you a prescription for anti-inflammatory or pain medicines that work better than over-the-counter ones do. You can forgo a doctor’s visit by taking the generic, anti-inflammatory medication called Naproxen, as this will help reduce the swelling and inflammation. It may also help to take aspirin or Tylenol from the pharmacy before seeing the doctor, but see your doctor if it doesn’t.

Visit your physician if your muscle is torn so that he can give you a muscle relaxant that will help. The muscle relaxer medicine won’t usually make the inflammation cease, but it might assist in relaxing the torn muscle, resulting in faster healing. You can help the healing process by taking a muscle relaxer, as this will increase blood flow and oxygen to the area and decrease the swelling and stiffness. If you cannot sleep or engage in limited activity because of the pain, a muscle relaxant can help but you will need to get it by prescription from your doctor. The effects of many prescriptions is a relaxation of the muscles so it is wise to forgo driving or operating any machinery as you may get dizzy or tired while doing so.

If your muscles are torn, try using alternating ice and heat applied to the area, as this may give some relief. As soon as you know that you have torn your muscle, it is wise to alternate ice and heat therapies and continue with this for several consecutive days. Recommendations for using ice are to apply it several times daily for 20 minutes each time. The rule for using ice therapy is 20 minutes on the affected area, then 20 minutes removed from the area, for as many times as you feel necessary.

The first and best remedy for healing a torn muscle is to rest and relax. Many people forget this alternative but the problem started by over-exerting the muscles and simply relaxing prevents further harm. You want your torn muscle to heal as quickly and properly as it can, so it’s best to relax and reduce your normal activities, so that the muscle doesn’t sustain further injury.

If you do not gently exercise your torn muscle, it may not heal properly and it will become weak or lose mass. Your physician may prescribe physical therapy and it will help by reducing the healing time and ensuring your muscle heals properly, preventing permanent damage. In addition to taking it easy during the healing process, it is also wise to include some limited activity so that the muscle heals properly and doesn’t lose mass or reduce your bone density. If you are reluctant to take a prescription for your severely torn muscle, it may be a good idea to try water therapy, which will help the healing process by reducing the inflammation.

Soma and Tramadol are muscle relaxants that belong to the wide range of medicines that function differently, though in the end they have the same effect. Patients who present with lower back pain can choose from many different remedies, including muscle relaxant drugs. About 42% of visits to physicians in a year are because of lower back pain, the most common complaint during consultations. One of the most commonly prescribed remedies is muscle relaxants.

When it comes to acute lower back pain, muscle relaxants aid in improving the problem by reducing pain signals, relieving tension of the muscles, and improving mobility. Studies have consistently shown them to work better than placebos. The primary benefit of these medications is pain relief; most doctors will cite this as the first and foremost step to improve patients’ conditions. Some side effects, however, are nevertheless prone to appear. Many factors contribute to thee effects, which are of various likelihoods, frequencies, and strengths.

A category of pain medications called antspasmodics are utilized to reduce muscle spasms that are frequently linked to conditions that cause back pain. There are two major types of antispasmodic: benzodiazepines and non-benzodiazepines. The benzodiazepines are widely sedative types of medications, with anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants being among them, this is aside from skeletal muscle relaxants. The other type works on the spinal cord through methods that are not yet fully understood by scientists.

Two of these, Carisoprodol and metaxalone, are moderate antispasmodics as well as mild sedatives. Carisoprodol works by stopping activity between the neurons of one’s spinal cord and brain. Carisoprodol metabolizes into the anti-anxiety agent meprobamate, which relieves the muscle spasms that often accompany anxiety attacks.

HOME REMEDIES

- If you’re looking for something around the house that may be a quick fix for a pesky headache, try using a bag of frozen veggies held to your head while placing your feet in a container of warm water.

- Drinking 3 full glasses of ice cold water and laying down in a dark and quiet room to sleep (laying flat, without a pillow) at the initial signs of a headache may prevent further pain.

- Cluster headaches can be kept at bay by inhaling oxygen; keeping the tank next to your bed will help if the headache strikes suddenly. Don’t forget to discuss the correct methods for using oxygen with your doctor.

POURING PAIN AWAY

Sometimes the best way to rid yourself of a headache is, ironically, your mind. This method uses your brain’s power to beat the pain, so give it a try. It may take some time to get the hang of this technique, but using a friend to guide you may be helpful.

With your eyes closed, pretend that your headache pain is nothing more than a liquid sitting in a glass; the greater the intensity of pain from the headache, the larger the glass should become. Still imagining your headache is just a fluid in a simple container, visualize yourself putting that fluid into a smaller container and not allowing anything to spill. As the glasses decrease in size, the intensity of the headache should gradually decrease as well.

Please Note!

Painkillers can be very helpful against the headache that happens from time to time, but if taken often, painkillers can actually become part of the problem. Known as the rebound effect, studies have identified that when painkillers are used too often, they can even cause the onset of headaches and inhibit preventative medications used to treat migraines. If you rely solely upon painkillers to manage your headache pain, this may hinder your body from producing natural pain fighters like endorphins. Long-term use of painkillers has actually been shown to change the pain control mechanisms and pathways of the central nervous system.

Consistent exercise can produce the body’s natural painkiller, endorphins. Exercise might be worthwhile for dilation of blood vessels, which makes more blood flow and fights against the constriction that happens when nearly all migraines begin. To stop a tension headache in its tracks, attempt this exercise while breathing deep and visualizing nice things: While sitting, breathe in and softly tilt your head back and look up (don’t go back too much, since this can interfere with your spine); breathe out and move your head forward until your chin rests on your chest; try this two times.

Maintaining a diary will assist you in finding the reason for your particular headache pattern.

The diary should be able to answer the following 10 questions:

1. When did these headaches start occurring?
2. What are their frequency?
3. Before the headaches start, do you feel any other symptoms?
4. Where is the pain located?
5. What is it’s duration?
6. When do these headaches usually happen?
7. Have you digested any food prior to your headaches?
8. If you are a woman, what phase of your cycle are you in when they occur?
9. Do headaches start from physical or environmental issues, like fragrances, noise, or specific weather conditions?
10. What words are best used to explain how much pain your headache causes:  does it throb, stab, blind, or pierce… etc?

MASSAGE

Massage therapy can reduce tightness serious enough to cause headaches, loosening the head, neck, shoulders and face muscles. You might also want to try giving yourself a 10-minute scalp massage: Put both middle fingers on your forehead near your hairline; then, applying pressure gently, gradually move them back toward the crown of your head, following your hairline, continue this motion in small (12mm) increments until you reach your temples, then rotate your fingers on both sides for a few minutes, then bring both thumbs to the base of your skull following your hairline, and massage both sides of your skull up to your crown to ease the pressure.

MIND/BODY MEDICINE

Lowering stress through meditation and relaxation techniques can help relieve tension headache pain. Stress can be regulated with biofeedback training techniques. Thermal feedback, a method of biofeedback, can be used to treat migraine; in this method you are taught how to raise the temperature of your hands and feet. The extremities can be warmed up when the vessels that transport the blood are dilated, which might reduce abnormal closing of the blood vessels in the head and potentially end up as a decrease in migraines, feelings of pain, and the amount of time the pain lasts.

NUTRITION AND DIET

Cheeses, processed meats that contain sodium nitrates or MSC, a food additive, chocolate, citrus fruits, and red wine are among the foods that are associated with migraine headaches. Maintaining a food diary will assist you in finding which food to remove from your diet. Because magnesium helps to dilate constricted blood vessels, reduced levels of this mineral can aggravate both cluster and migraine headaches. Taking 200 mg of supplemental dosages might prevent future occurrences. Take niacin and niacinamide in 50 mg to 200 mg doses the first time you feel pain and this might help the blood vessels remain open, as well as it could decrease the initial constriction point of a migraine and prevent it from happening.

OSTEOPATHY

The theory of osteopaths is that headache pain originates from pressure on nerves or blood vessels, and that soft-tissue massage or neuromuscular manipulation of the affected regions can alleviate the discomfort.

To find the pressure points that can relieve headaches, use the illustrations at far left to guide you. Many of the aromatherapy oils listed below can be used with these methods.

AROMATHERAPY

Some of these herbal oils are used to relax and alleviate pain from tension or migraine headaches. Wet the ends of your fingers using one or two drops of lavender (Lavandula officinalis) essential oil mixed with a carrier oil like sunflower oil, then carefully rub your temples using a circular direction; do it at the hollow side of your eyes, in back of your ears, and your neck area. There are remedies for sinus headaches, using the same methods, with eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globu-lus) or wintergreen (Caultheria procumbens).

An inhalation of lavender, rosemary and peppermint can be beneficial for any sort of headache. Pain can be eased and muscles can be relaxed by the application of compresses to the area that is affected, or a bath employing these oils.

CHIROPRACTIC/OSTEOPATHY

The reason for some tension headaches is poor posture placing unnecessary stress on the muscles. The strain might be alleviated by a chiropractor through cervical or spinal realignment and manipulation. Spinal manipulation has been shown to result in fewer unpleasant side effects and be longer in duration than prescription drugs, in many cases.

HERBAL THERAPIES

The most popular and widely used natural treatment for migraines is the herb feverfew (Chrysanthemum parthemum), which most likely works by blocking the neurotransmitter serotonin from being excreted. Serotonin is excreted when the blood vessels close in the beginning phase of a migraine. Although quite effective if a leaf is chewed twice daily, they also have a tendency to cause mouth ulcers, so it may be more beneficial to take it as a 125 mg capsule instead. To halt a bad attack, use 3 to 4 capsules immediately, then use this dose every four hours; but don’t take over 12 capsules daily. Migraines caused by stress might be helped with a formula of equal measurements of hawthorn/Crataegus monogyna, linden/Tilia spp., wood betony/Stachys officinalis, skullcap/Scuttellaria lateriflo-ra, as well as cramp bark/Viburnum opulus, used three times daily drunk as a tea or taken as a tincture. For migraines that included a sick feeling in the stomach and regurgitating, use 500 mg of dried ginger (Zingiber offici-nale) with water when the warning signs start, if your headache customarily consists of an aura; use this again every two hours if required. For sinus headache pain, taking three daily doses of goldenseal in tincture, tea, or in powdered formulas can be quite beneficial.

Therapies involving the infusion of valerian and passionflower, administered three times a day, can alleviate symptoms of tension headaches. You may find fast pain relief from cluster headaches when you apply a non-prescription ointment containing cayenne (Capsicum frutescens).

HOMEOPATHY

A variety of homeopathic remedies can be used to help certain kinds of headaches. Give Belladonna a try for a headache that is throbbing, and worse when lying down on the right side. Bryonia is particularly effective for headaches that are described as ’splitting’ and worsen with light, noise, motion or touch. Try using Kali bichromicum when you are experiencing sinus pain along with thick, green nasal discharge. Visit a homeopathic practitioner for chronic headaches and migraines.

to be continued..

CAUSES

There are a lot of reasons why headaches strike. A cold or flu, hay fever, and other allergies that are seasonal usually cause sinus headaches. Usually, stress triggers a tension headache; this could be a result of work-related or family-based anxiety, or it could be related to environmental factors like continuous noise. Tension headaches may be brought on by eyestrain, excess caffeine, the grinding of teeth as you sleep, or even poor posture.

A bigger mystery is what actually causes migraines. There is evidence that the blood vessels constrict and swell to cause some of the symptoms, but many researchers also have evidence that there are neurological causes for this. It seems likely that genetics can play a role, due to the fact that migraines often run in families. Some of the various substances and environments that can trigger a severe attack include caffeine, offensive odors, hormonal fluctuations, hunger, or changes in weather, just to name a few. Migraines can arise as the result of an individual being overcome with intense emotions such as excitement or anger. A migraine may also be started by exercise, sexual activity, or very cold foods. The most baffling of all of them are cluster headaches. Heavy smokers experience them more frequently than non-smokers, and some seem to occur after sufferers drink alcohol or eat certain foods, but no one knows for sure what causes them.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING PROCESS

To eliminate possible organic reasons for headaches – for instance, an aneurysm, a tumor or a structural issue – a doctor might perform eye exams, do an x-ray, a CT scan, a lumbar puncture, or an EEC.

TREATMENT

Conventional and complementary medicine both deal with headaches effectively, and a combination of the two methods may be employed. Relaxation techniques are encouraged by a majority of practitioners for the relief of tension and migraine headache pain.

CONVENTIONAL MEDICINE

Analgesics, like paracetamol, aspirin, or ibuprofen, help ease the effects of headaches from tension and additionally, in chronic cases, antidepressants can help. Decongestants and antibiotics generally will relieve a sinus headache.

To treat a migraine, there are a wide range of medications that are prescribed. A physician might recommend a regularly scheduled prophylactic, or preventive medicine, for persons who have at least three serious, long-lasting migraines each month. Some of these medicines are propanolol, which is a beta blocker that decreases blood vessel constriction; verapamil, which is a calcium channel blocker, or an antidepressant. If you have less than three mild migraines a month, your doctor may advise medicine such as a mixture containing isometheptene or ergotamine, which also comes in a suppository version if your migraines cause you to vomit and you can’t absorb the pill. Designed for the treatment of a migraine, the medication sumatriptan, which is sold in injectable or tablet form, brings relief that is dramatic. A nasal spray designed after the serotonin inhibiting medicine di-hydroergotamine works fast as a blood vessel constrictor and decreases inflammation. Another easy remedy is effervescent aspirin, when taken quickly after the onset. After taking metoclopramide, drink within ten minutes to reduce nausea and for improvement of absorption, to shorten an attack. Simple analgesics are not quick enough in action so they do little for cluster headaches. In any case, the inhalation of oxygen that is pure, has been found by physicians to be highly effective in the provision of relief. The effects of cluster headaches can be alleviated by a short course of corticosteroids, methysergide maleate, and lithium carbonate; some of the calcium channel blockers and vasoconstrictors that are used for migmethysergide raines can also provide relief.

COMPLEMENTARY CHOICES

Most of the complementary treatments target the actual causes of headaches. A staple of therapeutic programs are techniques in relaxation as stress and tension often contribute to headaches.

See next to continue.

- If your head hurts with a dull, continuous pain that reminds you of a band squeezing your head, then you are afflicted with a tension headache.

- Localized, intense, pulsing pain, accompanied by an urge to vomit, indicates migraine. The headache may be preceded by visual disturbances, such as moving points of light.

- If one of your eyes is watery and red with a throbbing pain and nasal congestion on one side of your face, then this is a cluster headache.

- If you have a constant pain in the facial region that is aggravated by bending or moving forward and coupled with nasal congestion, you have a sinus headache.

Even though they cause discomfort and irritation, nearly all headaches are little health problems and can easily be remedied with aspirin or some other type of pain reliever. However if they are very bad, happen a lot, or include additional signs, you might have to do something else, such as see a doctor.

The underlying conditions determine what category headaches fall into. One common group of headaches is made up by muscle contraction or tension. Blood vessel, or vascular headaches are another category that is common as it includes both cluster and migraine headaches. Headaches created by problems with the sinuses make up a third group.

Signs of a tension headache:

-  A dull, consistent discomfort that feels like a cord tightening on your head.
- If throbbing starts on one side of the head, followed by nausea, you are suffering from a migraine. Vision impairment, like flashing points of light, might occur prior to the headache.
- A cluster headache is defined as a nagging pain surrounding one eye that is watery and red, with a congested nose on the side of your face.
- A continuous pain located behind your face that gets worse when you lean forward and includes stuffiness is indicative of a sinus headache.

Many headaches are health concerns that are minor, although troublesome and painful, and are treatable easily with analgesics or aspirin. Although if they are harsh, stubbornly persist, or are accompanied by other symptoms, you may have to take further actions, such as making an appointment with your physician.

Headaches are divided based on their underlying reasons. One group that is common is made up by tension, the contraction of muscles, or headaches. Both migraine and cluster headaches can fall into the popular classification of vascular (blood-vessel) headaches. The third category is made up of headaches resulting from sinus issues.

Tension headaches, which happen to nearly everybody sometimes, cause dull, nagging, non-throbbing discomfort that can give you the experience of your head being squeezed with a tight cord. The neck muscles feel like they are twisted, and specific locations on your head and neck might be tender when touched. The main source of pain are that taut muscles have irritated the endings of the nerves in the neck and head. Symptoms of a tension headache can be brief and infrequent, or they can be recurring and intense.

Migraines are generally the most severe type, often prohibiting any normal activity. With a few people that suffer, there are previous signs, known as an aura; it might consist of sight problems like blinking spots of light, crooked lines, or even more unusual is a limb that feels numb; they may even sense a strange smell. A migraine normally starts with a pain that is throbbing and intense on one side of the head, with or without warning. Accompanied by vomiting and nausea, the pain may radiate. With a duration of a few hours to three days, a migraine can cause sufferers to experience light, odor, and noise sensitivity.

All of the different signs of migraines appear to be connected to the size of the blood vessels inside the head: the blood vessels close up during the first phase and open up when the pain starts. These alterations might happen because of uneven serotonin levels in the brain. Hormonal levels are probably also involved with headaches, particularly fluctuating amounts of estrogen that seem related to the pain.

Because they come in bunches, these are named cluster headaches. While the onset may occur long after a person falls asleep, they are also characterized sometimes by one-sided mild aching of the head prior to this. The pain is very bad, sharp, and typically situated in and surrounding one red, teary eye with a stuffy nose and a flushed face. It endures from 30 minutes to two hours, then slows down or goes away completely, and maybe comes back another day. At least four or more episodes might happen during the day, and cluster headaches can happen daily for weeks or months before going into remission for an extended time. Men are the main sufferers.

Symptoms of a sinus headache are shown by discomfort in the forehead, nose and eye area, and occasionally the crown of the head; in several situations, people also have a pressurized feeling behind their face. Such headaches may arise due to inflammation or infection in other membranes lining the sinus cavities. Also the discomfort from a headache might originate from pressure on the sinus walls, which happens when a stuffy nose causes the sinuses to partially close up.

to be continued…

It is also not beneficial to consume five Propecia tablets to achieve the effects that Proscar has since there are other ingredients mixed with these medications. Well, what is the difference between Propecia and Proscar? Proscar is normally taken by males to treat enlarged prostates. In men, Proscar prevents testoterone from turning into a substance called dihyddrotestosterone or DHT. Proscar has the ability to stop or halt prostrate cancer in nearly 28% of the men who were considered to be possible candidates for this version of cancer. Propecia, however, is considered to be a treatment for the problem of male-pattern baldness. Propecia supplements the natural growth pattern and the loss of hair men often experience. Hair loss slows or can even stop entirely after Propecia has been taken for three months. If you receive good benefits from Propecia, you should think about staying on the prescription. If you cease taking this medication, most likely during a year’s time you will lose your hair; it will appear like it was before you had medical treatment.

As a prescription medication, finasteride must be ordered by qualified health care providers or online pharmacies. Propecia and Proscar, like all medications, do have some side effects to be aware of. Less feelings for sex, decreased semen count, extreme sensitivity, and moderate rashes occur while your body reacts to the medication. Therefore you have to think about the good and the bad when dealing with these medications before you make the correct choice for yourself.