Migraine Headaches Associated with Allergies & Response to Allergy Shots

A recent study published this month in the journal Headache reported an association of migraine headaches with allergy severity and response to allergy shots... but only in those less than 45 years of age.

The study suggested that lower "degrees of atopy" (or allergy) were associated with less frequent and disabling migraine headaches in younger subjects while higher degrees were associated with more frequent migraines. The administration of allergy shots was associated with a decreased prevalence, frequency, and disability of migraine headache in younger subjects.

The age cut-off used to described "younger" subjects depending on the measure described was either 40 years or 45 years.

Read the abstract here.

Of course, one must consider the possibility that perhaps what these patients are suffering from is not migraine headaches, but allergy triggered sinus headaches.

Our office provides allergy testing, allergy shots, and allergy drops. We also offer botox injections in the treatment of migraine headaches.

Reference:
Allergy and immunotherapy: are they related to migraine headache? Headache. 2011 Jan;51(1):8-20. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2010.01792.x. Epub 2010 Nov 4.

Read More

Botox Approved for Migraine Headaches in the United States

On October 15, 2010, the FDA approved botox for use in migraine headaches. It is hoped that eventually, this procedure will soon be covered by most health insurance companies rather than the few who do so now.

Dr. Chang has been performing botox injections for migraine headaches since 2005 along with for wrinkles, spasmodic dysphonia, cervical dystonias, oral-mandibular dystonias, etc.

Read the NYT article on the FDA approval here.

Read the FDA announcement here.

Read More

Botox for "Sale" Due to Market Influences of Supply and Demand

The NYT wrote a somewhat humorous article on Oct 7, 2010 regarding botox injections for wrinkles from both a supply (physician) and demand (patient) viewpoint.

In NYC, one can now find neon colored signs advertising botox specials!

Read the NYT article here.

Of note, our clinic performs botox injections not for just cosmetic reasons (wrinkles), but also medical reasons including migraine headaches, TMJ, spasmodic dysphonia, torticollis, etc.

Read More

UK First Place in the World to Approve Botox for Migraine Headaches

Wall Street Journal reported on July 9, 2010 that the United Kingdom has become the first country in the world to approve botox injections for migraine headaches.

The U.K. approval could shortly precede a decision on migraine treatment from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Botox treatment for migraines can be obtained currently in the US, but is rarely covered by insurance.

Dr. Chang has been performing botox injections for migraines since 2006.

Read the WSJ article here.

Read More

FDA Potentially to Approve Botox for Migraines

As reported in MSNBC today, FDA regulators seem inclined to approve Allergan Inc's wrinkle drug Botox to prevent migraine headaches in millions of Americans, industry analysts said, based on information the drugmaker released on Monday.

That would be great news for current patients of mine who receive botox for migraines. However, once FDA has approved botox for migraines, it may take awhile before it becomes an insurance "covered" procedure.

Read the MSNBC article here.

Read more about botox here.

Dr. Chang provides botox injections for migraine headaches, TMJ, spasmodic dysphonia, torticollis, and other head and neck spastic disorders.

Read More

NYT: Can Foods Trigger Migraines (and Other Symptoms)?

The New York Times published a story on July 26, 2010 discussing how foods can indeed trigger migraines. The story quotes a study where patients were tested for IgG food allergies and their diet modified to either include or exclude the suspect foods. What they found is that diet restriction based on IgG antibodies is an effective strategy in reducing the frequency of migraine attacks.

Patients should be aware that IgG food allergies are NOT the life-threatening allergies that may can cause airway swelling and even death (ie, peanut allergy). Such life-threatening food allergies are IgE mediated and not IgG. Patients allergic to IgG foods can STILL eat the foods they are allergic to, but it is recommended to limit the intake if they want to feel better.

Other alleged symptoms that IgG foods allergies can cause include the following:
• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Drowsiness
• Flatulence
• Reflux
• Skin disorders
• Globus
• Mild Sore Throat
• Dizziness
• Meniere's
• Ear problems

All of these symptoms are mild and cause more annoyance rather than actual disability.

Read the NYT article here.

Reference:
Diet restriction in migraine, based on IgG against foods: a clinical double-blind, randomised, cross-over trial. Cephalalgia. 2010 Jul;30(7):829-37. Epub 2010 Mar 10.

Read More

Why Does Brain Freeze Occur With Eating Ice Cream and Other Cold Treats?

Believe it or not, this has been the topic of research in the past and even has a medical diagnosis called "sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia". To sum it up, there are two theories behind this phenomenon:

1) Blood vessel phenomenon: Blood vessels constrict when any part of the body is exposed to cold temperature and dilates when it gets hot. This simple fact can be applied to the biological cause of brain freeze as well. Upon contact with ice, the blood vessels in the roof of the mouth begin to constrict, making the vessels in the head to expand, and thus creating a headache.

2) Trigeminal nerve factor: The trigeminal nerve, or cranial nerve 5 (CN5), is responsible for facial sensation. As a result of eating cold foods, this nerve in the palate of the mouth becomes overstimulated. Stimulation of the nerve causes neurons to fire pain signals to the brain, producing a headache.

Is there a cure? Avoid the culprit cold treat that triggers the pain or eat is slowly. Should you suffer from a brain freeze or sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, drink warm fluid or just wait!

Read the research behind these theories:
• Ice cream headache--site, duration, and relationship to migraine
• Ice cream evoked headaches (ICE-H) study: randomised trial of accelerated versus cautious ice cream eating regimen

Read More