Archives for October 2020

Tips for Alleviating Migraine Pain

A migraine is not a headache, as anybody who suffers from it can tell you. A migraine is a neurological disease that affects the nerve pathways and chemicals in your brain. For migraine sufferers, just the thought of a migraine coming on can send shivers down their spine for it is more intense and disabling compared to a headache. Migraine attacks can result in lost work days and make you miss out on activities that are important to you. Anyone who suffers from migraine can never get enough tips for alleviating the pain.

What Does a Migraine Feel Like

Migraine pain is that throbbing on one side of the head that causes sensitivity to lights, sound, and nausea. Many migraine sufferers go through four stages: prodrome, aura, attack, and post-drome. Women are more likely to experience migraines more than men, due to hormonal fluctuations. Migraines affect approximately 28 million women in the United States. Estrogen medication may trigger migraines, so if you are on estrogen therapy, you may want to ask your family medicine provider for alternatives.

Preventing an Attack

Treatments for migraine pain often focus on the period before it becomes a full-blown attack. Medication such as Ibuprofen taken before the onset of a migraine can help prevent the need to just lie down in a dark room until the symptoms pass, which could take days. A migraine could last 24 to 72 hours. Healthy habits and lifestyle changes can help reduce the frequency of migraines in some people. Family medicine providers recommend that you avoid skipping meals, which is a common migraine trigger, along with lack of sleep and high-stress levels.

Alleviating the Pain

To alleviate migraine pain, avoid bright lights, loud noise, and abrupt movements and place a hot or cold compress on the neck or head to help relieve the symptoms.

Medical treatments  and medications to prevent an attack are available for patients with migraines. Other than ibuprofen, prescription medication such as triptans can block pain pathways in the brain. Botox injections are approved for treating chronic migraine sufferers and block the transmission of pain signals, preventing migraine attacks. The effects of Botox injections can last for up to 12 weeks.

A very small percentage of people who get migraines receive appropriate care. If you suffer from migraines, a family medicine provider can help treat your symptoms and prevent future episodes. To make the most of your visit to the family medicine provider, keep a migraine diary where you can jot down details that can help you with information such as your migraine triggers and which types of treatment offer relief.

Family Medicine Provider in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, Florida

Dr. Ishan Gunawardene is an internal medicine provider dedicated to helping his patients live their best lives. Migraines can impact your quality of life, and Dr. Gunawardene uses a combination of medicine,alternative therapies, and behavioral techniques to treat patients with chronic migraines.

Talk to Dr. Gunawardene about your symptoms and he will create a customized treatment plan just for you. To schedule a consultation, call (561) 434-1935 or request an appointment online now.

Symptoms of High Blood Pressure in Women

Dubbed the “silent killer,” high blood pressure is something that can truly sneak up on you. It is not uncommon for people with high blood pressure to say that their condition came out of nowhere, and that they had no idea that they had a problem.

Also known as hypertension, high blood pressure rarely produces symptoms. However, the damage is ongoing – and if left untreated, it may lead to a heart attack or stroke. Many people who suffer a heart attack or stroke are only finding out about their hypertension after the incident.

Plus, many women tend to think of heart problems as being much more of an issue in men, but it is actually almost as prevalent among women. Among American women between the ages of 20 and 34, around 13% have hypertension. This figure dramatically rises to 86% by the time they reach their mid-70s.

What Is High Blood Pressure?

High blood pressure is the overly forceful pumping of the blood against the arterial walls. The arteries are the blood vessels that carry oxygen- and nutrient-rich blood from the heart to the rest of the body, and the veins are the vessels that take the depleted blood back to the heart. Blood pressure only measures the pressure in the arteries.

The blood pressure in people who have this condition reads over 130 systolic (pressure in arteries when the heart beats) and greater than 80 diastolic (pressure in arteries while the heart is at rest). This indicates that your heart is working too hard. The hypertension eventually damages your heart, brain, eyes, blood vessels, and other organs.

Risk Factors and Symptoms of Hypertension in Women

If you are female and have a family history of high blood pressure, and if you are overweight or menopausal, then you are at a greater risk of developing high blood pressure. Don’t wait for a stroke, heart attack, or heart failure before becoming proactive about your blood pressure and heart health.

There are very few who experience symptoms of high blood pressure. But among those who do, they report experiencing one or more of the following:

  • Headaches
  • Dizziness
  • Blood spots in the eyes
  • Facial flushing
  • Nosebleeds

Treating High Blood Pressure

Fortunately, high blood pressure is highly treatable. You can take steps to lower your blood pressure, such as:

  • Taking medication your family medicine provider may prescribe
  • Increasing your physical activity
  • Getting down to a normal weight
  • Reducing your salt intake
  • Quitting smoking
  • Reducing your consumption of alcohol
  • Managing your stress levels

Certain underlying health conditions can put you at an increased risk of developing high blood pressure. Diabetes, kidney disease, thyroid problems, and obstructive sleep apnea are known risk factors and should be properly managed or treated.

Primary Care Provider in Royal Palm Beach and Wellington

As part of your annual checkup, your primary care family medicine provider will take your blood pressure to check whether it’s normal or elevated. Although high blood pressure is very common, it need not be your reality.

Dr. Ishan Gunawardene is a trusted internal medicine family medicine provider providing superior primary care to his patients here in Palm Beach County. He can help you get your blood pressure under control and on the road to excellent heart health.

If you would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Gunawardene, contact our friendly team today by calling us at (561) 434-1935, or request an appointment now by filling out our online form. We look forward to being your healthcare partner!