Health: All About Headaches

intense-headache2

Stress, certain foods, food additives, genetics and hormones can trigger headaches.

There are many different types of headaches that include sinus headaches, exertion headaches, fever headaches, menstrual headaches and bilious headaches. Most of these fall under three major categories of headaches.

Tension or muscle contraction headaches often are caused by anxiety and stress. These headaches are characterized by dull pain that begins in the neck or back of the head and squeezes the forehead area. They are characteristically described as having something “squeeze” the head.

Migraine or vascular headaches affect approximately 30 million people and four times more women than men. Migraines can begin suddenly or present with warning signs, such as aura. They are characterized with one-sided sharp throbbing pain that may induce vomiting, dizziness and hypersensitivity to sounds and light.

Cluster headaches, which also are vascular, affect over 1 million people per year in North America. Cluster headaches usually cause pain on one side of the head, occur in groups or “clusters” and can last for days at a time, and have even been known to be “seasonally” triggered.

The most well-known suspects of headache triggers are stress and anxiety.

However, food allergies are also a lesser known factor that research is bringing to the forefront as a headache trigger.

Casein, which comprises 78.7 percent of all the protein in milk, is a major trigger of migraines and other types of headaches. To eliminate all casein one must avoid all dairy and the many foods in which it is found. It is commonly listed as sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate or milk protein on many food labels. These three main ingredients are found in sports bars, sports drinks, packaged goods and commercial tuna fish in a can to name a few.

Genetic predisposition to migraine and food allergies are also newer areas of research which provide greater insight to treating patients.

There are even genetic markers for cluster headaches which are very useful when trying to treat and prevent reoccurence.

We offer tailored programs using DECODE to assist patients in determining all their known triggers and designing plans to heal and prevent future occurance.

Can the Bacteria in Your Gut Explain Your Mood

Appeared in NY Times Magazine, June 23rd. By PETER ANDREY SMITH

Eighteen vials were rocking back and forth on a squeaky mechanical device the shape of a butcher scale, and Mark Lyte was beside himself with excitement. ‘‘We actually got some fresh yesterday — freshly frozen,’’ Lyte said to a lab technician. Each vial contained a tiny nugget of monkey feces that were collected at the Harlow primate lab near Madison, Wis., the day before and shipped to Lyte’s lab on the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center campus in Abilene, Tex.

Lyte’s interest was not in the feces per se but in the hidden form of life they harbor. The digestive tube of a monkey, like that of all vertebrates, contains vast quantities of what biologists call gut microbiota. The genetic material of these trillions of microbes, as well as others living elsewhere in and on the body, is collectively known as the microbiome. Taken

To read more of the article.

What’s in your mascara?

Eye cosmetics like mascara, can easily deteriorate your vision, especially if you use them daily and aren’t hygienic about it. If you don’t frequently change your cosmetic products, bacteria and fungi are most likely to grow and leach onto your eyes. These are issues in addition to the principle ingredients that are found in the product that can affect not only vision but your overall health. Mascara is a go to staple for women, and there are great options out there. Here are the top items to beware of:

Parabens
These preservatives in cosmetics are used in mainstream beauty products to prevent bacteria from growing in mascara. The hygienic preservatives have been linked to mimic or disrupt estrogen in the body, also known as an endocrine disrupter. High amounts of parabens have been found in human breast tumors by Dr. Philippa Darbre, a research scientist at the University of Reading in the UK. Parabens found in foods, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics are getting into the breast at high rates.

Mascaras with Parabens: L’Oreal, Cover Girl, Avon, Bobbi Brown, Clinique, Maybelline, Neutrogena, Revlon, Chanel, Lancome

Aluminum Powder
This metallic substance is used as a cosmetic colorant and is a neurotoxin, rated as a high concern by the Environmental Working Group’s (EWG’s) Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. This neurotoxin is considered to be far worse than mercury because it has been linked to interfere with a variety of cellular and metabolic processes in the nervous system and other tissues, says a study published in the journal of Pediatrics. If there is long-term exposure of aluminum powder, it can impair the body’s ability to excrete mercury and as a result, can make whatever amount of mercury that is in your system more toxic.

Mascaras with Aluminum Powder: Cover Girl and Estee Lauder

Propylene Glycol
This mascara ingredient, although deemed safe by the FDA, appears to cause severe skin irritation and sensitization in people. Individuals who may be sensitive to this product can be exposed to a special form of irritation – allergic contact dermatitis, an allergic skin reaction caused by direct contact with an allergen.

Mascaras With Propylene Glycol: L’Oreal, Mineral Fusion, Rimmel, Avon, and Maybelline

Retinyl Acetate (Vitamin A Acetate)
This harmful mascara ingredient is ranked as a high concern by the EWG because it can cause biochemical or cellular level changes. Retinyl acetate can produce excess reactive oxygen species that interfere with cellular signaling and can even cause mutations in your genes. While there is restricted use in cosmetics where beauty companies must meet recommendations or requirements in the U.S., the use of this toxic ingredient is prohibited and restricted in Canadian cosmetics.

Mascaras With Retinyl Acetate: Elizabeth Arden, Almay and Revlon
There are many more chemicals to list that are known health hazards. As well the colours including but not limited to: FD&C or D&C, followed by a color and a number (e.g. FD&C Red No. 6, D&C Green No. 6). These are believed to be carcinogenic, meaning that they can contribute to developing cancer.

Brands have we tested and use:
Pureanda
Earthlab