New York Headache Center

I’ve written in a previous post that people exposed to pleasant music feel less pain than people listening to unpleasant music or to no music at all.  Some studies have suggested that happy music (typically music with faster tempo and major mode) is better at relieving pain than sad music.  A study by Chinese researchers published earlier this year in the journal Pain showed that both sad and happy melodies lower pain perception in healthy volunteers, as long as the melodies are pleasant.  This study adds to the growing evidence that music can indeed relieve pain and, not surprisingly, that the music has to be pleasant.

Alcohol can trigger a headache immediately or soon after it is consumed or the next morning.   Some people develop a headache only from a particular type of alcohol, such as red wine, rum, or beer, while others cannot drink any form of alcohol without getting a headache.  It seems that vodka is least likely to cause a headache, because it is possible that it is not alcohol that is causing headaches, but rather preservatives, such as sulfites, fermentation products, and natural colors.  Some people are exquisitely sensitive - a small sip of wine can trigger a headache within minutes, and some can drink two glasses of wine without a headache, while the third glass will always result in a headache.  If you’ve found a medicine that works for your headaches, have it handy since the sooner you take it the better it will work.  However, check with your doctor to see if your medicine can be taken with alcohol (none of them should be mixed with alcohol, but some are more dangerous than other).  Headaches that occur the day after drinking are usually due to overindulgence and are thought to be in part due to dehydration and in part due to magnesium depletion by alcohol.

Migralex is finally available to all headache sufferers.  This is the first new brand of headache medicine in 15 years.  After years of painstaking research, complicated development work, and manufacturing setup it is very gratifying to see Migralex available at www.Migralex.com and independent pharmacies.  If you know someone who suffers from headaches, please tell them about Dr. Mauskop’s Migralex.  Migralex works quickly, has few side effects, and works for many different types of headaches.  Please go to www.Migralex.com for more information.

Holiday headaches are quite avoidable, but to avoid them you have to have willpower.  I know myself that it is hard to resist all the chocolate that surrounds you during the holidays.  If you have a choice, pick milk chocolate over dark.  There is no scientific proof, but in my case I find that the higher the cocoa content the more likely I will get a headache.  Of course I, like many other chocoholics do not consider milk chocolate real chocolate and don’t bother eating it.  For the most part I stay away from chocolate altogether because it is addictive - once you start eating it, it is hard to stop.  My headaches do respond to medication and when I do eat chocolate I make sure to have it handy.  Another way to avoid headaches from chocolate, or for that matter any other trigger, is to avoid having more than one trigger at a time.  That is if you want to have some chocolate do not also drink wine or do not eat chocolate if you did not get enough sleep.