My Daith ear Piercing for Migraines headaches.

     As most of us know when you get to the point that you realize the doctors are of little help and only in it for the money, you start trying things you normally would not do. I had heard about an ear piercing( Daith  ear Piercing) that gets rid of headaches, so I gave it a try.
     When I went into the piercing parlor I thought all I had to do was ask for the piercing that gets rid of headaches, but when I did they went overboard to make it clear that they do not do medical procedures and could loose their license for even suggesting it. Leave it to the government to once again screw things up. I had to point to where I wanted the piercing and then sign a release stating that it was not suggested as a medical procedure to me.
     Now the place I went to was very professional, clean, very helpful about keeping it clean and if I had any problems I could call or stop back in. The piercing was very fast but was painful. Once it was in I was okay and had to adjust to how I slept, ect , but after a couple weeks of healing I was fine.
      My headaches began to become less intense, although never completely went away it was a major improvement. I had the option to do the other side as well as they recommend the side that hurts the most. In my case of having so many different types of headaches it was hard to tell if one side or the other hurt more. Unfortunately, someone had to tell me that I could go deaf in 15 or 20 years, so I decided to live with just the one piercing.
       In the end, 6 months later I had to remove the piercing because of a job. The effects lasted another 6 months after and as I am no-longer working there, I am considering having it done again.
I have heard from many people and everyone seams to get a different result, with a few people saying it did not work at all. All I can say is it that it helped me and if your going to have it done, DO YOUR HOMEWORK, and talk to as many people as you can. 

Death by pillow

Even though the title may be

a little leading when we are looking at our personal living environment (our homes), it may not be that far from the truth. And when we are searching for answers for ailments such as migraine headaches we sometimes pass up things that seem to be benign. Although some doctors may suggest that migraine headaches may be the result of allergies, few if any will tell you the plausible cause is a polyurethane pillow. This may be due to the fact that there has been very little research published in regards to seemingly benign toxins such as plastics in the home environment. The truth is plastics give the appearance as being a solid stable safe product, but even wood, as it decomposes gives off CO2 gases. With research studies indicating that the air we breathe in our own homes is more toxic than the air outside your home. There still seems to be little interest in studying the effects of chemical vapors from plastics or other in-home products. As our homes become more energy efficient and less fresh air, we may find ourselves living in an extremely toxic environment with ailments as yet to be discovered. It was only a few short decades ago that lead paint and asbestos insulation was touted as safe products to use.

                A polyurethane pillow may not seem like something that you should be concerned about but if you think about it, you are sleeping with your face in close proximity to polyurethane plastic. And if that were not enough, some beds are made with high-density polyurethane (memory foam). The point I’m trying to make is, even when the pillow is brand-new, polyurethane is giving off fumes and in addition as polyurethane is flammable, it is treated with chemical flame retardant’s which also give off chemical vapors.  Interestingly enough these products have not been tested for long-term exposure to humans inhaling these chemicals. To make matters worse as these pillows decompose, they give off additional chemical vapors from the decomposing plastic. Although seemingly few studies have been done on the toxic effects from pillows or bedding, medical patients have reported headaches, eye irritations and sinus problems.

                The problem I have been having though is in finding a suitable replacement. And although down and cotton pillows should have less chemical exposure, you are still dealing with dust mites and other allergens that can trigger migraine headaches. Not to mention chemical treatments these products go through to make them flame retardant. The truth is I’m not sure there is an acceptable substitute and once again I find myself being a guinea pig, trying out different products in the hopes of finding one that does not make me sick, or at least finding a lesser evil that I can live with. So now I have one more item I can add to my list as a plausible cause for migraine headaches.

Headaches, essential oils and aromatherapy

{Disclaimer; this story is intended for entertainment purposes only and in no way intended to diagnose or to make recommendations for other people's medical conditions}

Essential oils and aromatherapy

    In the past couple years I have found essential oils and aromatherapy to be helpful in managing my headaches and other ailments. By no means will essential oils or aromatherapy cure any major ailments, but I have found them useful in giving temporary relief from aches, pains, infections and other minor ailments. I personally use a lot of peppermint oil mixed with lavender oil to alleviate headaches and joint pains. Used with a warm wash rag compress or special humidifier can be very helpful. I use to buy a product called “Migra Stick” because it was a convenient micro-roll-on bottle that I could carry in my watch pocket. But I found it to be expensive for the amount of oils that I got for the price. I still use the bottle but I refill it myself with two thirds peppermint oil and one third lavender oil.

   The latest oils and aromatics to come on the market are called “doTerra”. These are highly refined oils that I have found to be useful in numerous ailments, not just headaches. The products are wonderful and my wife and I buy them on a regular basis but it is also a multilevel marketing business that I have no interest in. I found the people in the business to be very informative and helpful. One such product is called,”doTerra past tense oil” works very well on relieving headaches.

    As with any homeopathic healing method, essential oils and aromatherapy should be studied thoroughly before using them. I have found many useful oils but I have also come across a couple of them that seem to trigger headaches or allergic reactions as well. These are usually pungent and strong oils like you would find in a head-shop. Keep in mind that the use of incense, scented candles and other aromatics are not the same as aromatherapy. If oils are used in the proper manner you should not have any problems with them. There are numerous books and courses on the use of oils and aromatherapy. Keep in mind that it still comes down to trial and error and that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another.