This is a very common presentation of the migraine syndrome. Frequently their problems are compounded by overmedication—either by self-medicating or prescription drugs. Often there is a history of injury to the neck, for example, whiplash. Often they have been to the chiropractor and have been told there neck is so far out of alignment that the curve in the neck is reversed. The curve in the neck is straightened or reversed because of painful spasm. The trigeminal nerve (sensation of the face) and the cervical (neck) nerves are adjacent to each other in the brain stem (the base of the brain). What affects one affects the other. Migraineurs who smoke usually will develop neck problems. It is absolutely essential for the migraineur who smokes to abstain! Smoke is a smell. The sensitivity to the smell is the problem! Also secondhand smoke and perfumes are major problems. The patient can develop extreme sensitivity to stress and after years with frequently develop fibromyalgia.

Neck pain can be debilitating and frustrating. The migraine syndrome makes neck pain make sense. No matter what underlying conditions are there, the migraine syndrome can make it worse. This person falls into the migraine syndrome profile. Let me explain what I mean by the migraine syndrome. It is the outward expression of the body’s sensitivity to light, sound, smell, food, and/or stress. Some people are more sensitive than others; therefore, their reactions to different stimuli are greater. This sensitivity can be manifested in the body as migraines, sinus headaches, neck aches, palpitations, irritable bowel syndrome, motion sickness or vertigo, reactive hypoglycemia, temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ), panic attacks, and/or fibromyalgia. Now that’s a mouthful! Understanding what is going on with you is very important in the healing process.

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Most people assume that having a stroke is more common in older adults however there is also a large percentage of people under 65 who are at risk of a stroke. The risk of having a stroke increases if a parent, grandparent, brother or sister has had a stroke.

There are so many factors that can increase your chances including the following:-

Gender, men are at a higher risk than women when under 55 years of age, after age 55 both sexes are at equal risk.

Smoking also increases the risk of a stroke

High blood pressure and high blood cholesterol also plays a part in adding to the risk of a stroke

If you have already had a stroke you are more at risk of having another.

Obesity and having a lifestyle which is inactive can push your percentage up

Although changing you lifestyle and eating habits can help to reduce the risk you may find it does not illuminate the problem. Therefore knowing the signs of stroke can help you reach medical help faster than if you are unaware of what is happening.

The most common signs of stroke are as follows:

• A feeling of confusion, not being able to speak, or understand people properly.
• Numbness of the face, leg or arms particularly if down one side of your body
• Vision problems in one or both eyes
• Loss of balance, coordination.
• Severe Headache.
• These symptoms most commonly happen out of the blue and all of a sudden however it is possible for the symptoms to progress over few hours or even days.

You will not necessarily suffer from all of the warning signs of a stroke so it is important not to ignore any of them even if they seem to ease off.

If you know that you are at high risk then be prepared, carry emergency telephone numbers for hospitals and rescue services with you at all times. Know where the nearest hospital is when travelling.

If you are with someone who is showing signs of stroke call the emergency services immediately, you may find the person strongly disagrees with you as denial is common. However it is important to ignore the protest and get help as soon as possible.

The effects of a stroke can change someone’s life for ever. Depending where in the brain the stroke occurs will determine the outcome. Because one side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body if the stroke occurs on the left side of the brain the right side of the body will be affected.

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Stroke can happen to anyone and can occur at any age. According to the Stroke Awareness Foundation, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and almost 25% of strokes affect people under the age of 65.

An easy acronym to help determine if stroke is occurring is F.A.S.T. Face: is the person’s face drooping to one side? Arm: Is the person able to raise both arms, and maintain their balance? Speech: Can the person repeat a sentence without slurring words? If any of these symptoms are evident, Time is of the essence and you need to call 911 immediately. When the EMTs (emergency medical technicians) arrive, be sure to request that the patient be taken to a hospital that has a certified stroke center so that they can receive proper treatment. Oftentimes if the hospital is not equipped to treat stroke patients, the patient may be sent away without correct diagnosis and treatment, and will suffer much more extreme effects of the stroke.

Typically if the person who is suffering a stroke receives t-PA (tissue plasminogenic activators) within three hours, their risk of experiencing debilitating effects of the stroke, including paralysis on one side of their body, is greatly reduced. If treatment is administered after three hours, the drugs are much less effective.

There are also some initial signs of stroke that are not as obvious as the ones listed above. These are sometimes referred to as mini-strokes or warning strokes. The medical term is TIA or transient ischemic attack. Although these are less common, if do you experience one of these and get immediate treatment, you may ward off a major stroke. According to the American Heart Association, symptoms of TIA include: sudden numbness or weakness on one side of the body; confusion or trouble speaking; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; dizziness or trouble walking; and sudden severe headache.

While these symptoms may sounds like the same as a stroke, the difference between TIAs and stroke, is that the TIA symptoms are short term, often lasting no more than 5 minutes, and do not cause brain injury. However, they are not to be ignored, as about 50% of patients that experience TIAs suffer a major stroke within one year.

Unfortunately, stroke can strike when no one is around to recognize the symptoms and call 911 immediately. The longer the stroke patient goes without out medical help, the greater the risk of long term injury and even death can occur. If someone you know and love does experience extensive injury from stroke or brain-attack, do not despair. Even though the recovery process can be very long and trying, the stroke survivor will recover and although their life style may be much different than what they previously had, there is life after stroke.

A study at the University of Maryland showed that stroke patients that used humor and a positive attitude during their recovery, looking for ways to find a positive outcome from their experience, had a greater success of recovery and suffered less from bouts of depression. Patients also fared much better if they had a strong support network of empathetic family members and loved ones to assist with transportation to doctor appointments, therapies, and other social outings.

A positive, persistent attitude will help the stroke survivor and family members get through the recovery period, and with love and support you will all come through the event much stronger and able to cope with whatever challenges life sends your way.

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