Early Diagnosis of Migraines Is Important

As many as one out of five people suffer from migraine headaches. These headaches are usually quite severe and they are preceded by an aura, or a strange sensation, like a flashing of light or a strange smell. They’re often diagnosed as sinus headaches, tension headaches, or a variety of other types of head pain, but a new study out of Columbia and highlighted by the Journal of the American Medical Association is stressing the importance of early diagnosis. That’s because the cycle of a migraine can often be cut short through the use of drugs called Triptans. These medications are available in a wide variety of forms, including pills, inhalers, and even injections. Migraines can be unusual. They don’t always cause headaches, and they can actually cause a wide variety of symptoms from visual disturbances to stomach problems. Migraines need to be taken seriously. Clearly they are a problem that have to be dealt with.

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Grapefruit Juice and Medication Interactions

Doctors have warned patients for quite some time that grapefruit juice can interact with certain medications and cause harmful side-effects.  This is particularly common with some blood pressure-lowering drugs and some cholesterol-lowering medications.  Researchers believe they know the reason.  So-called furanocoumarins seem to be the problem.  Grapefruit juice armed with the furanocoumarins can cause these drugs to enter the bloodstream more efficiently, thereby increasing the dose and effect and the potential for undesirable, and even dangerous, side-effects.  Researchers from the University of North Carolina found that once you took the furanocoumarins out, the juice behaved like orange juice. Those marketing grapefruit juice envision the production of a furanocoumarin-free juice, much like lactose-free milk. It's an interesting idea. 

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Research on Genes and Cigarette Addiction

It could become one of the major developments of genetic research. Duke researchers believe that as many as 221 different gene variants play a role in cigarette addiction and the ability to quit. Researchers from Duke and the National Institute of Drug Abuse hope this may someday lead to a new tool for tailoring smoking cessation treatments to a patient’s individual genetic makeup. Researchers admit it isn’t entirely this simple. Certainly, the environment plays a role, but knowing how to manipulate or alter genes could be crucial.

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SSRIs for Treating Depression

Depression can be treated by drugs called the SSRIs. The SSRIs: Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac. They’ve been around for a while and what they do is, by affecting serotonin release in the body, they actually can affect the way transmitters are sent across the body from one side to the other of the brain. This can actually help people deal with depression and many of those alarming and hurtful symptoms associated with it. SSRIs can be a big help!

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Choosing the Right Allergy Drugs

You know, it always seems to be allergy season. Many people rush out to the drugstore to purchase something to help them deal with those sniffles and sneezes, but my first advice is to make certain that the drug you choose is right for you, and that you can tolerate it. You might want to talk to your doctor or pharmacist first. Pharmacists are available to talk about both prescription and nonprescription drugs. There are several classes of allergy drugs. Antihistamines, which help relieve sneezing, itchy eyes and hives, decongestants help relieve congestion, and steroids reduce inflammation and swelling.

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