Botox for Migraines

stitutes on Health discourages a gluten-free diet for anyone who doesn’t have a celiac diagnosis.

Nobody is saying you can’t eat a diet that excludes wheat. Go for it! Some people even adhere to WheatFree Wednesdays, giving up wheat one day a week as a way of encouraging new dietary options and trying staple foods they wouldn’t otherwise. If you’re always eating pasta, you might miss out on the fact that you really love quinoa!

But remember that many processed gluten-free products aren’t necessarily healthier than their normal versions. Gluten-free treats are still treats. When you compare nutrition labels, you might even notice that gluten-free versions of your favorite processed foods are actually higher in sugar, fat, and total calories, not to mention lower in fiber and protein. This explains why some Harvard studies have found that gluten-free diets cause weight gain and increase the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease and cancer.

A gluten-free lifestyle is often expensive, inconvenient, and stressful for those who don’t have a choice—and this is why it’s important to raise awareness of it and create more options for gluten-free consumers. But if you aren’t required to cut gluten as part of a celiac diagnosis by your doctor, jumping on the trend might be more trouble than it’s worth— don’t expect to cut wheat from your diet and see all your health problems automatically go away. Building a healthy diet is always a lot more complex than simply cutting out one food. HEALTH & BEAUTY HEALTH

By Dylan Roche

When you think about Botox injections, the first use that comes to mind might be to reduce the appearance of wrinkles. So, you might be surprised to learn that Botox has approval from the Food and Drug Administration for a variety of uses, including muscle spasms, eye muscle conditions, overactive bladder, and even excessive sweating. It’s even a life-changer for people who suffer from chronic migraine.

Yes, the same treatment that smooths out one patient’s face can help control another patient’s debilitating migraine symptoms. That’s because Botox uses a form of the toxin botulinum to temporarily paralyze muscle activity. In the case of cosmetic Botox, this paralysis is what prevents your skin from wrinkling. For the treatment of migraine, the injections go into the muscle nerves and prevent the pain receptors from sending signals to the brain.

The American Migraine Foundation emphasizes that Botox isn’t the kind of treatment patients should consider for occasional headaches—this option is for people who have chronic migraine, defined as 15 or more headaches a month. Only about 3 percent of the U.S. population has migraine to this degree, but the condition can disrupt quality of life and prevent patients from doing everyday tasks. While the procedure itself is relatively simple, usually taking no longer than 20 minutes and requiring no more than a simple injection with a small needle, it’s something that must be done approximately every three months and may need to be done in conjunction with other headache treatment methods. This is because your muscle nerves eventually grow new pain receptor fibers, resulting in the return of migraine headaches if Botox is not readministered. Injections can’t be given more often than three months or else your body can develop strong antibodies to the botulinum and become immune—which would mean the treatment wouldn’t work in the future.

Botox has only mild risk of side effects, most prominently in the form of swelling or bruising where the injection was administered. In rare cases, the botulinum could affect surrounding tissue and cause issues like drooping eyelids, vision problems, or trouble speaking or swallowing.

Patients interested in undertaking Botox injections to treat their chronic migraine should consult with a headache specialist or a neurologist who can consider their specific situation. To find one near you, consult the American Migraine Foundation’s doctor database at americanmigrainefoundation.org/find-a-doctor.

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