Migraines are a specific type of headache that affects over 10% of the world’s population. These headaches recur, causing moderate to severe pain. They are thought to be caused by a genetic predisposition along with environmental factors that act as triggers. These triggers cause changes (either spasm or dilatation) in the diameter of the arteries leading to the brain. Triggers can include things like:
Hormones or drop in hormone levels (e.g., before a woman’s menstrual cycle)
Loud noises
Bright or flashing lights
Stress or anxiety
Sudden changes in the weather or environment
Tobacco
Food additives
Alcohol
Strong smells
Caffeine or caffeine withdrawal
Chocolate
Migraines can affect anyone, but women are about three times more likely to get migraines than men. In addition, people who have family members with a history of migraines are more likely to experience them.
Effects of Migraines
People experiencing migraines typically describe them as an intense pulsing or throbbing pain on one side of the head. These symptoms occur frequently and last for hours, generally between 4 to 72 hours. Sometimes, this pain is also associated with other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, blurry vision, and dizziness. While these headaches might start off more mild and infrequent, they can increase in both frequency and severity over time. Eventually, they might cause significant disability and loss of productivity and thus quality of life. Brain imaging studies have even shown that migraines can cause long-term permanent injury to the brain.
Benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment of Migraines
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment of migraines involves inhalation of 100% oxygen in a total body chamber, where atmospheric pressure is increased and controlled. This process enhances the body’s natural healing process and works as part of an overall medical care plan. The first tissue contacted by hyperbaric oxygen is the lungs. The second is our blood and blood vessels. Our blood vessels have been shown to be exquisitely sensitive to oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy works for migraines by causing the constriction of blood vessels in the body, which is the body’s natural response to increased oxygen.
When delivered at the time of acute migraine, HBOT can help by constricting the dilated blood vessels that cause the pulsing sensation. Through Dr. Harch’s research, he has found that if a migraine is the result of a brain injury, the resulting migraines are very responsive to HBOT.
Why Come to Dr. Harch for Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment of Migraines
When standard medical procedures have not worked in effectively reducing the incidence of your migraines, HBOT may be recommended. If you are considering hyperbaric oxygen treatment for migraines, Dr. Harch should be your first and only choice. Dr. Harch’s specialty is the proper dosing of HBOT, which is essential to the success of the treatment. People come to New Orleans from all over the world to get the expert care of Dr. Harch for a variety of conditions. You or your loved one could be the next patient to experience the life changing effects of hyperbaric oxygen treatment for migraines.
Migraine Headache Case Study
Lieutenant Mike Meyers is a 72 year old who experienced four traumatic brain injuries while serving with the U.S. Army and Air Force in Vietnam. With the head injuries came debilitating migraine headaches described as crushing and vice-like, imbalance, short-term memory problems, incoordination, and other symptoms that plagued him for 35 years. Seeking help at the VA he had been prescribed a litany of pain medications, muscle relaxants, and psychoactive medications, none of while helped, and all of which made it difficult for him to work on a ladder in his rain gutter business.
In 2014 during a recruitment talk at a local church for veterans to participate in Dr. Harch’s new TBI HBOT study Mr. Meyers asked about the forgotten generation of veterans, Vietnam Veterans, who were excluded from the study due to the age of their injury. Although Mike was not eligible for the study Dr. Harch treated him with HBOT. In two months of treatment Mike experienced a cessation of his 35 years of headaches, with concomitant improvement in his other symptoms. To this day, nearly 5 years later, Mike is headache-free.
