Headaches and Migraines

If you think your headaches and migraines are caused by stress, the Irlen Method may be able to help. Environmental factors can trigger stress. The Irlen Method eliminates the environmental factors that may be triggering your stress and causing your headaches and migraines. Stress headaches and headaches without medical cause may be related to light sensitivity and visually-intensive activities and eliminated with Irlen Spectral Filters.

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About 18 million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Only about half know what they suffer from. The others are treated ineffectively or not treated at all. Headache sufferers are typically the most misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mistreated group of patients in modern medicine.

Headaches can be a symptom of a more serious medical condition such as an aneurysm, brain tumor, stroke, TIA, meningitis, encephalitis, or high blood pressure. If you have any doubt about the cause of your headaches or migraines, contact your physician to rule out these possible causes. Although headaches can be very uncomfortable, most are not associated with serious illness. Treatment for these tension or “stress” headaches is often elusive and the individual is left to deal with the pain.

Sometimes families do not take their child’s pain seriously, especially when there are no medical or visual problems identified. These complaints may be seen as the child’s way of getting out of school or homework. The child may be thought of as having a psychological problem. When no one listens, the child soon learns to stop telling people. It is not that the headaches have gone away; the child just stops reporting the pain. The child feels as if s/he just has to live with the pain.

The National Headache Foundation distinguishes 21 kinds of head pain. The most common type of headaches are called tension headaches and thought to be caused by emotional stress. The name reveals the lack of certainty about the cause and is viewed as having psychological rather than physical causes. Little medical advancement has been made for treatment in the last 15 years, and individuals learn to live with tension headaches.

Many who suffer from tension headaches are unaware that environmental factors may be triggering stress. These individuals can be helped with the Irlen Method.

Some of the other more common triggers of headaches or migraines are:

• Food Sensitivity. A variety of different foods can trigger headaches for those who are sensitive to them. Some of the more commonly reported food triggers are sugar, chocolate, cheese, red wine, yeast, dairy products, wheat, MSG, preservatives, additives, and food dyes. Remember, any food can cause headaches.
• Eating Patterns. Some individuals must eat small meals on a frequent basis or they feel sick or get headaches. Adults often wait until they have a headache before eating, and children often cannot eat as frequently as needed. It is important not to wait until you have symptoms and learn to eat every few hours. Carry food with you. Children need to have snacks at school, both in the morning and afternoon.
• Smells. Strong smells like perfumes, soaps, sprays, hand lotions, hair sprays, colognes, glues and markers used to write on white dry-erase boards can trigger headaches in some people.
• Noises. Loud noises and persistent noise can trigger headaches. Besides avoiding noisy situations, use soft ear plugs to help muffle the offending sounds.
• Hormones, allergies and sinus problems can also cause headaches.

WARNING: HEADACHES, MIGRAINES, AND OTHER PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS MAY BE DUE TO A MEDICAL CONDITION. CHECK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN TO RULE OUT ANY POSSIBLE MEDICAL CAUSES.

“I was the migraine kid with headaches that started at age six. I have had 50 years of chronic headaches; but with Irlen Filters, there are no more headaches related to light sensitivity.” Elizabeth B., age 64

“Friday was headache day because it was test day. I would then sleep all Friday afternoon to recover from the headaches. My headaches started in fourth grade and continued until 30 years of age when I received my Irlen Filters. I cried because I was so happy to not have headaches any more.” Sherri H., MFT

“I get headaches really quickly and have them all day long at school and when I’m doing homework. Now with my Irlen Filters, I don’t get any headaches at all. Amazing! I don’t ever take them off.”Sarah B., age 13

“I have had severe headaches every day of my life. I couldn’t learn spelling. It gave me a severe headache when I looked at the words. It took all of my attention. The headaches make it difficult to concentrate and listen. I’ve been to doctors, taken medication, and gotten glasses. Nothing helped until Irlen Filters.” Deana S., College Student

“I have had constant intense headaches since 13 years of age. I love to write, but the pounding headaches would stop my thoughts. I have tried lots of different medications and even chiropractic treatment, but nothing ever made them go away except my Irlen Filters. They are fantastic, and now I am a prolific creative writer.” Jennifer K., College Student

Sue started having headaches in second grade whenever she would read. She would ask to see the school nurse; but when medical and visual examinations did not find a problem, she was told to “just continue working.” She stopped complaining, but the headaches did not go away.

By sixth grade, in addition to having almost daily headaches, she felt dizzy and sick to her stomach as well. She tried hard to do her work, but reading just made her feel sicker. She tried over-the-counter pills and various medications, which did not help. Her headaches were now daily, and she was also having migraines.

One day at school, Sue went to talk with the school psychologist who asked her questions which no one else had ever asked her. She asked Sue how she felt under the fluorescent lights in the classroom and how she felt when she had to read, write, or do her homework. To each question, Sue answered “sick.” This was the key to getting her the help she needed. She has now been wearing her Irlen Spectral Filters for three years and is pain-free. She no longer suffers from headaches and migraines. Children do not make up or create physical symptoms. The symptoms are real, and the children need to be believed. The first step to alleviating headaches is proper identification of the problem.