Product Description

Product Description
In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. ... Read more

Product Description
Migraine is the most common neurological condition in the developed world. It affects over 15% of the UK population and is more prevalent than diabetes, epilepsy and asthma combined. Attacks can be completely disabling, forcing the sufferer to abandon everyday activities for up to three days.

Unfortunately there is no cure for migraine, but it is possible to bring the condition under control via a wide range of treatments, both orthodox and complementary. However, migraine is a complex condition, and a treatment that is successful for one person may have no effect or produce unacceptable side effects for another.

The scope of this pocketbook is intended to give a comprehensive but concise knowledge of established and salient new data on the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of headaches and migraines. It will appeal to both clinical and academic audiences, but will also appeal to general practitioners and related health care professionals. ... Read more

Product Description
These non-drug methods can be undertaken by anyone, without fear of side-effects, and can be most effective in pain relief. ... Read more

Product Description
Fourth author, Paul Winner, is with Premiere Research Institute, West Palm Beach, FL. Explores the pathophysiology of headache and the problems of diagnosis in young children, especially the issue of communication with young children. Emphasizes the importance of help from parents and teachers in recognizing symptoms and triggers. For clinicians. ... Read more

Product Description
Discusses migraines and other kinds of headaches and what can be done to get rid of them. ... Read more

Product Description
Stating that headaches are highly treatable if properly diagnosed, a comprehensive guide identifies how to prevent headaches by eliminating hidden causes and provides a complete list of medicines and alternative treatments. Reprint. ... Read more

Product Description
With more than one in ten Americans--and more than one in five families -- affected, the phenomenon of migraine is widely prevalent and often ignored or misdiagnosed. By his mid-forties, Andrew Levy's migraines were occasional reminders of a persistent illness that he'd wrestled with half his life, though he had not fully contemplated their physical and psychological influence on the individual, family, and society at large. Then in 2006 Levy was struck almost daily by a series of debilitating migraines that kept him essentially bedridden for months, imprisoned by pain and nausea that retreated only briefly in gentler afternoon light.

When possible, Levy kept careful track of what triggered an onset -- the "thin, taut" pain from drinking a bourbon, the stabbing pulse brought on by a few too many M&M's -- and in luminous prose recounts his struggle to live with migraines, his meticulous attempts at calibrating his lifestyle to combat and avoid them, and most tellingly, the personal relationship a migraineur develops -- an almost Stockholm syndrome-like attachment -- with the indescribable pain, delirium, and hallucinations.

Levy read about personalities and artists throughout history with migraine -- Alexander Pope, Nietzsche, Freud, Virginia Woolf, even Elvis -- and researched the treatments and medical advice available for migraine sufferers. He candidly describes his rehabilitation with the aid of prescription drugs and his eventual reemergence into the world, back to work and writing. An enthralling blend of memoir and provocative analysis, A Brain Wider Than the Sky offers rich insights into an illness whose effects are too often discounted and whose sufferers are too often overlooked. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A great read whether you suffer or know a sufferer
As a migraine sufferer for over 17 years, I have read much on this topic and find few books or articles that surprise me....until this book.When a friend recommended this after seeing an article about the book, she said, "Im not sure if you are having headaches every day the next thing you feel like doing is reading more about headaches, but here is a new book."The book is the perfect balance of personal diary, medical explanation of the mechanism of migraine, and history of the disease.Through this journey of a rather depressing topic, I am never once depressed.Levy gives beautiful insight into the world of migraine and how he as the sufferer feels and how it affects the loved ones around him.The historical detail is not dry or boring but inspiring as Levy recounts famous migraineurs such as Abraham Lincoln, Alexander Pope and Virginia Woolf and shows the parallels of infamous migraine productions such as Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland.I recommend this to any sufferer who needs a little understanding and inspiration and to any friend or family member of a sufferer looking to better understand the life and mind of the one they love.

real support for the migraine soul
Andrew Levy eloquently conveys the inner world of a migraine sufferer. It was interesting to read about the many historical figures who suffered migraines, but as one who has read just about every "headache" book, it was his personal story that reached me the most.
As migraine sufferers we can find guides to what medications might help, what foods to maybe avoid, etc, but never have I come across such a gripping, relatable account of what it's REALLY like to live with migraine.
In reading his memoir I found comfort. I also was surprised at how he would say something in words that I had felt so many times during a severe attack. I think my favorite quote is near the end of the book where he says: "The only person who loves sunlight more than someone who loves sunlight is someone who must ration it." You see, that quote would only make sense at first read to a migraine sufferer.
I hope this book finds it's way into many a migraineur's hands...and hearts, like it did mine.

Not Just for Migraineurs
Part memoir, part history, part medical journal, part literary criticism. Andy Levy weaves all of this into a book that is as entertaining as it is informational, and for those who have silently suffered migraines for years, I think that the book could provide a sort of validation that their suffering is real.

In order to combat his own severe migraines, Levy dives into the subject, reading as much as his headaches will allow him, and then parses that knowledge out to us as if telling his story could be the cure.

He provides stories about historical figures whose migraines affected (positively and negatively) their contribution to society, including the possibility that St. Paul's conversion might have been the result of severe migraine, or that Alice in Wonderland was Lewis Carroll's attempt to describe the a migraine experience.

At the heart of this book, though, is the personal account of Levy's own battle. And it is here, that the book is most poignant. It is here that Levy, the migraineur, lets down the guard and invites the reader into his world. It is here where fellow migraine sufferers can take heart and believe that their own pain is valid.

Levy points out that 12% of the U.S. population suffers from migraines. So, if you don't suffer them, you know someone who does, and this book will help you understand their daily struggle to cope with the disease.

There can be life when you have migraines.
I really liked how Andrew Levy uses his book to capture the struggles of living with migraine along with a historical journey of migraine treatments of the past. He also writes about artists and personalities throughout history who also had migraine such Virginia Wolf, Van Gogh, Freud, and even Elvis.

Living with chronic daily migraine, I was interested to learn about how migraine has influenced literature, music and even religion. I had no idea how migraine had permeated the realm of artists like Van Gogh and writers like Emily Dickinson, nor was I aware that the book "Alice in Wonderland" was about migraine symptoms experienced by the Louis Carroll.

On a personal note, Levy explores the effects migraines have on relationships, exposing the range of emotions one has to go through in trying to maintain a relationship with a loved one when you are in chronic pain.

This book really expanded my knowledge of migraines impact on the world, and it made me feel not so alone with living with this illness. It also gave me hope that there can be life and positive creativity even when you have migraines. ... Read more

Product Description
Provides guidance in mapping migraine profiles and information on breakthrough drug therapies, children's migraines, the links between migraines and PMS and menstruation, headache support groups, nondrug treatments, recent research, and other topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Good reference
This book was recommended by my specialist and I have shared it with many! Diet is everything!

Understanding Migraines
A great book with lots of information concisely written to help you manage your way through the maze of information currently available about migraines.

Fabulous Fabulous!!!
I visited the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN to try and find relief for my migraines.My doctor, Dr. Swanson, told me I should read this book.I was a little ticked off because i had throughly researched the subject and frankly thought I knew it all when it comes to my headaches.Imagine my suprise when I started actually reading the book, a month later, and discovered that not only does certain foods trigger but so does the weather. Yes that's right a low pressure front can trigger migraines.I also found out helpful tips to dealing with jackass emergency room doctors who think you are just there to get a "fix". It also should me preventative medications that might work if my current medication does not.This book is a easy read and very informative even to those of us who know it all!

A good overview of causes, types and treatment options
Written in everyday, non-judgemental language, the guide distinguishes between different types of headaches and migraines, and proceeds to offer treatments currently available.It's very respectful of the debilitating nature of this condition and really encourages the migraineur to take charge of his/her treatment and research as much as possible.I appreciated that they gave neutral comparisons of acute and preventive drugs, and covered a variety of non-drug approaches.Chiropractic was not recommended by them, although it has turned out to be a valid treatment for me, as well as attention to thyroid.There is also a supplemental reading list, as well as lots of positive support and encouragement to continue searching for what's right for you, which I found empowering.Also, a section for the family members to read who are affected by the migraineur's condition, and other specialized sections.A great reference to bring to your physician, and a good book for your family and friends to read if they want to understand more about your affliction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Manuscript for Migraine Consult
Overall, this book effectively provides information about migraine as if the author and the reader are in a consult session. The book is organized into simple question and answer format and the answers are in details with very understandable language. The book is especially helpful for those who want to get background information beforehand of a consult with an expert.

As a frequent headache sufferer myself, I found this book very helpful and interesting. Dr. Fontebasso, the author of the book herself is a general physician whose expertise lies in migraine and headache, and she manages to directly answer many possible questions which could be raised by migraine or headache sufferers. This book is easy to read and understand with the overall amicable tone from the author. The author tries to connect to its readers as if the reading is a consult with a physician and guides the reader to the next level of consult as the reading continues. The explanations are in much details and many figures assist in understanding of complex scientific information since not many of the readers would have scientific backgrounds. Some of the information is constantly repeated and I believe that it is because the author wants to emphasize the fact as if she is talking to her real patient.

The book is organized into 16 chapters. The information tend to flow from a chapter to next, however I would divide the whole context into four parts. In the first section, the author provides introductory information about migraine and headaches. From the basic definition of migraine to ways discern other conditions from migraine. After reading the first six chapters, one should have a good idea of whether certain condition is a migraine or not. The author successfully "nags" the readers what to look for before jumping into a conclusion and diagnosing her/himself.In the second part of the book, the author suggests some treatment options. Interestingly, the author provides many alternative therapies outside of conventional medicine such as acupuncture and homeopathy, despite the fact that she is a physician herself. She tries to offer objective views on such options for the readers. The author not only covers information on the acute treatments but also some of preventative treatment to stop the symptoms from occurring in the future. In the third section, migraines in specific population like children and women. From the diagnosis to why and how they are special and different from others are answered in this section. Finally, in the last section includes the appendices. The appendix actually is very helpful, providing glossary and index to help the readers navigate for information more effectively.

The author chose a very simple Q&A format for the book. All of the chapters are organized into a format a brief background information is given and the rest of the details are covered under specific questions which can be raised by real life patients. Then the answers are provided in friendly tone for in a straightforward manner. Many answers start off with YES or NO and supplemented with detailed explanations. Acquiring information is extremely easy and the series of questions naturally takes you to answer what you may have in mind next. I found the information flow very well that the rich experience of the author with real patients shines in these aspects.

There is one chapter which seems to be a bit off-track from the rest of the book. It is chapter 10 and it talks about what the doctors and nurses need to know about migraine. One might find it somewhat odd that author included this section, but she explains in her introduction that by doing this she can allow the readers to understand what health care professionals looking for therefore understanding which aspect of their condition is important to consider. Also this is to benefit health care professionals to empathize with headache sufferers more effectively. This section is formatted also in Q&A style. The questions are addressed as if the physicians are asking their patients. Then the author provides explanations of why the physicians do/should ask such questions.I found this section very interesting since I had wondered about some of these questions which seemed irrelevant to my situation before reading this book.

In addition, I found the appendices very beneficial. The appendices include glossary, index and list of headache related institutions. I thought it was very considerable of the author to include such information to make the readers' life easier. It provides contact information on organizations for various types of treatment options, and related institutions of any covered topics. However, unfortunately for those outside of UK, the author is from UK and the organizations provided are only the ones located in UK.

In introduction, she writes, "You need to understand what your headache is, know the best way to treat it, be involved in all areas of decision-making and, above all, take control so that you can feel in control and finally be in control." The book takes you through this process. It helps you to get an idea of what you are dealing with and possible treatment options you have. The author also engages with the readers and gives caring advices.

After finishing reading this book, I felt as if I had gone through a consult session with my physician. The author did not neglect to include some interesting facts to help its readers to keep interest in the book. So, even though the book contains a lot of information, following through was easy and smooth. She also emphasizes and recommends to get help from experts after reading the book to resolve their problems.

I highly recommend this book for those who are seeking information on suspected migraine symptoms. Especially before consulting a doctor, it will help them to know what to ask and expect from the consult. Also after a session, one can dwell on the information about migraine. The book is very effective in answering specific questions because it provides glossary and index with simple Q & A format. For those who need quick look-up for their specific questions about migraine at times, you will find this book very useful.

... Read more