Oxygen Therapy Is A Good Relief For Headache

Migraine headaches are very severe headaches that can be painful and disorienting. These headaches are typically associated with throbbing pains concentrated in one area, vision problems, sensitivity to sounds and light, and nausea. Migraines can last hours, or even days if left untreated. Cluster headaches are another type of severe headache.

These headaches are strongly focused on one side of the head, and may also cause pain in the eye. Cluster headaches can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours. Some medical practitioners have prescribed oxygen for headache sufferers, due to studies indicating that oxygen therapy may relieve the pain associated with migraine headaches and cluster headaches.

Headaches come in about as many varieties as headache treatments do. For some, headaches are a minor and occasional discomfort. They can be caused by stress, diet, or illness. For others, headaches can be debilitating. They can last hours, and cause nausea or loss of vision. The two main types of serious headache are migraine headaches and cluster headaches.

Tests have shown that for many with cluster type headaches and migraines, the use of oxygen for headache treatment may be one of the best options. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy - breathing pure oxygen in a sealed, pressurized chamber- causes blood vessels to constrict, and has been show to be a good treatment for migraines. Normobaric therapy consists of patients inhaling pure oxygen at normal room pressure, and this method has been shown in tests to be the best solution for cluster headache sufferers.

It wasn't until recently that patients could get access to oxygen without a doctor's prescription, and for many that do, it is often too expensive. Oxygen therapy is not largely recognized by health insurance providers. In attempt to self treat, many headache sufferers have decided to utilize oxygen bars and canned oxygen. Because the pain they deal with can be so debilitating and inconvenient, many headache sufferers want to try out these methods for themselves, even though both oxygen bars and canned oxygen are for recreational use only.