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Showing results for tags 'hypothalamus gland'.
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Light, Darkness, Sleep & Temperature I was lucky to be diagnosed within a few months of my first attack in Jan 2020 and prescribed a nasal sumatriptan. My only period of remission came after I lost faith in my Neurological care & decided to look into the science of what is happening during an attack. I believe Cluster Headaches are a genetic condition which reveals itself due to certain factors like hormonal changes during pregnancy/adulthood & illnesses which lower the immune system (I had a bad case of Cellulitis just before my 1st CH) LIGHT could well be the main trigger to our overall cycles, but other things trigger our daily cycles: Alcohol, Stress, Temperature fluctuations, et cetera The 'Circadian Rhythm' is our internal clock located in the Hypothalamus, and is a twice daily temperature shift which allows our bodies to know when 24 hours has passed. (Our Circannual Rhythm tells us a year has passed) (This fits with our twice daily attacks being like clockwork!) Even the smallest amount of light that touches our skin is registered in the Hypothalamus, and causes cortisol to be produced (2-4 hours before you usually wake is a critical time & any light will negatively affect your natural hormonal balance) / Darkness produces Melatonin (Moonlight and a single candle is the only source of light that doesn't disrupt this process) The average TV screen produces around 600 lux, compared to the Moon, which emits 1 lux of light(Same as a candle)...So go easy on the TV after dark! COMPLETELY LIGHT-PROOF YOUR SLEEPING AREA! .my thinking is that light bursting in thru your curtains while you're sleeping could trigger the attack as your brain should only be producing Melatonin at this time. Turn off all appliances & block out any light leaks My attacks generally fall between 1-5 am & 1-5pm, so I take a break from the light in the early afternoon & I feel this has prevented many, many attacks.. Your location will also play a part in your cycles due to differences in Altitude, Latitude & Longitude - these things dictate how intense the Sunlight is & how many hours of light we're getting. (There is a seasonal aspect to our condition, so we must try to collate data so as to prevent that first attack of your cycle) Your eyes are actually part of your brain so any light that hits them will send a signal to the Hypothalamus, which might wake up ol' Cluster! [You must reduce the amount & intensity of light you receive after sundown!] Green & Red lights are better than blue & white light so experiment with Green/Red light bulbs & maybe buy some polarised eyewear that reduces blue light (I try not to let any lightbulbs be in my eyeline as this seems to trigger attacks for me) imo PTSD is a part of our condition as they both stem directly from the same exact part of the brain(This could explain that 'someone's just died' feeling I get before, during & after attacks) I'd be happy to answer any question or dig up some official studies to show that this kinda makes sense. Keep the faith my Clusterbuds!
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