video

Migraine and Heart Hole - PFO

Around twenty million Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Many can be treated with medications, but there are some who are still in pain.

Now, it appears that fixing a problem in the heart may help get rid of migraines!

This is just starting to be investigated, but there is a growing body of evidence, and belief, that closing a hole in the heart which many people—fifteen percent of us--have, could be the answer for migraine headaches in those who continue to suffer.

The P.F.O. occluder blocks off a hole in the heart called a P.F.O.--a patent foramen ovale. It’s a small opening normally seen in fetuses between the upper chambers of the heart, the right and the left atrium.

It allows blood to bypass the still non-functioning lungs.

After birth, the blood needs to go to the lungs first, so the hole closes. But if it doesn’t, blood can cross from the right side of the heart to the left side and then directly to the brain.

Dr. Barry Love, a specialist in Congenital Cardiac Catheterization at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, says, “Normally a patent foramen ovale is of no consequence, we wouldn’t look for it, there would be no consequence even if we found it.”

But many doctors believe that blood which has crossed a pfo and has not been filtered by the lungs may contain chemicals, hormones or tiny impurities which can trigger migraine attacks if they reach the brain.

A P.F.O. was first identified as causing strokes in many patients.

That’s what happened with Ariel Sharon.

So when they closed the P.F.O. with these kinds of devices, the patients who also had migraines noticed their migraines were gone.

That led to the studies on using this stroke treatment for migraines.

The latest research presented at major heart and neurology conferences showed 42 percent of those with large holes getting P.F.O. closure saw a 50 percent reduction in headache.

“The left side of the device is placed on the left side of the flap, the right is on the right side of the flap, closing the hole,” says Dr. Love.

“I am up to at least five headaches a week and that is just too many.”

Joyce Bartle is hopeful the amplatzer device will help her migraines. “I am looking to have a life that is simpler that isn’t reliant on medication.”

Overall, almost 40 percent of all patients studied had complete elimination of migraines.

“They certainly improved. So 40 percent is not as high as one would like it to be, but this is a difficult to treat population this is a challenging population. They may look at 40 percent and say gee that’s pretty good,” says Dr. Alan Karver, Director of Headache and Pain Management at Mt. Sinai Medical Center.

Many believe it’s at least a great start.

While the study fell short of initial expectations, it found that 42 percent of the patients reported at least a 50 percent decline in the number of days they had headaches.
That’s nearly twice as many as those in the control group that did not get the device.

Many experts say, those results are significant.

There will be several other studies in the U.S. starting soon on this potential migraine treatment.

Related Stories Links:

- CHOLESTEROL TREATMENT REVELATION
- DOWN SYNDROME TEST
- The Concept of Herd Immunization