Jennifer Shoquist

Today’s jam-packed migraine wheelhouse has treatments and lifestyle tips galore. Luckily, the right options will stop (or limit) your pain and nausea. Simply arm yourself with the latest knowledge on triggers to avoid, the medication that works for you, and a knack for moderating your sleep, exercise, hydration, meals, and stress.

Potty training is an important step in childhood development. As a parent, you need to recognize the signs that your child is ready for the toilet talk, institute a potty-training process, keep that process going, and recognize when your child is almost there. Along the way, you need to make sure that your child knows potty-trianing terminology, be able to spot problems that need medical attention, and separate potty-training myths from reality.

Keep an open mind as you check out your potty-chair choices: seats that attach to the big toilet, little potty chairs — and don't forget that you can always use that hand-me-down chair (from an older sibling or cousin), and let little sweetkins personalize it with stickers, making the throne hers alone. Encourage your trainee to sit on different chairs to check out size.

Handling the physical aspect of training a child with a disability is wildly different with individual kids, depending on the disability. You may need to provide high-tech props that facilitate movement from walker or wheelchair to the toilet (see the "Working with Special Gear" section in this article.) On the other hand, your child may need nothing more than some bars to grab onto when she's sitting down — and your friendly assistance.

Headaches aren't the only symptom of migraines. Migraines are an umbrella for multiple symptoms, and everyone experiences a migraine a little bit differently. How do you know you have a migraine? The following are the hallmarks of a migraine headache: A drooping eyelid (more common in cluster headaches but it can happen in migraines) Bloodshot eyes Cold hands and feet or feeling hot all over Flushed or pale face or a very red face Frequent, regular headaches Moderate to severe pain Pain lasts several hours to three days Tender scalp Throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head Feeling better after sleeping Associated symptoms include nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, sensitivity to loud noises and light, and feeling depressed.

Falling into the trap of migraine myths can prevent people from being diagnosed and treated properly. Migraines are valid problems. Migraine myths abound and some of the following are the more common misconceptions and the real story: Your doctor would have already told you if you actually had migraines. Not necessarily!

Whether you've been dealing with migraines for some time or you've never experienced one, make yourself aware of the symptoms that require medical attention. Severe headaches should not be taken lightly, if you experience any of the following symptoms, see a doctor as soon as possible: A headache accompanied by a stiff neck, fever, or rash.

If you're sick of dealing with migraines you need to develop a plan to prevent them. The steps to getting and staying as migraine-free as possible are: See your doctor for evaluation and treatment. Identify triggers and avoid them. Find medications that work and use them properly. Find a type of exercise that doesn't cause migraines for you and do it regularly.