Precipitating
Factors: Seasonal allergens, such as pollen, molds. Allergies to food are not
usually a factor.
Treatment:
Antihistamine medication; topical, nasal cortisone related sprays; or
desensitization injections
Prevention:
None
Aneurysm
Symptoms:
May mimic frequent migraine or cluster headaches, caused by balloon-like
weakness or bulge in blood-vessel wall. May rupture (stroke) or allow blood to
leak slowly resulting in a sudden, unbearable headache, double vision, rigid
neck. The individual rapidly becomes unconscious.
Treatment:
If aneurysm is discovered early, treat with surgery.
Prevention:
Keep blood pressure under control to prevent.
Arthritis
Headaches
Symptoms:
Pain at the back of head or neck which intensifies on movement. It is caused by
inflammation of the blood vessels of the head or bony changes in the structures
of the neck.
Symptoms:
Throbbing headache caused by rebound dilation of the blood vessels, occurring
multiple days after consumption of large quantities of caffeine.
Precipitating
Factors: Caffeine
Treatment:
Treat by terminating caffeine consumption in extreme cases.
Prevention:
Avoiding excess use of caffeine.
Chronic Daily
Headaches
Symptoms:
Refers to a broad range of headache disorders occurring more than 15 days a
month; two categories are determined by duration of the headache (less than
four hours and more than four hours).
Precipitating
Factors: Typically evolve from transformed migraine. Although not related to
chronic tension-type headache, they can evolve from episodic tension-type
headache. Can be associated with medication overuse.
Treatment:
Depending on the type of CHD, different treatment options exist. It is
important to limit analgesic use.
Prevention:
Based on diagnosis of headache, how long they last, and the number experienced
per month.
Cluster
Headaches
Symptoms:
Excruciating pain in the vicinity of the eye; tearing of the eye; nose
congestion; and flushing of the face. Pain frequently develops during sleep and
may last for several hours. Attacks occur every day for weeks, or even months,
then disappears for up to a year. Eighty percent of cluster patients are male,
most between the ages of 20 and 50.
Treatment:
Oxygen; ergotamine; sumatriptan; or intranasal application of local anesthetic
agent
Prevention:
Use of steroids; ergotamine; calcium channel blockers; and lithium
Depression and
Headaches
Symptoms:
People with painful organic diseased tend to become depressed.
Precipitating
Factors: Causes can originate from a wide variety of complaints that can be
categorized as physical, emotional, and psychic.
Treatment:
The presence of depression is often subtle and the diagnosis is frequently
missed. Depression is a wide spread affliction that can be treated, but first
it must be unmasked.
Prevention:
Physicians can prescribe tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin
re-uptake inhibitors, or monoamine oxidize inhibitors in the treatment of
headaches associated with depression.
Eyestrain
Headaches
Symptoms:
Usually frontal, bilateral pain directly related to eyestrain. It is a rare
cause of headache.
Symptoms:
Generalized head pain of short duration (minutes to an hour) during or
following physical exertion (running, jumping, or sexual intercourse), or
passive exertion (sneezing, coughing, moving one’s bowels, etc.)
Precipitating
Factors: Ten percent caused by organic diseases (aneurysms, tumors, or blood
vessel malformation). Ninety percent are related to migraine or cluster
headaches.
Treatment:
Cause must be accurately determined. Most commonly treated with aspiring,
indomethacin, or propranolol. Extensive testing is necessary to determine the
headache cause. Surgery is occasionally indicated to correct the organic
disease.
Prevention:
Alternative forms of exercise; avoid jarring exercises
Fever Headaches
Symptoms:
Generalized head pain that develops with fever and is caused by the swelling of
the blood vessels of the head.
Symptoms:
A boring, burning, or jabbing pain caused by inflammation of the temporal
arteries; pain, often around the ear, when chewing; weight loss; eyesight
problems. This rarely affects people under 50.
Precipitating
Factors: Cause is unknown. May be due to immune disorder.
Treatment:
Steroids after diagnosis; confirmed by biopsy
Prevention:
None
Hangover
Headaches
Symptoms:
Migraine-like symptoms of throbbing pain and nausea, but it is not localized to
one side.
Precipitating
Factors: Alcohol, which causes dilation and irritation of the blood vessels of
the brain and surrounding tissue.
Treatment:
Liquids (including broth); consumption of fructose (honey, tomato juice are a
good source)
Prevention:
Drink alcohol only in moderation
Hunger
Headaches
Symptoms:
Pain strikes just before mealtime. It is caused by muscle tension, low blood
sugar, and rebound dilation of the blood vessels, oversleeping, or missing a
meal.
Precipitating
Factors: Strenuous dieting or skipping meals
Treatment:
Regular, nourishing meals containing adequate protein and complex carbohydrates
Prevention:
Regular, nourishing meals containing adequate protein and complex carbohydrates
Hypertension
Headaches
Symptoms:
Generalized or “hairband” type pain that is most severe in the morning. It
diminishes throughout the day.
Precipitating
Factors: Severe hypertension: over 200 systolic and 110 diastolic
Treatment:
Treat with appropriate blood pressure medication
Prevention:
Keep blood pressure under control
Menstrual
Headaches
Symptoms:
Migraine-type pain that occurs shortly before, during, or immediately after
menstruation or at mid-cycle (at time of ovulation).
Precipitating
Factors: Variances in estrogen levels
Treatment:
At earliest onset of symptoms, treat using biodfeedback, ergotamine,
dihydroergotamine, or a 5-HT agonist. Once pain has begun, treatment is
identical to migraine without aura.
Symptoms:
Warning signs develop, which may include visual disturbances or numbness in arm
or leg. Warning symptoms subside within 30 minutes followed by severe pain.
Precipitating
Factors: There is a hereditary component. Other factors include: Certain foods;
the Pill or menopausal hormones; excessive hunger; changes in altitude;
weather; lights; excessive smoking; and emotional stress.
Treatment:
At earliest onset of symptoms, treat using biofeedback, ergotamine,
dihydroergotamine, or a 5-HT agonist. Once pain has begun, treat with: ice
packs; isometheptene; mucate; combination products containing caffeine;
ergotamine; DHE injectable and nasal spray; 5-HT agonists; analgesics or
medications, which constrict the blood vessels. Steroids may be helpful for
prolonged attacks.
Symptoms:
Severe, one-sided throbbing pain, often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, cold
hands, sensitivity to sound and light
Precipitating
Factors: There is a hereditary component. Other factors include: Certain foods;
the Pill or menopausal hormones; excessive hunger; changes in altitude;
weather; lights; excessive smoking; and emotional stress.
Treatment:
Ice packs; isometheptene; mucate; combination products containing caffeine;
ergotamine; DHE injectable and nasal spray; 5-HT agonists; analgesics or
medications, which constrict the blood vessels. Steroids may be helpful for
prolonged attacks.
Symptoms:
Best described as the rapid development (less than three days) of unrelenting
headache. Typically presents in a person with no past history of headache.
Precipitating
Factors: Does not evolve from migraine or episodic tension-type headache. It
begins as a new headache and may be the result of a viral infection.
Treatment:
Can resolve on its own within several months. Other cases persist and are more
refractory.
Prevention:
Does not respond to traditional options, but anti-seizure medications, Topamax,
or Neurontine can be used.
Post-Traumatic
Headaches
Symptoms:
Localized or generalized pain, can mimic migraine or tension-type headache
symptoms. Headaches usually occur on daily basis and are frequently resistant
to treatment.
Precipitating
Factors: Pain can occur after relatively minor traumas, but the cause of the
pain often difficult to diagnose.
Treatment:
Possible treatment by use of anti-inflammatory drugs, propranolol, or
biofeedback
Prevention:
Standard precautions against trauma
Sinus Headaches
Symptoms:
Gnawing pain over nasal area, often increasing in severity throughout day. Pain
is caused by acute infection, usually with fever, producing blockage of sinus
ducts and preventing normal drainage. Sinus headaches are rare. Migraine and
cluster headaches are often misdiagnosed as sinus in origin.
Precipitating
Factors: Infection, nasal polyps, anatomical deformities, such as deviated
septum that blocks the sinus ducts
Treatment:
Treat with antibiotics, decongestants, surgical drainage, if necessary
Prevention:
None
Temporomandibular
Joint (TMJ) Headaches
Symptoms:
A muscle-contraction type of pain, sometimes accompanied by a painful
“clicking” sound on opening of the jaw. It is an infrequent cause of headache.
Precipitating
Factors: Caused by malocclusion (poor bite), stress, and jaw clenching
Treatment:
Relaxation, biofeedback, and the use of a bite plate are the most common
treatments. In extreme cases, the correction of malocclusion may be necessary
Prevention:
Same as treatment
Tension-Type
Headaches
Symptoms:
Dull, non-throbbing pain, frequently bilateral, associated with tightness of
scalp or neck. Degree of severity remains constant.
Treatment:
Rest; aspirin; acetaminophen; ibuprofen; naproxen sodium; combinations of
analgesics with caffeine; ice packs; muscle relaxants; antidepressants, if
appropriate; biofeedback; psychotherapy; temporary use of stronger prescription
analgesics, if necessary.
Prevention:
Avoidance of stress; use of biofeedback; relaxation techniques; or
antidepressant medication
Tic Douloureux
Headaches
Symptoms:
Short, jab like pain in trigger areas found in the face around the mouth or
jaw; frequency and longevity of pain varies. It is a relatively rare disease of
the neural impulses and is more common in women after age 55.
Precipitating
Factors: Cause unknown, pain from chewing, cold air, touching face. If under
age 55, may result from neurological disease, such as MS.
Treatment:
Anticonvulsants and muscle relaxants, neurosurgery
Prevention:
None
Tumor Headache
Symptoms:
Pain progressively worsens; projectile vomiting; possible visual disturbances
speech or personality changes; problems with equilibrium; gait, or
coordination; seizures. It is an extremely rare condition.
Precipitating
Factors: The cause of tumor is usually unknown.
Treatment:
If discovered early, treat with surgery or newer radiological methods.
Find a support group. You can find a support group closer to your area or find an online one. Brain aneurysm foundation usually has several support groups throughout the nation. If you can’t find one close to you, then consider forming one. You can also join the Brain Aneurysm Facebook support group, I am an active member.
Most brain aneurysm survivors continue to suffer from headaches that vary in intensity and duration. It is a pain that we stay hopeful that maybe…, just maybe we will wake up one day to a surprise that the headaches are no more. The sad reality, however, is that most of us have accepted the pain and found ways to live with it. At the same time, the headache comes with its own anxiety. Whenever the headache intensifies, we are constantly thinking of another brain aneurysm rupture. This is by far the worst nightmare that any brain aneurysm survivor wants to deal with.
About 3 months ago, I was introduced to Keto diet by my dear brother who had done it for 3 months and lost 35lbs.
I’m the kind of a person who has tried several diets in the past and never found one with successful longevity thus, my recent skepticism towards weight loss diets. I was very reluctant to try it but after he convinced me enough, I fell for it with a 2 week’s commitment.
Let’s dive right into my Keto journey addressed in a Q/A format.
When did you start
the diet?
I started the diet on the 7th of August 2019. To conserve my muscle mass, I am doing the high protein-low carb version of it. I try to keep my carb intake below 50g of net carbs per day. The first 2 weeks were very difficult but I have learnt to modify it into a lifestyle change rather than a diet with a specific end date. I think it is worth to mention that most western diets and America in particular, are loaded with carbs and sugars. It is amazing what happens to our bodies when we limit or eliminate these food items from our diet.
What changes did you
notice within the first 2 weeks?
The first and most obvious change that I noticed on the second day of doing keto diet was the absence of headaches. Typically, I used to have 3-4 days of constant headaches per week. Somedays I would take an Aleve in the morning just to have a pain-free day and somedays, I will just deal with the pain. It was almost too good to be true that I didn’t have any headaches.
After completing my first 2 weeks on keto, I still did not experience any headaches. That alone was my motivation to continue with the diet to date. I haven’t even had a slight headache. It almost feels as though my headaches have been suppressed with this diet.
When did you suffer
your brain aneurysm and how was it fixed?
My brain aneurysm ruptured in July of 2017 and it was fixed with the coiling procedure.
What other diagnosis
do you have?
Besides the other small intact aneurysm, I have high blood
pressure.
What medications do
you take?
On a routine basis, I take Atenolol, Hydrochlorothiazide, Nifedipine, Lisinopril, and Amiloride (all for BP) and magnesium and Vit D3. I also take Tylenol #3, regular Tylenol and Aleve for pain as needed. A lot of changes have happened though within the last 3 months. I have stopped Nifedipine, Lisinopril, and Tylenol #3 completely due to low blood pressure…YES! I have also reduced the frequency of Vit D3 from once a week to once a month. My doctors are impressed!
What other changes
have you experienced within the last 3 months since starting the keto diet?
Besides losing a whopping 28lbs as of today, I received a miraculous report on the CT and CTA tests of my brain at the beginning of October. My neurologist ordered me to have an extensive brain study that consisted of a 3-day EEG, CT, and CTA. This tests were ordered following an abnormal initial 25 minute EEG test which showed some slowing of my bilateral frontal lobes. I would like to point out that the initial EEG was done in early July prior to my journey on Keto. The extended EEG, CT and CTA were both done in September.
According to the results, everything was normal. No slowing of the brain activity in the frontal lobes was observed and both the CTA and CT did not detect any new aneurysms including the small one that had been observed on the scan that was done back in December of 2017. When I say my doctors (nephrologist, neurologist and primary care doctor) are amazed, it’s not a joke. Maybe it’s the diet, maybe it’s a miracle or maybe it’s a combination of both! I don’t know but I will continue doing what I’m doing.
Do you exercise routinely?
I walk about 2 miles 3-4 times a week and the rest of the
days I do tai chi or light Zumba. I have some video from YouTube that I use.
Did you have any
complications from the Keto diet when you started?
Besides obtaining valuable information from my brother who
had done it, I did my own research to know exactly what I needed to do to avoid
any possible complications while adopting it as a lifestyle change.
I take magnesium 400mg twice a day, multivitamin, and apple cider vinegar drops in my water about 3-4 times a week. I also drink lemon and ginger water daily before I go to bed. I think the secret to avoiding any possible GI related complications is consuming plenty of fluids. To avoid loosing more muscle weight, I consume a lot of proteins.
Therefore, I haven’t had any complications. My husband had the keto flu in his first week for a day or two but it wasn’t anything too serious.
Intermittent fasting
I have done and continue to do various kinds of intermittent fasting. I have done 48hr water fasting (once a month), and 16/8hr fasting( 2weeks in a month). This is basically fasting for 16hrs and eating in the 8hr window. What I do is skip breakfast or compress all the 3 meals within the 8hr window. I think fasting has a lot of benefits to the body in general such as:
Boosts weight loss
Increases energy
Promotes cellular repair and autophagy (when your body consumes defective tissue in order to produce new parts)
Reduces insulin resistance and protects against type 2 diabetes
Lowers bad cholesterol
Promotes longevity
Protects against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
Basically, I use butter, ghee, olive oil, coconut oil, and avocado oil to cook everything. I use unsweetened almond milk or regular grass-fed whole milk for my tea and coffee. Stevia as a sweetener. For fruits, I use berries and citrus. Once in a while, I will eat some pineapple and mangoes. Cauliflower, green beans, bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, lettuce, avocado, coconuts, all kinds of seafood, chicken, beef, pork, goat meat, lamb, nuts, nut butters…etc. are on the long list. I drink a lot of decaffeinated tea throughout the day. My favorite is rooibos tea that I was first introduced to while in the hospital in South Africa due to its tremendous health benefits. The tea is orange and sweet in nature that you don’t need to add a sweetener. I usually get the Fresh Pack brand from Amazon but it’s available in other brands from various stores.
There is a variety of food items to consume once you know your carbohydrate intake limit. My friend, however, decided to simplify things by purchasing a meal plan from https://mealplan.club/ that she shared with me. It’s a 3 month meal plan that includes mainly lunch and dinner. You can modify your breakfast or skip it all together. Not everybody can do the intermittent fasting. If you need actual meal samples, just let me know and I’ll share the meal plan with you or do another segment on it.
What is Keto diet exactly?
Keto stands for Ketogenic. It is a diet that has been around for almost 100years that was created mainly to treat people with drug-resistant epilepsy especially in children. This might explain why it has such positive effects on the brain function. The diet has helped me personally with improved mental focus and clarity. The biggest part is that it has eliminated my headaches!
Russel Wilder first used the ketogenic diet to treat epilepsy in 1921. He also coined the term “ketogenic diet.” For almost a decade, the ketogenic diet enjoyed a place in the medical world as a therapeutic diet for pediatric epilepsy and was widely used until its popularity ceased with the introduction of antiepileptic agents. The resurgence of the ketogenic diet as a rapid weight loss formula is a relatively new concept the has shown to be quite effective, at least in the short run.
Physiology and Biochemistry
Basically, carbohydrates are the primary source of energy
production in body tissues. When the body is deprived of carbohydrates due to
reducing intake to less than 50g per day, insulin secretion is significantly
reduced and the body enters a catabolic state. Glycogen stores deplete, forcing
the body to go through certain metabolic changes. Two metabolic processes come
into action when there is low carbohydrate availability in body tissues:
gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis.[4][5]
Gluconeogenesis is the endogenous production of glucose in
the body, especially in the liver primarily from lactic acid, glycerol, and the
amino acids alanine and glutamine. When glucose availability drops further,
the endogenous production of glucose is not able to keep up with the needs of
the body and ketogenesis begins in order to provide an alternate source of
energy in the form of ketone bodies. Ketone bodies replace glucose as a primary
source of energy. During ketogenesis due to low blood glucose feedback,
stimulus for insulin secretion is also low, which sharply reduces the stimulus
for fat and glucose storage. Other hormonal changes may contribute to the
increased breakdown of fats that result in fatty acids. Fatty acids are
metabolized to acetoacetate which is later converted to beta-hydroxybutyrate
and acetone. These are the basic ketone bodies that accumulate in the body as a
ketogenic diet is sustained. This metabolic state is referred to as “nutritional
ketosis.” As long as the body is deprived of carbohydrates, metabolism
remains in the ketotic state. The nutritional ketosis state is considered quite
safe, as ketone bodies are produced in small concentrations without any
alterations in blood pH. It greatly differs from ketoacidosis, a
life-threatening condition where ketone bodies are produced in extremely larger
concentrations, altering blood ph to acidotic a state.
Ketone bodies synthesized in the body can be easily utilized for energy production by heart, muscle tissue, and the kidneys. Ketone bodies also can cross the blood-brain barrier to provide an alternative source of energy to the brain. RBCs and the liver do not utilize ketones due to lack of mitochondria and enzyme diaphorase respectively. Ketone body production depends on several factors such as resting basal metabolic rate (BMR), body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage. Ketone bodies produce more adenosine triphosphate in comparison to glucose, sometimes aptly called a “super fuel.” One hundred grams of acetoacetate generates 9400 grams of ATP, and 100 g of beta-hydroxybutyrate yields 10,500 grams of ATP; whereas, 100 grams of glucose produces only 8,700 grams of ATP. This allows the body to maintain efficient fuel production even during a caloric deficit. Ketone bodies also decrease free radical damage and enhance antioxidant capacity.
Issues of Concern
Adverse Effects
The short-term effects (up to 2 years) of the ketogenic diet
are well reported and established. However, the long-term health implications
are not well known due to limited literature.[6][7][8]
The most common and relatively minor short-term side effects
of ketogenic diet include a collection of symptoms like nausea, vomiting,
headache, fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, difficulty in exercise tolerance, and
constipation, sometimes referred to as keto flu. These symptoms resolve in a
few days to few weeks. Ensuring adequate fluid and electrolyte intake can help
counter some of these symptoms. Long-term adverse effects include hepatic
steatosis, hypoproteinemia, kidney stones, and vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
Cautions and Contraindications
People suffering from diabetes and taking insulin or
oral hypoglycemic agents suffer severe hypoglycemia if the medications are not
appropriately adjusted before initiating this diet. The ketogenic diet is
contraindicated in patients with pancreatitis, liver failure, disorders of fat
metabolism, primary carnitine deficiency, carnitine palmitoyltransferase
deficiency, carnitine translocase deficiency, porphyrias, or pyruvate kinase
deficiency. People on a ketogenic diet rarely can have a false positive
breath alcohol test. Due to ketonemia, acetone in the body can sometimes be
reduced to isopropanol by hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase which can give a false
positive alcohol breath test result.
Clinical Significance
The popular belief that high-fat diets cause obesity and
several other diseases such as coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer has
not been observed in recent epidemiological studies. Studies carried out in
animals that were fed high-fat diets did not show a specific causal
relationship between dietary fat and obesity. On the contrary,
very-low-carbohydrate and high-fat diets such as the ketogenic diet have shown
to beneficial to weight loss.
Evidence Behind The Ketogenic Diet
In relation to overall caloric intake, carbohydrates
comprise around 55% of the typical American diet, ranging from 200 to 350
g/day. The vast potential of refined carbohydrates to cause harmful effects
were relatively neglected until recently. A greater intake of sugar-laden food
is associated with a 44% increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome and obesity
and a 26% increase in the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. In a 2012
study of all cardiometabolic deaths (heart disease, stroke, and type 2
diabetes) in the United States, an estimated 45.4% were associated with
suboptimal intakes of 10 dietary factors. The largest estimated mortality was
associated with high sodium intake (9.5%), followed by low intake of nuts and
seeds (8.5%), high intake of processed meats (8.2%), low intake of omega-3 fats
(7.8%), low intake of vegetables 7.6%), low intake of fruits (7.5%), and high
intake of artificially sweetened beverages (7.4%). The lowest estimated
mortality was associated with low polyunsaturated fats (2.3%) and
unprocessed red meats (0.4%). In addition to this direct harm, excess
consumption of low-quality carbohydrates may displace and leave no room in the
diet for healthier foods like nuts, unprocessed grains, fruits, and
vegetables.
A recent systemic review and meta-analysis of randomized
controlled trials comparing the long-term effects (greater than 1 year) of
dietary interventions on weight loss showed no sound evidence for recommending
low-fat diets. In fact, low-carbohydrate diets led to significantly greater
weight loss compared to low-fat interventions. It was observed that a
carbohydrate-restricted diet is better than a low-fat diet for retaining an
individual’s BMR. In other words, the quality of calories consumed may affect
the number of calories burned. BMR dropped by more than 400 kcal/day on a
low-fat diet when compared to a very low-carb diet.
A well-formulated ketogenic diet, besides limiting
carbohydrates, also limits protein intake moderately to less than 1g/lb body
weight, unless individuals are performing heavy exercise involving weight
training when the protein intake can be increased to 1.5g/lb body weight. This
is to prevent the endogenous production of glucose in the body via
gluconeogenesis. However, it does not restrict fat or overall daily calories.
People on a ketogenic diet initially experience rapid weight loss up to 10 lbs
in 2 weeks or less. This diet has a diuretic effect, and some early weight loss
is due to water weight loss followed by a fat loss. Interestingly with this
diet plan, lean body muscle is largely spared. As a nutritional ketosis state
sustains, hunger pangs subside, and an overall reduction in caloric intake
helps to further weight loss.
Other Issues
Long-term compliance is low and can be a big issue with a
ketogenic diet, but this is the case with any lifestyle change. Even though
the ketogenic diet is significantly superior in the induction of weight loss in
otherwise healthy patients with obesity and the induced weight
loss is rapid, intense, and sustained until at least 2 year, the understanding
of the clinical impacts, safety, tolerability, efficacy, duration of treatment,
and prognosis after discontinuation of the diet is challenging and requires
further studies to understand the disease-specific mechanisms.
A ketogenic diet may be followed for a minimum of 2 to 3
weeks up to 6 to 12 months. Close monitoring of renal functions while on a
ketogenic diet is imperative, and the transition from a ketogenic diet to a
standard diet should be gradual and well controlled.
Enhancing Healthcare Team Outcomes
To counter the obesity epidemic, some healthcare workers do
recommend the ketogenic diet. However, the primary care provider, nurse
practitioner, dietitian and internist need to be aware of a few facts.
Overweight individuals with metabolic syndrome, insulin
resistance, and type 2 diabetes are likely to see improvements in the clinical
markers of disease risk with a well-formulated very-low-carbohydrate diet.
Glucose control improves due to less glucose introduction and improved insulin
sensitivity. In addition to reducing weight, especially truncal obesity and
insulin resistance, low-carb diets also may help improve blood
pressure, blood glucose regulation, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol levels.
However, LDL cholesterol may increase on this diet.
Also, in various studies, the ketogenic diet has shown
promising results in a variety of neurological disorders, like epilepsy,
dementia, ALS, traumatic brain injury, acne, cancers, and metabolic disorders.
Due to the complexity of the mechanism and lack of long-term
studies, a general recommendation of the ketogenic diet for prevention of type
2 diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular disease may seem premature but is,
however, not farfetched for primary weight loss.
While in the short term the ketogenic diet may help one lose
weight, this is not sustained over the long run. In addition, countless studies
show that the diet is associated with many complications that often lead to emergency
room visits and admissions for dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, and
hypoglycemia. [9][10][11]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/
Put all of your trust unto God for He is the only one who can deliver you from any circumstance, no matter how big it is. Do not be anxious over things you do not know or have no control over. Live your life to the fullest trusting in nothing but only in God. If you are experiencing financial problems, talk to your doctor, church, and family members.
Follow-up with your doctor. After treatment make sure you do regular follow-ups including routine testing to monitor the treated aneurysm and any unruptured or new aneurysms. The frequency of the follow-up appointments and routine testing will be determined by your medical provider. Keep up with all of your preventative care exams
Have goals and be optimistic. Recovery is a lifelong process, and that shouldn’t discourage you from living your life to the fullest. Have goals and aim at achieving them, do not procrastinate. Take it as being granted a second chance in life, give it your very best. Remember, life stops when you stop living and begin existing. I’m sure, if you are like me, you are more curious to know why God saved your life. Do not think too hard, enjoy your life by spreading the love. Don’t forget to thank Him every day for the gift of life.
Take one day at a time during recovery. If you are blessed enough to make it to recovery, which I hope you or your loved one makes it, take it slow. Do not push yourself too hard. Remember that we are all different and we heal at different rates. Try to think positive and do not put so much blame on yourself for things that you had no control over. The fact that you are alive should give you a reason to be curious enough to see what tomorrow has in store for you. God has a special purpose for you. He chose you to bear that burden because He saw something in you that qualified you for that responsibility. Do not feel depressed if you are unable to do the things that you used to do before or if your memory is not as sharp as before. Give it time and do some memory exercises. One thing you must remember is that healing begins from within. When your soul is healed, your body will surely heal.
If you are a caregiver, please
be patient with your loved one.Bear
in mind that recovery is probably harder for patients compared to the
treatment. When your loved one realizes that he or she can’t do the things they
used to do before or just the thought of how life has changed for them and
those around them, they feel like a burden to you. You are the only person to
reassure them and give them hope when all seems to have been lost. Most
patients will suffer from at least one form of depression and will lack
interest in doing most things in life. It is okay and normal. Take it slow and
be patient. Things will improve with time. Know when to ask for help, do not
allow yourself to reach the burnout point.
If you are a caregiver and have lost
a loved one due to a brain aneurysm, do not be consumed by stress. You had no control
over what happened. Life is such a priceless thing, and only God can give it
and take it away at His own timing. No matter how painful it is, the sad truth
is that we all have a way to exit this life, and when our time comes, nothing
can stop us from leaving. Pray for your loved one and know that it was their
time to go and set them free.
Brain Aneurysm Global Insight 