Physiologists have long known that when people get migraine headaches, cluster headaches, and tension headaches, the blood vessels in their brains dilate (increase in diameter). This causes pressure against nerves and causes pain. One strategy to reduce the headache pain level is to cause the blood vessels to constrict back to their normal diameter. There are many ways in which this can be done. Caffeine, for instance, causes blood vessels to constrict, which is why some over-the-counter headache medicines contain caffeine. More powerful prescription drugs that treat migraines are also designed to constrict the blood vessels. What else constricts the blood vessels? Cold air. Think about it.

When you breathe cooler air, the blood vessels near the mouth, throat, sinus cavities, and upper trachea constrict, reducing some of the pressure on the nerves in the head. Many migraine and cluster headache patients have found that breathing cool air for 15 minutes alleviates pain during headache attacks.

Cool air is a new way to reduce headache and migraine pain without drug side effects. Cool air has much in common with oxygen, a widely used method to treat cluster headache pain. But oxygen has its problems. You have to purchase it in pressurized cylinders and most medical supply stores require a doctor's prescription to get oxygen. In addition, researchers at the University of West Florida found that inhaling cold room air had even better results than oxygen inhalation in relieving headache pain.

The Migraine Manager takes advantage of this discovery. It's another weapon in the fight against headache and migraine pain.