School

The Education in Britain and China Abstract: Education plays an important role all over the world. A highly developed nation depends on educated professionals and a skilled workforce. Education is an absolute necessity for economic and social development. UK and China, sharing different culture, have two typically different education systems. This essay pays more attention to the diversity of two education systems. Some similarities and differences can be found, which can be classified as the comparison in eastern and western education. Key Words: Education; Britain; China;

Introduction: The education system of the I-JK is quite special and has an old history of evolution. It differs from that of China, but there are also some connections and differences between two countries. As for which one is better, it depends. Just as a coin has two sides, both are better than each other in some areas. Body: 1 . Education System Education is a vital concern throughout Britain. The Britain education system is divided into early years, primary education, secondary education and tertiary education. While in China the public education is run by the Ministry of Education.

All citizens must attend school for at least nine years. The government provides free primary education and secondary education for the teenagers. And there is also pre- school education, higher education and other educations. 1 Pre- school Education Up to age 5, children in Britain may have some pre-schooling in nursery schools, day care or play groups. The government has no obligation to provide such facilities, so many schools are private enterprise arrangement. The condition is similar in China. While the government also provides some financial support for parents in Britain, hat we don’t have in China. Primary School In Britain, primary education is given for the students aging from 5 to 11. In this period, students learn to read and write. It is similar to the educational system in China. 3 Secondary Education In Britain, students from 11 to 16 years old receive secondary education. They follow a general syllabus which leads to the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). After passing this exam, there is a selection of subjects. Lessons are given together with assignments which need to be completed in order to pass this level. While in China, the aim of three-year middle education is to enter into a better high school.

High school is essential for Chinese students to get into a better university. So it is necessary for Chinese students to study hard. 4 Higher Education After further studies in the I-JK, students can accept higher studies. There are about 90 universities, including the Open University, Oxford, and Cambridge, that were established in the 13th Century. Universities are funded indirectly by central government grants. They enjoy complete academic freedom, appoint their own staff, ecide what kind of students to admit, provide their own courses and award their own degrees.

Admission is by selection, which is on the basis of A- level results, school reterences and an interview. Older students may quality tor admission through different examinations provided by fundamental courses of further education at colleges. Degrees are awarded after successful continuous work assessment and final examinations. The higher education in China is obviously different from I-JK. In China, it is commonly considered that public universities, especially those national universities are better than private ones, under great nfluence by the Soviet Union’s higher education system.

Universities in China generally select their students based on students’ performances in the College Entrance Examinations; the entrance scores required by public universities are typically much higher than those of private ones. 2. Teaching Mode On the whole, we may use “flexibility’ to describe British mode and “formality’ to outline Chinese mode. This kind of mode is typical in the universities. In British, there is no fixed text books or bibliography, your texts are in the library and in every aspects of social life related to your specialty.

The professor will choose his content of teaching in accordance with the latest trends and requirements of society. Apart from traditional classes and lectures, informal group work, presentation and manual practices also abound, which improve students’ ability to pose new points as well as to analysis and solve practical problems. All of these make them more competitive in the Job market. In contrast, Chinese pattern of teaching is more systematic and rigorous, inheriting the legacy of feudal times. The majesty of teacher prevailing, few disciples dare to defer the supreme authority of their hierophant.

This sort of manner ensures the accurate and effective inform of knowledge, while hampers the spirit of innovation. Despite new systems of appraisal of pupils imported from the west, exams still retains its dominant place in evaluating how a student is getting on. That is probably why Chinese “geniuses” sweep almost all the gold medals of ‘MO, but none manage to get a Nobel Prize in science technology. 3. Conclusion The British school children are not designed for the future to impart certain specialized knowledge, but the key to expand children’s horizons, to develop good abits, for future acceptance of high level education.

Children in the classroom learn what they want and how to learn. The class atmosphere is free with no unified regulations or formal syllabus, but with children’s love to move, easy to transfer the characteristics of interest, whenever and wherever possible to replace the teaching content. In addition to simple reading, writing, calculating, music, dancing, painting, and handmade, they also carry out various activities whatever children like. “Open education” is the biggest characteristic of British school children. This kind of eaching method is used in both group activities and individual activities.

A flexible schedule and many self-education materials are used to cultivate children’s independence and creativity. The Chinese education is a little bit different from Britain’s. Children in China are a little more stressed than those in Britain. China’s exam-oriented education is a huge burden for today’s children. Designed to give the students hardly any time to breath, the Chinese education system is adept in teaching the children “summaries”, also teaching that it’s perfectly acceptable not to uestion the status quo. (A Chinese Teacher’s Perspective: China and the U.

S. Education Systems Compared) In conclusion, the differences between Britain and China result from the culture differences. The western education puts emphasis on diversi ty, tree learning atmosphere and the lite principle ot playing, learning and growing. It is something that we lack and need to modestly study. While there is no strict core system in the content of the curriculum, happy growth reduces to follow one’s own inclination. Each has its own merits. All we need to do is that”learn from ach other, take the essence and discard the dregs, and grow together.

Colonial School vs. Modern Era The impact of schools has been ever changing. From their New England traditions, to civilizing of western settlers, and finally the requirement of educated individuals what schools and education have to do in society is constantly being molded and remolded. New models, ideas, ideals, and requirements for schools are constantly being established and have come a long way from the colonial period to the modern era.

During colonial times school and education was used to “maintain the authority of the government and religion” (Spring 13) as well as to maintain social distinction and uphold morals. Unlike today, many schools in the New England colonies relied heavily upon religious and racist teachings. And many people agreed that it was important to include religion in schools just as it was included in many other practices at the time. This however created a major problem for the growing country as schools not only excluded all religions besides Protestant Christianity but also as a result were racist against peoples of other beliefs.

Many new immigrants to the United States were shocked and upset that a nation boasting freedom of religion was forcing one specific religion through the use of schools and even discriminating against the people of different religious backgrounds. As pointed out in the film School: The Story of American Public Education, Part 1 early Irish settlers, who were mostly devout Catholics, came to find that the primers used in schools forced children to not only learn and recall Christian beliefs and proverbs but also painted Irishmen in an undoubtedly negative light going even so far as to call them “foul” and even the “lowest of people”.

As a result of this discrimination Catholic groups in the nineteenth century rebelled and reform of schools began to take place. Schools were also means to teach children to obey the laws of society and the government. Much of colonial society was based upon class and the distinction between them. It was not only important to the puritan society that children read the Bible but also become good workers and members of society.

First thanks to the Massachusetts Law of 1642 and then in 1647 the “Old Deluder Satan Law” (Spring 17) a system was established that required towns to be concerned with the literacy and education of their children. It also required towns with over fifty households to appoint a teacher to teach reading and writing in the community and those with over one hundred households to also establish a grammar school, which emphasized Latin and Greek, to prepare students for higher education.

During the colonial period apprenticeship was common but because the nation was small many of the apprenticeships were either cut short or unavailable. It was one of the jobs of a master to teach literacy and maybe arithmetic to his apprentice but because of the unavailability many fell short of this requirement. It then fell upon the law to create the aforementioned schools and educate children to not only teach them the ability to read the bible and the laws of the nation but to also educate them in the proper way to conduct themselves in social and formal work settings.

Much of the actual teaching of morals and way of conducting oneself was taught in the literacy schools, once a child was able to adhere to the rules and was sufficient enough in reading and writing they were able to attend grammar schools, with enough money in some cases, so that they may be able to move onto college and careers beyond. It comes as no surprise that English colonists thought of the Native Americans as uncivilized, lawless, and godless and attempted to introduce all of these elements to them through schools and religious institutions for their own benefit.

Here education served an entirely different purpose, as cultural imperialism. Despite the disinterest from Native Americans, and cultures worldwide, the English refused to give up their hopes on instilling their culture and beliefs upon other peoples. In North America these efforts were accompanied by genocide and “it is estimated that ninety percent of the Native American population on the East Coast was lost during the European invasion” (Spring 24), largely due to diseases brought by settlers but also due to the feelings of cultural and racial superiority that white settlers heavily believed in.

Benjamin Franklin even believed that there needed to be more white people in the world and that “ ‘the principle body of white people’ should populate North America…[and] ‘why increase the Sons of Africa, by planting them in America, where we have so fair an opportunity, by excluding all Blacks and Tawnys, of increasing the lovely White? ’” (Spring 25) This overwhelming feeling of superiority by the white settlers brought them to see the Native Americans as an obstacle they needed to overcome. Some of the things that they wanted to change about the Indians were their work habits, views on sexuality, family organization, and women’s power.

All of these things directly contrasted to the puritan beliefs of a male dominated authoritarian modest culture. Early education of the Native Americans was completely unsuccessful with many of the teachings being simply laughed at by the Natives and forgotten. After passing an execution law for those who were not civilized and God-fearing people, schools began to be established specifically for the process of civilizing Native Americans. Eleazar Wheelock founded the Dartmouth College in 1769 (Spring 28) where Indian children were “removed from their tribes…and plac[ed] into boarding schools for cultural conversion. (Spring 28) Wheelock believed that if the Native Americans were deterred from their native culture and taught to live like the colonists and educated into specific roles such as farming and cultivation for boys and homemaking for girls they would be able to successfully convert and that Indian Wars would no longer be a problem. This system seemed to have worked when Samson Occom, a Mohegan Indian, not only successfully passed through the school but also went on to travel to England to advocate for the system and the establishment of more “Praying Indian” schools.

Obviously today’s schools are much less grounded in religious and white superiority traditions. Although some themes do continue to the present such as education being a means of preparing children to obey government laws, that education will eliminate crime, immorality, and poverty, and that education is a source of social mobility. (Spring 14) In the home children today are nurtured and while they are taught social conduct and what is right and wrong it is in the classroom that children learn to sit still, obey people outside their family, work with others, and to complete tasks on time.

These are all requirements any job will entail and are best experienced in an educational setting. Many people also believe that education for their children will give their children a better life than them. Today’s parents want their children to grow up to be better, to be more prosperous, and more educated than themselves. Schools promise to provide the means for children to excel in life. Not only will the education of children allow them to obtain better jobs and more rewarding careers but it is considered that by acquiring knowledge people will inherently choose to “be good” eradicating immorality and crime.

As previously mentioned modern education frowns upon the inclusion of religion in the classroom, except in cases such as Catholic or other religious or private non-publically funded school. Schools today are for knowledge only, a place where all the findings, ideas, and information of the world is attempted to be taught to the young and bright minds of today. Another stark difference between colonial education and today’s society is that culture and difference are celebrated. While cultural superiority may never fully die out today’s schools advocate for acceptance and pride in the diversity of students.

Rather than suppress the cultural individualism many classrooms explore and exhibit the as many cultures as they can and bring light and information to everyone about each other. Much of education today leads toward higher education, whereas during colonial periods higher education and prestigious jobs were delicacies for the elite. In some cases this is still true, where students who may be deserving of quality education may not be able to pay the tuition of prized private schools such as Harvard, Stanford, or MIT.

But for the most part educations at non-Ivy league schools are still highly regarded and sometimes even praised as those who may attend them have more “real life experience”. Employers today not only worry about where one went to school but what he or she did there and what type of person they are. This makes schools in the modern era a place for equality, where anyone can become their wildest dreams. Bibliography Spring, Joel H. The American School: A Global Context from the Puritans to the Obama Era. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011. Print.

Education System In India- High School

In India, high school is a grade of education which includes Standards VII to X. Standards XI to XII called as Higher Secondary School or Senior Secondary School or Junior college. Some states refer to Standards IX and X as High School, while XI and XII are termed as Intermediate. Other states refer to VI, VII, VIII, IX and X (grades 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10) as Secondary school and XI and XII (grades 11 and 12) as Senior Secondary School. Usually, students from ages 14 to 18 study in this section.

These schools may be affiliated to national boards like Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) or National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) or various state boards. There were only 20 universities and 500 colleges in the Indian subcontinent (including Bangladesh and Pakistan) in 1947, the year of Indian independence. Now there are about 376 universities and 17,700 colleges in India only, many with world class physical infrastructure. Many private research institutes are also coming up on a regular basis.

The only Nobel prize for India (Indian citizen at the time of the award) in science for C. V. Raman (1930, University of Calcutta) also came in that era. We also had many world class scientists during that time (e. g Satyen Bose, J. C. Bose, Homi Bhaba etc). Now India is the second fastest growing in the world and third largest economy in Asia with huge budget in so-called education and research. But we do not have any world class scientist (who has a slightest chance to get Nobel Prize in science) in India or abroad (as per a survey published in a reputed Bengali magazine, “Desh”, sometime ago).

We see huge uproar when previous government wanted to “introduce accountability” in some elite institutes like IIM or IITs but we never see a fraction of that excitement among educated middle class people or our political masters to reform primary and secondary education although our primary and secondary education system, the backbone of our country, is in a pathetic shape. Our middle class people, who can not afford to send their kids abroad but dream to have a better, more powerful and comfortable life for their kids do not allow any meaningful reform of primary and secondary education since independence.

Our current education system selectively discards talented students with inquisitiveness, ability to ask questions and dream to do something challenging, something better for the society. Now we only produce private tuition and coaching enabled, mugging-up grade technicians who are great to do routine jobs (as in IT or BT) or imitating others (mainly true for Indian R&D sector in any branch of science and in any industry), but not capable of doing original research, despite of having many world class physical infrastructure, huge budget and some so-called “elite” institutes.

My recent experience with many graduate students form some high profile Indian institutes/universities indicate that the trend to emphasize on database type knowledge, quiz type information and fascination with techniques (not science as such) are still highly prevalent. No wonder India is among the least innovative nations in the world. Quality of Indian science education and research is going down at an alarming rate since independence, despite of huge increase in funding (1, 2, 3 and Balaram, P. (2002).

Science in India: Signs of Stagnation. Current Science 82, 193-194. ). We need to invest much more and have an intensive and proper supervision of primary and high school education than wrongly focusing on higher education and research at the top level, at this time. Recently passed Right to education bill is a step towards the right direction. But here again we need to remember that many such great policies hardly achieve anything in reality and only limited within government files and the money ends up in the pockets of few selected people.

Whatever money we spend on higher education and research is not going to give us any novel knowledge or technological edge unless we have right candidate behind the costly machines we buy. Now we produce mainly technicians, not scientists or technocrats and feel proud to export such raw materials to manpower-starved developed countries ( be it IT or BT, the two main pillars of Indian economy today). This might lead to some degree of prosperity in the short term but we are going to loose in a big way in the long run unless we totally overhaul our basic education system at primary and high school level. It’s useless to cut the roots and then water on the top.

Schemes and Programmes

 The development of Secondary Education sector is also guided by the following Centrally Sponsored Schemes:

1. Integrated Education for Disabled Children
2. Improvement of Science Education in Schools
3. Promotion of Yoga in Schools
4. Strengthening Boarding and Hostel Facilities for Girls
5. Environmental orientation to School Education.
6. National Population Education Project.
7. National Awards for Teachers.

A brief description of each of these Schemes is given below. Vocationalisation of Secondary Education A Central Institution of Vocational Education named “Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational Education (PSSCIVE)” was set up at Bhopal in 1993 under the overall umbrella of NCERT. The Institute acts as an apex level research and development organisation in the field of vocational education and provides directs and academic support to the programmes.

Integrated Education for Disabled Children (IEDC)

Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided for education of disabled children which includes assistance towards books and stationery, uniforms, transport allowance, readers allowance for blind children, escort allowance for severely handicapped children, boarding and lodging charges for disabled children residing in hostels, salary of resource teachers and helpers, setting up and equipping resource rooms, survey and assessment of disabled children, purchase and production of instructional material, training and orientation of resource teachers, funds for making modifications in school buildings and salary of an administrative Cell at the State level to implement and monitor the programme. According to the last survey conducted by the NSSO in 1991, the population of disabled children was estimated at 16. 15 million which is currently estimated to have gone up to 20 million. Under the Persons with Disabilities Act it has become mandatory for the Central/State/local governments to provide basic education to children with disabilities up to 18 years of age.

The Act also calls for a series of activities to promote the education of such persons and mainstream them in general school system. Based on the provisions of the Act and experiences in recent years it is proposed to revise the existing IEDC for which a group has been set up. Improvement of Science Education in Schools With a view to identifying a nurturing talent in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry at school level, the International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), Internal Physics Olympiad (IPhO) and International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) is held every year. India has been participating in these Olympiads since 1989, 1998 and 1999 respectively.

Each participating country is required to send a team comprising not more than 6 secondary student contestants to IMO, 5 secondary student contestants at IPhO and 4 contestant students to IChO apart from a leader and deputy team leader. Environmental Orientation to School Education The National Policy on Education (NPE), 1986, provides that the protection environment is a value. The Scheme was initiated in 1988-89. The Scheme envisages assistance to voluntary agencies. The voluntary agencies are assisted for conduct of experimental innovative programmes aimed at promoting integration of education programmes in schools with local environmental conditions.

• Three Resource Centres namely
• Uttra Khand Seva Nidhi, Almora
• CPR Environmental Education Centre, Chennai and
• Centre for Environment Education

Ahmedabad have been designated as nodal agencies for mobilisation, involvement and provision of financial support to NGOs/voluntary organisation in their respective regions for conducting innovative and experimental programmes in the field of Environmental Orientation to School Education.

Population Education Project

National Population Education Project (School Education) was launched in April 1980 with a view to institutionalise population education in the school education system. The objectives of the project are:

1. Introduction of Adolescence Education (with major components like process of growing up, HIV/AIDS Education, Drug Abuse in Schools and Teachers Education); and
2. Re-orientation, updating and improvement of the elements of Population Education in the light of Programme of Action adopted by the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1984.

National Awards to Teachers

These were instituted in 1958. There are 302 awards out of which 20 awards are reserved exclusively for teachers of Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic teaching in traditional institutions. In order to be eligible the teacher should have put in 15 years of continuous service on the date of consideration of his claim by the State level Selection Committee.

In college we must manage our time carefully and responsibly as we reach for what we plan to do. With as we grow older, the responsibilities grow up and always we have the feeling that the day is too short. For that we must be careful in taking our decision. The attendance is very important in high school. School attendance is a baseline factor in determining student success. You can’t miss from the class without a good explanation. In college we want to be there every time, not to lose the main idea of the course and learn something new every day and apply to the next chapter.

In high school we are some bored kids who hint that all that glitters is gold and nobody can tell us what to do with it. We just don’t have any motivation to remain in the classes and wait to hear the bell so we can meet with our friends from other classes. As children, think that is one of the reason why we go to school. We can still find a lot of differences, but you may just be missing some importance in opinions. Each has different conclusion on the topic. I have to manage my time very carefully because with a full time job and evening classes I need a good rest and sleep enough to be responsible and competent for the next day.

For me it’s important participation in school and concentrate on the course so can continue my study at home and know what have to work. I have my own motivation and am not forced by anyone to continue my studies. I prefer to study to enrich my vocabulary words and have a good package of knowledge to be prepared for the future and to have a greater chance of finding a better job. Everyone knows that people in high school and college could not be apart.

Some people think that students benefit from going to private secondary schools. Do you agree or disagree? Parents are always making all efforts sending their children to good schools and private secondary schools always can provide better education. Many people argue that studying in private middle school brings a lot of benefits to students. Others, on the other hand, claim that several problems may emerge if children going to private schools when they are in their adolescence.

Before rendering my opinion, I think it is important to take a glance at the arguments on both sides. Some people strongly believe that it may arouse some problems both to parents and their children. For one thing, the tuition fees in private schools which belong to some individuals are higher than those of public schools which receive financial support from the government. It is a big financial burden to some families, especially those ordinary families with more than two children.

Next, there are a large number of students who are from the royal family or family with big fortune and power choose to go to private schools. They have a sense of superiority over others, so other fellow students may have difficulties making friends with them. More important, potential discrimination may do harm to children’s mental health. Furthermore, too many expectations given by their parents may lay too much stress on their children and as a consequence result in fierce peer competition.

However, there are also some others who contend that private secondary schools have more merits than drawbacks. First and foremost, teachers are mostly of high academic quality and schools are furnished with sufficient and sound teaching facilities. Thus students can acquire knowledge in a pleasant environment. Moreover, small classes are usually adopted in private school which is more effective and guarantees students with more face to face communication chances. Thirdly, some special courses such as manners, tea ceremony and financial management are available in private schools.

As part of extracurricular courses, it plays a positive role in students’ knowledge enrichment and temperament cultivation. To sum up, we cannot deny that both sides are well-grounded. In my opinion, if money permitting, it is much better to receive secondary education in private school. There are sufficient equipment and resources for study and mini-class teaching makes students more concentrating on their studies. What is more, encouraging students to participate in some special courses can cultivate their taste and improve their comprehensive quality.

Probably no single movement so greatly affected colonial America than the protestant reformation. Most of the eurpeans who came to America were protestants, but there were many denominations. Lutherans from Germany settled in the middle collonies along with Puritans and Presbyterians. The reormation placed great emphasis on the written word. Sectarian schools were needed to promte the growth of each religious sect. Luther’s doctrines made it necessary for boys and girls to learn to read the scriptures.

While the schools that the colonies established in the 17th century in New England, southern and middle colonies differed from one another, reflecting a concept of schooling that had been left behind in Europe. Most poor children learned through apprenticeship and had no formal schooling at all. Where public school systems existed in European countries such as france and gemany, they were dual systems. When a child of the lower and middle class finished his elementary schooling he could go on to a vocational school.

The upper class child was tutored for nine years and then went to a secondary latin school. The purpose of the latin school was to prepare for a university, from which he could emerge as a potential leader for his country. With the American education system there was chance to climb the social ladder. Those who did go to elementary school were taught reading,writing, math and religion. Learning consisted of memorizing stimulated by whipping. The first textbook the New England Primer was America’s own contribution to education.

Used from 1609 until the beginning of the 19th century, its purpose was to teach both religion and reading. the child learning the letter A for example also learned that ” In Adams fall, We sinned all. ” As in Europe schools were strongly influenced by religion. This was also true of schools in the New England area settled by Puritans. Like the Protestants of the Reformation who established vernacular elementary schools in germany in the 16th century the Puritans sought to make education universal.

They took the first steps toward government supported education in the colonies. The “Old Deluder Satan Act” passed in 1647 by puritans in Massachusetts requirded every child be taught to read. Puritan or not all of the colonial schools had clear cut moral purposes. Skills and knowledge were considered important to the degree that they served religious ends and trained the mind. Early schools supplied the students with moral lessons not just reading writing and math. Obviously the founders saw it necessary to apply these techniques so that students learned particular values.

The Industrial revolution began in europe and spread to America a few decades later. One effect of the change from an agricultural to industrial economy was the demand for schools to train students for the workforce. Vocational and industrial education better supplied students with the knowledge to enter a career rather than religious studies. The vocational value of shop work was considered part of general education. The need for skilled workers and the demand for high school education for those not bound for college caused manual training to gain speed.

Educaton was coalled upon to meet the needs of employers. Practical content was in competition with religious concerns. Vocational education was more significant in the middle colonies beacuse the land wasn’t very fertile. people had to look for work other than farming. The academy that Franklin founded in 1751 brought education closer to the needs of everyday life. Subjects were more practical seeing how business and industry was driving the economy. Religious classes could not pay the bills or make a living.

All of us suffer from an occasional headache; in fact, 20 million Americans see their doctors each year because of headaches. Headaches are also the leading cause for missing school and work in this country.

There are many different types of headaches ranging from just ordinary pain, to pain associated with a disorder or serious medical condition.

I”d like to discuss the worst type of headache. The type of headache I”d like to discuss, the Migraine, although intense in its pain, is not associated with a medical condition or injury. The Migraine is a recurring throbbing headache, affecting only one side of the head and often accompanied by many symptoms. Although many people use the word “Migraine” to describe any severe headache, this is not correct. Migraines are a specific headache caused by changes in the blood vessels that supply the brain.

Usually, Migraines become less frequent with increasing age and are relatively uncommon after the age of 50. After interviewing my grandmother, who is a special case Migraine sufferer, she told me that her Migraines began when she was seven. Often in school she would have the classic migraine symptoms- she would see only half of her teacher and bright lights and flashes up to 20 minutes before her Migraine began. These symptoms are called auras and once they are gone the Migraine begins. The Migraine itself can lead to vomiting, slurred speech, makes the sufferer sensitive to light and worsens when there is a lot of noise.

The mechanism is not completely understood, but many women have their most severe attacks during or just before their menstrual period. This is supposedly due to the hormonal imbalance during that time.

So, what can we do to prevent Migraines?

Because Migraine headaches can recur for years and medication may lead to side effects and rebound headaches prevention is the key aspect in the management of migraines.

Pay close attention to your diet. See if avoiding certain foods can prevent a migraine. The three C”s- Cheese, chocolate and citrus are the most common foods which trigger migraines.

I”d like to discuss sleep habits. While it”s important to get enough rest, avoid oversleeping as well. It”s best to go to bed and get up at about the same time each day, since this helps to regulate and stabilize the brain”s important biological clocks. To make up for loss of sleep after a late night, rest or nap later in the day if necessary.

Has anyone ever read the ingredients of Excedrin? Well if you have you”d have noticed that Excedrin”s three active ingredients are: Acetaminophen (which is Tylenol), Asprin and surprisingly enough, Caffeine. I remember a day last year around the time that we had finals, when my sister, I”m not just blaming her, it was really her fault, bought these pills named Vivavrin. As soon as I took one of these pills my head began to throb and I, who have a long family history of migraines, received one.

Now, if Caffeine triggers Migraines, why would a Migraine medicine contain Caffeine to relieve them? Caffeine is a stimulant and can speed up the heart, raise blood pressure and interfere with relaxation. Caffeine is not a good thing to take when you don”t have a headache. Strangely enough, once a headache has begun, Caffeine can be helpful. This is because Caffeine is an adjuvant- it enhances and quickens the effects of pain medicine. That is why it is added to many over-the-counter medications including Excedrin to treat headache pain.

To conclude, a person must pay close attention to his organism. With the first symptoms of a severe headache, it is best to consult a doctor who will conduct tests and establish a valid reason for the pain.