Makeripples

“It’s like an ice pick stabbing your head.” When it’s a bad attack, “it’s not just painful, it’s completely incapacitating.” Every movement intensifies the pain and all senses become hypersensitive so that “you can’t make the world dark [or quiet] enough.”

Migraines are caused - as the current theory goes - by an area of the brain stem that’s activated by triggers like weather, certain foods, and hormonal changes. When that area is activated, it leads to the inflammation and dilation of blood vessels in the brain which cause the pain. You may already know this if you know what causes or helps them. The key in deciding what will help your migraine is to determine which type it is.

If your migraines are related to constricted blood vessels, opening those blood vessels will help. This is often done with coffee or caffeine products. These people can prevent “cool headaches” by taking supplements of capsicum or cayenne pepper much like the kind you cook with. I suggest daily use to do the best job. Exercise may also be helpful as it improves circulation as well.

Other migraines happen because the blood vessels are too wide open already and need to be cooled to constrict them. This is often because of over consumption of caffeine. These head aches are usually helped with ice packs or cool baths and can often be prevented with supplements like feverfew. Feverfew is a cooling constricting herb.

Either type of headache is a signal that something went out of balance in the body, because the body never gives pain as a random symptom. It always means something. It may signal dehydration. For your 160 pound frame you should be consuming about 80 ounces of water daily in servings of about 4-6 ounces at one time. More water may be needed whenever you drink dehydrating drinks like pop, alcohol coffee or tea.

Other triggers for migraines are chemicals in food. A common one is MSG. Often found in tomato products like sauce or salsa. Hydrogenated fat can be another problem especially for anyone with a history of learning disabilities.

If the liver is weak, filtering out toxins like chemicals from foods, paint, fertilizer or cigarette smoke can be a problem. Vitamin B12 taken under the tongue helps the liver use iron from meats and green veggies. This would help the liver and circulation.

Some migraines are also triggered by consumption of sugar. There are many nice alternatives to sugar on the market today. If you are not aware of them perhaps a visit to the archived newsletter about sweeteners will be helpful.

Chocolate is also a common dietary trigger of migraines.

I know many migraines are easily prevented; medications will often stop the pain but again we must beware that we are not simply masking the body’s cries for help.

How to look after yourself and avoid migraine!

• Don’t skip meals
• Drink plenty of water
• Try to avoid junk food, soft drinks or sugary sweets - they have chemicals in them called aspartame and MSG which are known to cause migraines. Too much refined sugar is bad
• for every one but especially if you get migraines
• Try to eat regularly during the day
• If you often wake up with a migraine try to eat something nutritious before you go to bed at night
• Try to go to bed and get up at about the same time each day
• Try not to get overexcited, especially if it is something you have no control over
• Don’t stay on your computer or watch television for extended times without breaks
• Try not to use your computer or watch television during the hour before you go to bed.
• If you often have a migraine after taking part in some energetic exercise or sport make sure you have eaten enough food to give your body the energy it needs. Sometimes it can help if you have a piece of fruit or juice drink before and straight after you exercise.
• Try to walk more and get some fresh air
• If it is a very sunny day wear sunglasses or a hat
• If you grind your teeth tell the dentist the next time you visit and he or she may be able to help
• Don’t worry about your migraine or about when your next attack might happen
• Don’t feel guilty if you have migraine - you can’t help being ill!

As you know we feel that a proper nutritious diet is a great start to help avoid migraines but there are additional therapies that have been known to help reduce or eliminate migraines.

• Biofeedback techniques
• Cranial-Sacral therapies
• Relaxation techniques to help you to learn how to cope with stress.
• Physical exercises to get rid of any stiffness or tension in your body.
• Herbal medicine
• Homeopathy