| It's hard to think straight when your head
hurts, as more than 45 million Americans who suffer from this
chronic affliction can attest! But natural help for migraine
and other headaches is available.
There are four major kinds of headaches:
- migraine, which is often accompanied by
one or all of the following: visual disturbances, throbbing
pain, sensitivity to light and nausea
- tension headaches, related to stress, and
manifesting as a dull throb.
- cluster headaches. At this point, no clear
causality has been determined for cluster headaches, though
they are vascular in nature and cause the most severe pain.
- sinus headaches, which are another animal
altogether.
|
Migraine headaches are a
miserable affliction, and they are on the increase, having grown
by nearly 60% across all age groups. This type of headache is
usually preceded by a warning aura, where the sufferer sees a
halo around things, or only part of what they are looking at, or
flashes of light across their sight. Numbness of the lips and
hands can follow, with extreme photosensitivity, then nausea and
vomiting, and disturbed thought processes, with a throbbing pain
on both sides of the head.
Stress can cause migraine
and other headaches, but usually they are triggered by a
food intolerance. One of the most common is aspartame, and
that would certainly explain the increase in occurrences, since
many headache sufferers have serious soda addictions: simply
avoiding this synthetic sweetener has cleared up many people's
headaches. Other foods that can cause headache problems are
cured meats, wine (especially red), cheese, beer. cabbage,
coffee, chocolate, pickled , marinated or fermented foods, nuts
and nut butters, sourdough breads, pizza, broad, lima and fava
beans, snow peas, MSG, soy sauce, tenderizers and seasoned
salts, or more than a cupful of bananas, figs, raisins, papaya,
avocado or red plums in any given day!
Interestingly, it has been confirmed that when
you treat this type of headache too frequently (
defined as more than 3 times a week) with common
pain-killers such as aspirin, when the medication
wears off, you will experience a rebound
headache, which will cause you to resort to the
painkillers again - and so ad infinitum.
This is how powerful a tool
allergy avoidance can be: in one study, migraine sufferers
eliminated 10 common foods from their diet, and 85% of the 60
patients became completely headache free. As a bonus, 25% of
the patients who had also suffered from hypertension,
attained normal blood pressure! This study was published in
the Lancet in May 1979. The foods were wheat, oranges, eggs, tea
and coffee, beef, cow's milk, chocolate, corn, cane sugar, and
yeast. It does seem, incidentally, that lactose intolerance is
common in migraine sufferers. For some extra sensitive
individuals, just the smell of an offending food can be enough
to start the headache. If you suffer from headaches that
incapacitate you, I strongly advise determining whether there is
an allergic factor involved. Either go to an allergist, of keep
a food diary, and see if you can spot the culprit.
Remember, if you are blood type
O, almost certainly wheat, corn and milk will be part of your
problem!
Speaking of blood pressure, A
1999 study at the Imperial College School of Medicine found that
migraines appear to be linked to ischemic strokes in women:
one quarter of the women suffered from migraines themselves, and
another quarter had a family history of migraines. Additionally,
they found that about 40% of the strokes occurring in women with
migraines followed a headache attack. Since smoking increases
blood pressure, and both are risk factors for ischemic stroke,
women with migraines should definitely stop smoking, and watch
their blood pressure carefully.
Dr. Mario F. Peres, of the Sao Paulo
Headache Center, Brazil, and colleagues reported in the
December 2001 Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and
Psychiatry that melatonin, prolactin and cortisol
levels have a diagnostic role to play in migraines: the team
reported that 47% of chronic migraine patients had "a
significant phase delay in the melatonin peak and half had
insomnia," while patients with chronic migraine and
insomnia had significantly lower melatonin concentrations than
control subjects and patients with chronic migraine without
insomnia. Dr. Peres feels that there may be benefits in
supplementing with Melatonin, though more research
needs to be done.
Chronic migraine sufferers also had higher
cortisol levels and a lower prolactin peak than controls, which
suggests a connection to dopamine levels, and also to stress and
Adrenal function.
Becauses Migraines are such
a life-altering misery, bringing such terrible pain and
suffering, many people are taking powerful drugs to control
them. It is important to know that there are some
Drug/Herb combinations which can be extremely dangerous.
DO NOT use Gingko Biloba, Ginseng, Echinacea, St. John's
Wort, or large amounts of Garlic, as these can interfere with the
proper metabolism of certain migraine medications, causing the drugs to reach toxic levels.
A herb that has powerful research
behind it for helping with migraines is Feverfew.
It seems to work by preventing the dilation of blood vessels,
and stopping the production of inflammatory allergy reactions. A
study in the British Medical Journal in 1985 was conducted on 17
patients who had already been using feverfew. 8 of them were
continued on the herb, while the others received a placebo. The
first group enjoyed continued reduction of headaches, and the
nausea and vomiting associated with them: the other group
suffered 3.43 attacks monthly. The important constituent in
feverfew is the parthenolide content, and the feverfew you buy
should contain at least 0.2% of it. 3 to 5 mg of the
standardized herbal extract is used as a preventative measure,
and during a severe attack, a higher dose may be taken. It needs
to be used over a period of time to get the effect, and users
measure progress in terms of 1) a reduction in the frequency of
headaches, 2) less severe attacks, 3) shorter attacks and 4)
lessening of accompanying symptoms, such as nausea.
Another herb that is particularly
useful for the nausea some people experience is Ginger,
and some people have reported a lessening in attacks with its
use over time.
An interesting study published in
the American Journal of Clin. Nutrition in 1986 ( 7:10)
found that 15 patients who had responded to no other medication
experienced considerable relief, and lessening
migraine/headache frequency, following supplementation with
Fish Liver Oil. The doses used were 2.7 gr of EPA, and 1.8
of DHA daily. I suggest adding some Vitamin E when using FLO at
this level. I have had anecdotal reports of FLO helping at lower
doses when combined with the Feverfew extract. No doubt what we
are seeing here is the mitigating effect Omega 3 fatty acids
have on allergic reactions.
There is also research showing
that adding 250 mg of Riboflavin (B2) can help migraine
sufferers. A study in Neurology 1998; 50: 466-70
suggests that 400 mgs daily may be even more helpful, lessening
the number of migraines experienced, but not the severity of the
attack.
A nutrient that has many important
applications in the body can also bring about a 50%
reduction in the number of migraines (Rozen
et al, aCephalalgia 2002
Mar;22(2):137-41 ).
I am speaking of
Co-enzyme Q 10, which is essential for energy at the
cellular level throughout the body. The dosage
used in the study was 150 mg.
|
There may be a connection here
between the Fish Liver Oil
and another possible contributory
factor to headaches: Bowel Toxicity.
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When undigested
food is passed through the bowel slowly, or remains trapped
there to decay, many toxins are reabsorbed into the bloodstream,
where they cause not only allergic reactions, but also
body-wide vasoconstriction . Many people do not get enough
fiber in their diets to avoid this syndrome! What's the
connection to Fish Liver Oil? A source of Omega 3s, it is
known to help repair the bowel.
A German study in 1996 (Peikert
- Cephalalgia 16: 257-263)
found a link between low magnesium levels and migraines:
after all, magnesium is an anti-spasmodic. This study found that
of 81 patients, 41.6 taking oral magnesium experienced reduction
both of the length and the severity of their migraine attacks.
As a side note here, conjugated estrogens (birth control pill
takers and those on HRT take note!) reduce magnesium levels.
Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions in the body,
and is essential for the proper function of cells. Its
importance to the brain is indicated by the fact that
Alzheimers patients appear to be deficient in it. Consider also
that 75% of Americans are deficient in magnesium, and 40% of
migraine sufferers. Magnesium
is a natural muscle relaxant.
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I would even add that if you
are blood type A, you should consider the link between low
levels of stomach acid and difficulties absorbing magnesium -
If you are type A and suffer from
persistent headaches - try increasing your magnesium.
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Ladies,
if
you are on HRT or birth control, or if your headaches are
related to your cycle, definitely consider that low magnesium may be a
factor. Most studies recommend a dosage of 400 mg per day, but
if you are taking calcium in high doses you may need to increase
that.
Recent research shows a role for
CoQ10 in helping migraines, which makes sense when
you consider that it feeds the mitochondria , which are
the energy producing engines in our cells. There
is a link to a report on the study in
RESOURCES at right.
An interesting new therapy comes
with the introduction of 5-HTP to the natural foods
arena: this is a kissing cousin to L-Tryptophan, and is
therefore also a serotonin precursor. An Italian Study (Clinical
Journal of Pain, 1986. Dr. Bendittis)
showed a 90% improvement
in headache severity and duration using 400 mg of 5-HTP a day
for two months. This is impressive! Speculation among
scientists about the causes of migraines now focuses on changes
in the blood vessels of the brain - first constriction, then
expansion - brought about by low levels of serotonin, which
would explain why 5-HTP helps.
Dr. Michael Murray, N.D. feels
that very often migraines are associated with low thyroid
function, so it might be worth while to make sure that you
are getting the nutrients necessary to support that gland, such
as beta-carotene, kelp, and the B-vitamins.
I do not have migraines any more,
I am happy to say! I remember one attack as I was driving from
the US to Mexico that completely numbed my lips and tongue. As I
tried in a fog to make my way through the official maze, I heard
one man say to the other: "What a disgrace! Drunk, and so early
in the day, too". I realize now that stress combined with the
ham and cheese sandwich I had for lunch contributed to this
disaster, but it wasn't funny at the time. In fact, migraines
are never funny -but they can be a thing of the past.
| Thanks
to Dr. Rountree in the May 99 issue of
Let's Live magazine for listing
some of the circumstances under which
you might suspect a headache is
something more serious and should
consult a Doctor.
1. A
headache that doesn't go away or gets
progressively worse over several days.
Brain tumors tend to cause pain that
slowly increases in severity.
2. A
headache that is distinctly different
from those in the past. It could be in a
new location or the pain could have a
different quality.
3.
Headaches that are triggered by activity
or aggravated by exertion, especially if
they occur frequently. This could be a
sign of an aneurysm - a dilated blood
vessel that is about to rupture.
4. A
headache that is accompanied by a stiff
neck, high fever, blurry vision, or
numbness or weakness in an extremity.
These could be signs of an infection in
the brain or an. impending stroke
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Sensitivities to Aspartame and
MSG do not only cause migraine headaches: many people who
suffer from headaches of unexplained origin find that
giving up Nutrasweet, sucralose, and reading labels carefully to make sure
they are avoiding MSG in all of its disguises ( hydrolyzed
vegetable protein is one of the most common) clears up their
headaches immediately.
Another common cause of
non-migraine headaches is low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.
When blood sugar drops, usually because you have skipped
breakfast, or have not paid attention to your diet that day and
instead of eating healthy foods, have resorted to quick carbo
fixes, a headache often results. If you know you suffer from
hypoglycemia and have headaches, suspect this as a cause and
make sure to eat a sustaining snack every 3 hours or so - and
most important, get a good source of protein for breakfast. My
solution has for the last 25 years or so been a protein drink
for breakfast.
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