When it comes to migraine triggers, sometimes it’s not so much what you do as what you don’t do. Below is a list of the top migraine triggers and further information on them. As always, make sure you consult your physician before changing diet or implementing new methods to relieve migraine headaches.
1. FOOD - Be selective in what and when you eat. Food is a primary migraine trigger. Studies show that a majority of migraines are triggered by food and food additives. Foods to monitor include aged cheeses, chocolate, lunchmeats and hot dogs that contain the food additive nitrate, as well as foods high
in monosodium glutamate (MSG). Build up of nitric oxide in the blood stream is a major cause of migraine headaches.
2. EXCESSIVE CAFFEINE - Caffeine in high does can be a major migraine trigger. More than 6-8 oz of a beverage containing caffeine may be considered
excessive for migraine sufferers. Do not drink caffeine if you know it causes migraine attacks in your case.
3. SMOKE - Cigarette smoke or other, whether directly inhaled or secondhand, is a top migraine trigger and should be avoided whenever possible.
4. VISUAL STIMULATION - Sudden contrasts between light and dark or exposure to bright lights, can trigger migraine headaches. TV and computer monitors will frequently cause migraines if the surrounding light and the light from the monitor(s) is too bright.
5. HIGH STRESS LEVELS - Stress levels contribute greatly to migraines. While it’s almost impossible to avoid stress it is possible to decrease it.
6. DOUBLING UP ON PAINKILLERS - If the recommended dose isn’t effective in relieving your migraine headaches, don’t increase the dose otherwise using more than the recommended dose of prescription
and/or OTC(over the counter) medications can result in a rebound headache amongst other complications. Consult your Doctor frequently and let him or her know if the prescription or OTC medication isn’t working.
7. IRREGULAR SCHEDULES - Try to go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time. Regular sleep patterns have been found to be very effective in combating migraines.
8. LACK OF EXERCISE - Exercise can help with migraines. It is an established fact that physical fitness in general helps prevent migraines. However, warming up before exercise is strongly recommended otherwise it may lead to build up of nitric oxide
in the bloodstream and precipitate an attack.
9. LACK OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOUR DOCTOR - Keep your physician informed of your migraine headaches and communicate with him or her often, especially if they get worse. Keeping a diary or journal is also a good idea so you can enter details such as when attacks usually occur, what causes the attacks, which prescription or OTC medications are effective, what non drug remedies help.
By keeping a diary or journal you may get a clearer picture on what works and what doesn’t and communicating this information to your Doctor may enable him or her to use a different approach in treating your migraine headaches.
Mayur Vibhakar is a health professional and editor of www.innervibrance.com, a site dedicated to achieving optimal health through natural means. Subscribe to the informative health articles and receive health improving tips, natural product reviews and relevant health information.
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Tags: relief from migraine headaches, migraine triggers, migraines
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Headaches are comprised of two major categories, primary and secondary. Headaches belonging to the primary group are not caused by underlying medical conditions while secondary headaches are the result of a medical condition such as trauma, infection or possibly even a brain tumor. Most headaches belong in the primary category.
The primary category headaches include migraine headaches and tension headaches. These two headache types are the most common of all headaches with tension-type headaches being the most common. Tension headaches constitute about 75% of all headaches while migraine headaches affect as many as 30 or 40 million Americans, or approximately 10% or more of the American population.
Migraine headaches can become chronic in nature, but are typically experienced at most once or twice a week, not daily. Females experience the pain of migraines about 3 times as often as males, or about 75% of the time. Migraine headaches can be severe and disabling. They can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and a sensitivity to light. About 20% of migraine patients will experience an aura. An aura is a disturbance in vision that consists of brightly colored blinking lights that move across a person’s field of vision.
There are many types of treatment methods that are available to migraine sufferers, both natural and unnatural. The most common method of treatment are pain relievers that are bought without a prescription, or over-the-counter. Non-prescription drugs can include aspirin, Tylenol (acetaminophen), Motrin (ibuprofen), or a combination of acetaminophen and aspirin. These are the most commonly purchased types of non-prescription pain relievers. Migraine headache patients experiencing more severe pain may need prescription medicine.
There are also many types of natural treatment methods that don’t involve the use of non-prescription or prescription medications. These methods of treatment can often relieve migraine headache symptoms and are increasingly gaining popularity in today’s society as people are becoming more educated on the potentially dangerous side effects of drugs. One of these natural treatment methods is putting an ice pack on the back of the neck at the base of the skull. When using an ice pack there should be a barrier between the ice pack and the skin such as a wetted cloth or t-shirt that has had the water squeezed out of it. Ice therapy can lessen the flow of blood to the head resulting in less pressure in the head. It can often help relieve the throbbing pain of a migraine headache by decreasing the flow of blood to the head. It is often beneficial for a person to put their feet in a container of warm water at the same time. This can have the effect of attracting the blood to the feet instead of to the head.
Migraine headaches can sometimes be caused by foods and can be prevented by eliminating these food triggers. Foods that can trigger migraine headaches include, but are not limited to, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, MSG (monosodium glutamate), nuts, cheese, beans, onions and others. Eliminating the trigger may eliminate the migraines.
Another natural treatment method for migraine headaches is simply to reduce stress by relaxing. Many migraines are caused by stress, so eliminating the stress can relieve the pain. Relieving stress can sometimes be achieved by getting plenty of sleep, lying down in a dark quiet room, or a combination of lying down in a dark quiet room with a small ice pack positioned on the neck at the base of the skull as explained above.
This article is a general overview with regard to natural migraine headache treatment methods and may not apply to everyone. As always it is a good idea to seek the help of a professional before treating yourself for a potentially serious health condition.
About The Author
As a chiropractor Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has treated patients with migraine headaches for 25 years. If you would like more information about migraine headaches visit his site at http://www.soothe-a-ciser.com.
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Tags: migraine headaches, headaches include, relieve migraine
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Has it ever occurred to you that while you are happily typing away on your computer for hours on end you are actually creating a problem in your neck that can lead to chronic headaches? If you suffer from migraine headaches or tension headaches it may be something you should investigate.
When a person with migraine headaches or tension headaches visits a chiropractor for their pain what does the chiropractor typically do for that patient? The usual treatment for most headache patients is to manipulate, or adjust, the neck. Chiropractors teach us that most headaches come from neck problems, and that by adjusting or manipulating the neck tension and migraine headaches can be relieved or cured.
Over 80% of headache patients that receive chiropractic treatment show improvement that ranges from slight improvement up to complete elimination of their headache pain. If this is the case then it seems logical that the majority of migraine headaches or tension headaches originate from spinal (neck) problems. It also seems logical that if we knew what was causing these neck problems, and eliminated what was causing them, we could also eliminate the headaches, both migraine and tension.
As a chiropractor for 25 years I have treated many patients with migraine headaches and tension headaches. After examining thousands of patients I discovered that as many as 95% who were experiencing headaches had one thing in common, a reversed cervical (neck) curve. From the side view a normal neck should have a slight curve in it. But in my experience as a chiropractor I estimate that approximately 95% of my patients with headaches had either a lessening of that curve, no curve at all, or a curve that was completely reversed. When these “poor neck curvatures” were treated with chiropractic adjustments most showed great improvement.
Chiropractors know that headaches can be caused by “poor neck posture,” so the next question becomes “can sitting at a computer cause poor neck posture?” If the answer is yes, then it’s obvious that sitting at a computer can and does cause headaches.
People usually develop poor neck curvatures because of poor posture habits. Anything a person does that places their head in a position forward to their body will lessen or reverse their normal neck curve. And poor neck curvatures DO cause headaches. Chiropractors have been teaching this for decades.
The types of activities that can lead to poor neck posture include sitting at a computer for extended periods of time, reading with the head bent forward, sitting while slouching in a chair or on a couch, sleeping with the head or neck in odd positions, or any other activity that places the head in a position forward to the body. So, to answer our original question, yes, headaches can be caused by sitting at a computer. Sitting at a computer can cause an abnormal neck curvature to develop which can cause headaches.
Good posture can surely prevent the development of poor neck posture, which would seem to be the best remedy, but what can be done if the lessening or reversal of the neck curve has already been developed? Obviously, chiropractic treatment is an option that could be considered. But there are many other alternative treatments for tension or migraine headaches.
Most people just take a pain pill. But are pain pills the best approach? They surely are in some cases, but there are many other headache treatment options that don’t require the use of potentially harmful drugs. All drugs have side effects, some of which can end up being worse than the headaches themselves. Before treating your health problems with drugs it is wise to seek the advice of a health professional.
There are many natural remedies for migraine headaches or tension headaches. These include stress and tension reduction, ice therapy (used at the base of the skull), eliminating food triggers, getting the proper amount of rest, biofeedback, headache pillows or cushions, exercise and many others. Some of these may help relieve headaches, both migraine and tension, and could be investigated further.
Dr. Larry A. Johnson, D.C. has patented a unique neck pillow that was designed to correct neck problems that cause headaches, both tension headaches and migraines. For information about his natural approach for relieving migraine headaches please visit http://www.soothe-a-ciser.com
Tags: headaches, migraine, tension, headache, health, computer, computers, chiropractor, chiropractic, dru
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