Migraine Prevention Without Drugs

Migraines vary from very painful headaches to vomiting, blurred vision and sensitivity to light and sound. Often the term 'migraine headache' migraine and 'headache' are used interchangeably and are used to represent pain scales rather than separate situations. Some of the causes of migraine include certain foods, allergies, stress, dehydration, over-eating, alcohol and menstrual cycles. Sometimes migraines only occur after a combination of these factors.

The first step to avoiding migraines is to find your trigger. Many people find that they get headaches from foods containing tyramine which include: hard cheese, red wine, smoked fish, chicken, fig and some nuts. Other foods known to cause migraines include chocolate, citrus, MSG, nitrate foods (salami, saveloys, hot dogs), nuts, avocado, bananas, dairy, fermented or citrus foods and excess sugar. Almost every processed food can trigger allergic reactions and cause migraines to open up. Keeping a daily diet can help you find the connection between the food you eat and your headache.

Often migraines caused by a person's diet are the best place to start is to eliminate all migraines that cause food for several weeks. If you notice migraine reduction slowly introducing migraine triggers, one by one, into your diet to see if it causes irritation. By introducing a small amount, you will save yourself from having blown migraines. Often it can be the cumulative effect of some foods. My brother, for example, can eat chocolate, coffee and citrus but if he has moccachino and orange at the same time it raises his balance and gives him migraines.

Once you have eliminated the food that causes migraine, you need to make sure you eat regularly and drink plenty of water. Often migraines are triggered by dehydration or starvation. Make sure you have a healthy snack in your bag if you wait a long time between meals and carry a bottle of water with you at all times. Keep snacks and water in the car and at work too.

A healthy and balanced diet will keep your body in good shape and reduce the likelihood of migraine. Consuming a good selection of fruits and vegetables, lean protein (plants and animals), cereals and fiber will ensure that you get a good variety of vitamins and minerals and maintain your immune system. An unhealthy immune system will make you feel "run down" and more likely to experience headaches and fatigue.

Developing your immune system can also keep your brain healthy. Good supplements for the brain are omega 3 oils, zinc, magnesium and B vitamins (especially Riboflavin). I get good quality multivitamins once a day and omega 3 three times a day keeps headaches. Some people benefit greatly from Feverfew but I've struggled to find supplements that work. Some of this may be due to the fact that scientists are still unsure which parts of the Feverfew plant are beneficial and some supplements contain leaves while others have extracts from the entire plant. Another helpful plant is Tang Kuei (AKA Dong Kuei), a Chinese herb that helps with hormone balance and relaxation.

Lifestyle plays an important role in migraine and is often the most difficult aspect to control. Many headaches and migraines are caused or exacerbated by stress so that at least they can relieve migraine. Regular exercise, fresh air and sunshine and practicing relaxation techniques of your choice such as reading, massaging or meditation will keep your stress levels low. Take a look at your lifestyle and see if there are any changes you can make to reduce the stress. It may be worthwhile to change jobs, reduce the hours or arrange work from home to make life more flexible around migraines. Ironically, by reducing stress and workload in your life, you will lose less time for migraine headaches and be more productive.

If you are taking oral contraceptive pill check with your Doctor about changing your brand or pill type as some types of contraceptives can cause hormone-related migraines. It may be a case of trying under your doctor's supervision to find the best medicine for your body or switching to a completely different form of contraception for a moment to find out if your pill is causing your headache.

Sometimes migraines are symptoms of other problems like toothache or neck pain. If you know that you are a dentist, you can visit an orthodontist and get a plate at night and you may find it helps with headaches as well. Visiting a chiropractor to get your spine checked is also a good idea as spine alignment can put extra pressure on your head. Because your head weighs up to 4 pounds and is balanced on your neck vertebrae, if your neck vertebra is slightly bent your entire head shifts and puts a lot of pressure on your neck. Good posters at your desk or at work will also reduce neck tension and prevent headaches.

Another trigger for office workers can be computer screens. Get your eyes checked every year and, if you wear glasses, make sure your lens is always correct because asking it through the lens too weak or too strong can cause severe eye strain. Some optometrists provide colored lenses to reduce glare on a computer screen. You sit at your computer in optometrists and go through a series of tests to find the best color for your mirror and the color applied to the top of your mirror. Colored lenses are also great for those who work under fluorescent lamps.

When all your efforts at prevention have failed and you feel a headache over you there are a few more things you can try. First, put on sunglasses, especially if you are sensitive to light. Get away from any noise, pressure or noise if possible. Has two glasses of water and Omega 3. tablets If you have a migraine prevention option, you can also take it now (consult with your Doctor before taking any medication or supplement). Find a good person to massage your neck or head for tension headaches to relieve you and divert attention from pain. If you have a cat or dog now is a good time to sit in a quiet room and give them a round of applause - slicing your pet reduces blood pressure and will reduce swelling in your brain. If caffeine does NOT trigger migraines you should try a cup of tea or coffee as it can be around 50-60 milligrams of caffeine to help reduce headaches. Don't overdo it even though too much caffeine will give you a headache.

Above all get some rest - you may need to take an hour out of your day but it is better to go for a few days. The more you can do to prevent your migraines, the easier it will be to control them.

------------------