Occurs 3 times more commonly in women than men
Usually begins in teenage years
Has 5 main causes
and the answer is .......MIGRAINES!
Here’s some simple info that may help you reduce or avoid migraines……
TYPES
Common - severe headache, nausea/vomiting, photophobia (dislike of light), sound sensitivity, fatigue, possible numbness on one side of the body
Classic - possibly no headache, visual changes (partial loss of vision, flashing or shimmering lights or colours), followed by fatigue
5 MAIN CAUSES
Dehydration
Hunger/low blood sugar
Magnesium Deficiency
Food intolerance
Hormonal Imbalances
WARNING SIGNS FOR MEDICAL INVESTIGATION
A new type of headache
Headaches becoming more often, more severe & lasting longer
Waking up with headaches
Vision changes, or nervous system (numbness, stumbling, clumsiness, personality change)
HOW TO TREAT
Drink more water!
Fluid intake should be;
Adult female – 2.1 litres/day Adult male – 2.5 litres/day
While all types of fluid are included in government recommendations, I recommend that as much of this fluid intake as possible should be water, preferably filtered
Eat regularly!
Small snacks (“grazing”) throughout the day & avoiding missed meals is the way to go
Take a good Magnesium supplement!
Other signs of magnesium deficiency can include;
Muscle tension/cramps
Irritability or anxiety
Find out food intolerances & minimize intake, or treat the body so foods can be tolerated
Most common food intolerances include;
Amines – in chocolate, cured meats, cheeses, flavoured chips/snacks, some takeaway foods and ……leftover dinners! As foods age, more amines develop, increasing the flavour – (that’s why cooked meals often taste better the next day)!
Salicylates – in citrus fruits, berries, stone fruits, tomato products, tea, honey, almonds and many other foods
Dairy products – removal of dairy products may resolve migraines in many cases
Hormonal imbalances
If you’re a woman, and migraines occur at that time of the month, natural supplements may completely resolve your migraines. Adjustment of hormones, along with magnesium and vitamin B6 is usually very effective for this migraine cause.
There are a number of other migraine causes and treatments to suit. As a rule, I view migraines and other symptoms as friends, letting you know something is wrong with the body. Instead of suppressing symptoms with the usual pain relievers, we can use them to find out what’s wrong, and then fix the underlying problem to stop migraines from happening. For further information that’s accurate for your migraines, talk to your Naturopath! And for those with warning signs as mentioned above, check it out with your GP.
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