April 18th, 2013
Stress is one of the greatest triggers of migraine attacks, as it weakens your immune system, causes brain fatigue, and deprives you of much-needed energy. Here are some excellent tips to help you reduce stress now, and prevent migraines later.
Imagine a place…
John Lennon was really onto something when he famously asked the world to imagine a better place to live in; guided imagery is one of the best tools for relaxation, as it uses positive affirmations, controlled breathing, and focused meditation to help you improve circulation, relax your muscles, lower your heartbeat, and achieve a deep, restful state, thus reducing migraine triggers in stress.
Try it! Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and visualize a scene that makes you feel safe, relaxed, and comfortable. Breathe in to the count of three, hold your breath for three counts, and exhale to the count of six. Repeat, and continue for at least 15 minutes.
Take a hike…
Sometimes, you just need to remove yourself from a stressful environment. A power walk is a great tool for warding off a stress-related migraine while also burning calories, easing stress, and boosting your cardiovascular health.
Try it! On your lunch break, reserve at least 10 minutes after eating for a brief stroll or jog in the area. At home, take your dog for a run, or enjoy a casual walk around the neighborhood after supper.
Lean on somebody…
Sometimes, you just need a hug. Physical contact with a friend, relative, or even a loyal pet is a proven method of stress reduction, and a great tool for migraine management!
Try it! When you feel anxious or depressed, ask somebody for a hug! You’ll both feel better for it.
Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?
Have a cuppa…
To ease headaches and lower stress levels instantly, brew yourself a hot cup of decaffeinated coffee or herb tea.
Try it! Buy a tea sampler containing a selection of herb teas that relieve migraine symptoms; good choices are chamomile, mint, licorice, and decaffeinated green tea.
Nourish yourself…
Eating healthy, migraine trigger-free foods while also taking beneficial supplements that ease migraine symptoms is an important part of migraine management. Choose nutrients that boost circulation, support the nervous system, maintain cardiovascular health, and sustain proper immune system functioning.
Try it! Vitamins, mineral, and herbs that benefit migraine patients most are butterbur extracts, vitamin B2, vitamin B12, coenzyme Q10, magnesium, and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA).
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
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Migraines, Women, and Depression: 9 Myths and Truths
Overcome Depression with Migraine- 4 Lifestyle Habits that Help
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Tags: migraine attacks, migraine management, migraine triggers, migraines and stress
Posted in Stress and Migraines | No Comments »
April 17th, 2013
Walk-in clinics are starting to replace urgent care and ER, and for good reason. Many now treat chronic illnesses like migraines, fibromyalgia, diabetes, and asthma, only without charging exorbitant prices or making you wait for hours. Here are some pros and cons to visiting a walk-in clinic for chronic migraine.
Reasons to go to a walk-in for migraines
- Guaranteed admission in case of emergency migraine attack
- Many locations in most cities
- Twenty-four hour service, seven days per week
- Option to walk in or schedule appointment
- Most walk-in clinics provide quick service
- Clear, menu-style pricing
- Option to pay with cash or insurance benefits
- Walk-in clinics accept most insurance plans
- Cheaper than ER or urgent care clinics
- Migraine medication history and other health records are accessible from all retail clinic locations
- Practical for people without health insurance or Medicare
- Retail clinics usually practice evidence-based medicine, including for migraine therapies
- Many convenient care clinics diagnose and treat chronic illnesses
- Registered nurse or medical assistant is always on hand
- Migraine medicine prescriptions can be ordered on line and picked up at the store’s pharmacy
- Website features full disclosed information on what types of services they provide for migraine patients
Reasons not to go to a walk-in for migraines
- Hasty consultations may not allow time for much discussion about migraine history or symptoms
- Walk-in clinics don’t have a doctor on the premises
- In exchange for convenience, you lose out on the opportunity to build a rapport with a primary care doctor
- Not all retail clinics treat chronic illness or pain, and treatments offered may be limited
- Walk-in clinics don’t follow up with patients on migraine medications
- Quality of care may vary according to the state regulations
Your turn!
What has been your experience with retail clinics like Walgreens for migraine attacks?
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
OTC Painkillers- How do they Work, What are the Risks?
Top 25 Natural Migraine Treatments: Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs
Social Security Disability for Migraine- 5 Tips for Filing
Sources:
10 things walk-in clinics won’t tell you
Retail Clinics: What’s in Store for Health Care
Image courtesy of Steve Snodgrass/Flickr
Tags: Migraine, Migraine care, Migraine clinic, migraine medications, Walk-in clinics
Posted in Migraine Medication | No Comments »
April 16th, 2013
Do bright lights make your eyes squint painfully, and trigger headaches? Photophobia, or light sensitivity is a common symptom of migraines, but it can also result from a life-threatening injury. Listed are some causes of non-ocular photophobia, including migraine.
What is photophobia?
First, what it’s not: photophobia isn’t an irrational fear of bright lights. People with hypersensitivity to UV glares, strobe lights, and bright white LEDs need to avoid exposure in order to prevent suffering intense eye pain, sharp headaches, dizziness, and nausea; these are all symptoms that occur with photophobia, a comorbid condition of migraines.
For many, photophobia becomes a disability. Bright fluorescent lighting in the workplace make it difficult to concentrate, as pounding migraine headaches, intense pain between the eyes, and stomach cramps worsen. Even driving a car can be challenging, as bright rays of sunlight can catch you off-guard and make you lose your focus, even for a moment.
Lights…Camera…Migraine! 10 Curious Facts about Light Sensitivity
Worse, when photophobia is a constant sidekick of migraine disorder, it decreases your chances of catching life-threatening conditions that cause similar symptoms when exposed to bright white light.
Common causes of photophobia
Assuming that you don’t have vision problems, ultra-light sensitivity can have several causes, including the most common, which is migraine.
- Migraines- A whopping 80% of migraine patients experience severe eye pain, headaches, and nausea when exposed to bluish-white lights, fluorescent bulbs, flickering images, and stark white backgrounds.
- Blepharospasm- Involuntary facial twitching is the second-most common cause of light sensitivity, causing pain while watching television, driving, or reading. Stress may also trigger photophobia.
- Depression- Although photophobia is not a psychological fear of lights, it does seem to become more severe during bouts of depression and anxiety.
- Head injury- Sudden intense headaches and extreme sensitivity to light may occur following a severe head injury.
- Meningitis- Brain inflammation caused by meningitis can produce symptoms similar to migraine, including crushing headaches and eye pain.
- Pituitary tumors- Cancer in the pituitary gland may cause hypersensitivity to light, and can be ruled out with medical imaging.
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage- a stroke from bleeding in the subarachnoid cavity of the brain is life threatening, and requires emergency care.
Photophobia treatment and prevention
To prevent head pain from photophobia, it’s important to use a multi-pronged approach to treatment. Most importantly, it’s crucial to address the underlying disorder, whether it is migraines, eye twitching, or depression.
Listed are some helpful tips for reducing sensitivity to bright lights.
- Wear dark or rose-colored sunglasses, indoors and outside.
- Look for FL-41 lenses guaranteed to block blue-green lights.
- Seek FDA-approved safe incandescent light bulbs.
- Try to increase your tolerance to light; resist the temptation to sit in total darkness.
- Get enough sleep at night.
- Take any medications or supplements that help to reduce migraine triggers, in addition to treating depression.
- Get your eyes checked regularly.
- Use eye drops to prevent dry eyes.
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
Headaches can Cause Blindness- 4 Facts about Ocular Migraines
Rainbow Colored Sunglasses that Prevent Migraines
Sources:
Photophobia: Looking for Causes and Solutions
Photophobia – What Is It? Can It Be Treated?
Image(s) courtesy of stockimages/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: light sensitivity, migraine headaches, Migraines, Photophobia
Posted in Migraine Comorbidities | No Comments »
April 15th, 2013
How does magnesium help with migraines? Let us count the ways…Magnesium is an essential nutrient that targets many of the physical and neurological migraine triggers which increase your risk for chronic migraine attacks.
No one “miracle cure” can stop migraines, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have options. To prevent or lower migraine attacks, it’s important to be able to reduce the number of triggers in your life that result in symptoms of migraines, such as crushing headaches, nausea, dizziness, eye pain, and intense fatigue.
Magnesium reduces triggers
In addition to avoiding food ingredients that cause migraines, it helps to know what nutrients you should take to lower your risk for an attack.
Of all the natural supplements that benefit migraine patients, magnesium is one of the most talked-about, and for good reason…
Many scientific studies have confirmed an unusually high incidence of magnesium deficiency in patients of migraine disorder, leading researchers to believe that low levels of magnesium may be a common trigger of chronic migraines.
Magnesium- for Migraines and Beyond
Magnesium is also good for your heart, mental health, and your nervous system; it will help you sleep better, digest food more effectively, and stay hydrated.
Supplementing with magnesium helps your body function normally, thus improving your chances of having a migraine-free day, week, month…and life.
Magnesium benefits, in a nutshell
Magnesium promotes hundreds of crucial biochemical reactions throughout your body. Here are some of the top benefits that magnesium provides in managing migraines.
• Magnesium helps to maintain healthy blood pressure.
• Magnesium helps to relax the muscles.
• Magnesium supports good bone density.
• Magnesium supplementation prevents symptoms of deficiency that increase your risk for stroke and heart disease, both of which are also correlated to migraines.
• Magnesium has proved beneficial for patients suffering from depression, insomnia, anxiety, and agitation, comorbid conditions of migraine.
How much magnesium do I need?
Most of us don’t get nearly enough magnesium from diet alone. Some of the riches sources- kelp, nuts, and wheat germ- are not staple ingredients of the American diet.
Not only that, but the foods that many of us do consume in abundance- sugar, salt, and sodas- are all notorious for draining magnesium from your body and causing magnesium deficiency.
The only way to make certain you’re getting enough magnesium is to take it in pill form.
To prevent magnesium deficiency and manage migraines more efficiently, doctors recommend taking about 400 to 1,000 mg of magnesium supplements each day.
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
Top 25 Natural Migraine Treatments: Vitamins, Minerals, and Herbs
Vitamin B2- Why Riboflavin Rules for Migraines
Coenzyme Q10 Benefits with Migraines
Sources:
Top 5 Health Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium: The Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Available
Image(s) courtesy of chokphoto/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: magnesium, Magnesium for migraine, migraine treatment, migraine triggers, natural migraine, Stop migraine
Posted in Natural Migraine Treatments | No Comments »
April 12th, 2013
About 20% of children suffer from pediatric migraines, according to recent data, resulting in a significant percentage of school absences and decreased productivity in grade school-aged adolescents. In approving medications such as triptans for pediatric migraines, scientists have encountered several challenges along the way.
Recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics published Migraine Therapeutics in Adolescents, a report which explains some of the difficulties scientists have experienced in accurately testing the effectiveness of certain popular migraine medications, including various triptans, for use with child and teen-aged migraine patients.
- Scientists closely examined five migraine medications which are often prescribed for adults.
- All migraine drugs had a history of at least one pharmacokinetic (PK) and one efficacy trial, as submitted to the FDA between 1999 and 2011.
- Researches took into account variances in dosing, absorption rates, and bioavailability between pediatric and adult migraine patients.
- Between 2008 and 2011, two triptan drugs, almotriptan (Axert) and rizatriptan (Maxalt) gained attention for effectiveness in treating children with migraines.
Children favor placebos
One of the biggest challenges that scientists face in proving the effectiveness of a prescription drug for child migraine patients is the existence of the placebo group. In numerous trials focusing on pediatric migraine drugs, researchers noted a high response rate to the random placebo, almost equaling that of the trial migraine drug, including triptans such as Maxalt.
In order to perform an accurate test study on migraine medicines, scientists believe they may need to better educate child test subjects about the role of the placebo beforehand, in addition to encouraging them to report negative results when applicable.
Innovations in placebo testing may also yield more precise results; scientists hope to begin testing of pediatric migraine drugs first with the placebo, separating out patients who responded immediately to the false migraine drug.
Childhood migraines are different
Another battle doctors face stems from the mere fact that most migraine medications are tested on adults, who experience symptoms that often differ from those experienced by adolescents.
Before researchers can efficiently treat pediatric migraines, they need to understand the many similarities and variances between migraines in adults and children.
Hopefully, future testing of migraine medications for school-aged children will result in increased availability and better options for migraine patients of all ages.
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Your turn!
Do you have children who suffer from migraines? If so, what medications have you found to be most effective?
Have you experimented with natural vitamins, minerals, and herbs for migraines?
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.
Like this? Read more:
Teens and Migraines- 3 Headache Triggers that Spell Trouble
Migraines in Children Linked to Emotional Problems
Back to School means Back to Headaches for Child Migraineurs
Sources:
Migraine Therapeutics in Adolescents- JAMA Network
Pediatric Migraine: Recognition and Treatment
The use of triptans for pediatric migraines.
Image(s) courtesy of chrisroll/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: migraine drugs, migraine treatments, pediatric migraines, Triptans for migraine
Posted in Pediatric Migraines | No Comments »
April 11th, 2013
Women who get migraines with aura and also use birth control may be at a significantly higher risk of suffering stroke from blood clots than migraine patients who don’t use hormonal contraceptives, according to a recently released study. Here are some of the details of the Brigham and Women’s Hospital report on migraines with aura.
To treat hormonal migraines, look elsewhere
For the study which was published by Neurology, scientists wanted to know if your chances of experiencing thrombotic events such as stroke are higher for female migraine patients with aura (MwA) or without aura (MWoA), and if the usage or recent or older birth control methods has any effect, as well.
What they discovered is that female migraine with aura patients who use combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) are at a considerably high risk for suffering stroke or deep vein thrombosis, especially when compared to migraine patients who don’t use birth control.
Beat Menstrual Migraines, Naturally!
Study author Shivang Joshi commented on the safety of using birth control to treat migraines triggered by hormones, noting that “combined hormonal contraceptives are sometimes recommended to treat migraine, but they are not approved by the FDA for this indication.”
Which contraceptives are most dangerous?
Combined hormonal contraceptives examined for this study on migraine patients included:
•Etonogestrel-ethinyl estradiol vaginal ring (Nuvaring)
•Drospirenone-ethinyl estradiol (Yasmin)
•Norgestromin-ethinyl estradiol transdermal patch (Ortho Evra)
•Levonorgestrel-ethinyl estradiol
•Norethindrone-ethinyl estradiol (Ortho-Novum)
•Norgestimate-ethinyl estradiol (Ortho-Tri-Cyclen Lo)
Scientists confirmed increased risk for stroke when migraine patients used newer CHCs, such as the Nuvaring and the Ortho Evra patch, as opposed to some of the older birth control tablets.
While this research is still in the preliminary stages, health experts recommend avoiding the birth control patch or ring if you get migraines with aura, particularly if you are obese or suffer from hypertension.
To reduce your risk for stroke while managing migraines more effectively, consider increasing daily exercise, following a low-fat diet, and supplementing with vitamins, minerals, and herbs that help to regulate circulation and sustain neurological health.
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
Why use Natural Migraine Treatments?
PTSD Migraines are from Mars, Genetic Migraines are from Venus, Part 1
Migraines, Women, and Depression: 9 Myths and Truths
Sources:
AAN: Birth Control Tied to Blood Clots in Migraines
Aura and New Combined Hormonal Contraceptives: A Retrospective Analysis of Thrombotic Events
Image(s) courtesy of BrandonSigma/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: Birth control and migraines, Hormonal migraine, migraine with aura, Migraines and stroke
Posted in Women and Migraines | No Comments »
April 9th, 2013
It’s the chicken and the egg syndrome all over again; does eating chocolate cause a migraine attack, or do migraines make you crave caffeine? While having any chronic illness can lead to depression, is there any truth to the notion that feeling despair exacerbates pain, including excruciating migraine headaches? According to some scientists, we may never understand the exact cause of persistent migraines.
Migraine trigger avoidance- don’t try this at home
Scientists have identified hundreds of migraine triggers that may increase your chances of having a migraine attack. Naturally, health experts have jumped on the boat in advising migraine patients to avoid all migraine triggers, from food preservatives such as MSG and alcoholic beverages such as wine and beer, to strong scents and even exercise.
But according to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center researcher Timothy T. Houle, Ph.D, most people with migraines who eliminate foods such as dairy products, gluten, and ripe fruits from their diets are doing so unnecessarily, as only individual scientific examination can truly determine if your migraine attacks are being caused by stress, hormonal fluctuations, or a penchant for aged cheese.
11 Headache Triggers you Never Thought Of
“Correctly identifying triggers allows patients to avoid or manage them in an attempt to prevent future headaches,” he says. “However, daily fluctuations of variables – such as weather, diet, hormone levels, sleep, physical activity and stress – appear to be enough to prevent the perfect conditions necessary for determining triggers.”
Only science will tell
“The goal of this research is to better understand what conditions must be true for an individual headache sufferer to conclude that something causes their headaches.”
Because the migraine trigger modality is often inconsistent, patients may suffer from migraine anxiety, the fear of leaving the house lest a migraine occur, or end up following a wild goose chase that either doesn’t work, or results in even worse migraine attacks caused by medication misuse.
For the Wake Forest study, scientists examined nine women who suffered from migraines with aura and migraine without aura.
Participants recorded stress levels in a daily diary and also submitted to urine tests for hormone levels.
Scientists also took into account weather conditions, a common migraine trigger, dating back three years.
Researchers noted that due to their inability to simulate “migraine triggers” consistently and accurately for each patient in a manner that satisfies scientific standards, they were not successful in proving that any one factor increases one’s risk of experiencing a migraine attack.
All the more so, they concluded, it’s impossible for a patient of migraines to reliably determine her migraine triggers by trial and error alone, without the benefit of scientific applications.
Your turn!
Do you agree with the idea that migraine triggers are almost possible to track?
Besides prescription medication, what other strategies do you use to prevent migraines?
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, twitter, or Facebook.
Like this? Read more:
Are Migraines Always Hereditary?
What Causes Migraines? The Long and Short Answers
Is Migraine Disorder a Real Illness?
Sources:
Causes of migraines nearly impossible to determine
Migraine Triggers Tricky to Pinpoint
Image(s) courtesy of renjith krishnan/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Tags: chronic migraine, migraine attacks, migraine causes, migraine triggers
Posted in Migraine Causes | No Comments »
April 3rd, 2013
The ExAblate® Neuro is a groundbreaking device that combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with focused ultrasound technology in treating people with brain disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, and neuropathic pain. Given that migraine is also a neurological disorder, how long will it be before migraineurs can start reaping the rewards of this innovative new device that is making waves in operating rooms all over the world?
Neuro surgery, without the pain
Developed by Israel’s InSightec, the ExAblate system uses high-intensity ultrasound and MRI for treating brain tumors, uterine cysts, and pain from bone cancer, without the need for sharp knives, harmful radiation, or excessive recuperation.
Recently, the ExAblate Neuro has also been approved to treat patients of Parkinson’s by using deep-brain ultrasound pulses to target specific areas of the brain in relieving tremors and eliminating nerve pain.
Like many other neurological treatments aimed at eliminating migraines, such as the migraine neuro-stim procedure, the ExAblate Neuro pinpoints specific areas of the thalamus, a part of the brain linked with migraines, in addition to stroke and epilepsy.
In a recent clinical trial, more than 50% of test subjects who received the neuro surgery for essential tremor reported “very significant relief.”
How does it work?
The patient slides onto an MRI table set up a “helmet” which contains thousands of ultrasound elements. The physician then uses medical imaging in conjunction with focused ultrasound energy to carefully administer precise treatment while monitoring the patient’s progress in real time, without the need for anesthesia or long-term hospitalization.
Because the treatment uses ultrasound energy in place of sharp scalpels, patients who undergo the procedure are able to recover quickly without experiencing any harsh side effects or complications.
What about migraines?
While doctors currently use the ExAblate Neuro for patients of Parkinson’s and other neurological disorders, scientists have not suggested using it for migraine therapy.
Still, given the generous feedback InSightec has received- the ExAblate system is used in thousands of operating rooms around the world, and has received several prestigious awards- and considering its revolutionary impact on cancer and neuro surgeries, it’s conceivable that the new ultrasound technology will soon find its way to migraine prevention.
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.
Like this? Read more:
Coming Soon: Turn Off Headaches with a Remote!
Twenty Minutes to Prevent a Migraine- Think Fast!
Sources:
30 Patients With Chronic Neurological Disorders Treated With ExAblate® Neuro
Exablate Neuro MRI-Guided Focused Ultrasound: Cleared in EU for Neurological Disorders
Image courtesy of Muffet/flickr
Tags: Migraine Neuro Stim, migraine prevention, migraine surgery, Migraine therapy, Neuro surgery, Neurological disorders
Posted in Migraine Prevention | No Comments »
March 31st, 2013
Chronic migraines can make us feel very isolated and helpless, especially if we experience back-to-back migraine headaches, nausea, and fatigue that last for days, weeks, or months. When we feel despair, it’s important to see the bigger picture, and find peace in knowing that us are one of millions of migraine patients all striving for a common goal- freedom from pain. Here are some tips that may help.
Pray
Asking for help is therapeutic. When we pray, we acknowledge that we’re human, that we don’t know everything, and that we’re not in complete control of our fate. This can be comforting, as it relieves us of the pressure and anxieties that perfectionism demands. So, you aren’t 100% certain if you’re doing everything you can to prevent migraines, and you’re having difficulty avoiding foods that you know trigger headaches.
By asking for help, by formulating the words we need to express our innermost desires, and throwing it out there, even to an unseen deity, we open ourselves up to the possibility that anything can happen.
Find a quiet spot
This is one of the most essential tools in managing migraines in a way that promotes peace and relaxation. When you’re at home and feel a migraine approaching, stop what you’re doing immediately, and find a nice quiet place to lie down, even if it means posting a “Do not disturb” notice on your door. Allow yourself at least thirty minutes to wind down, breathe deeply, and send yourself reassuring thoughts. At work, find out if us can take your lunch break a bit earlier than usual, and walk to a nearby park, if one is available, or locate a vacant office.
These precious moments will give you the boost you need to manage migraines and handle the rest of your day more effectively.
Meditate to music
Music speaks to our soul in a way that no other medium can achieve. It can make us feel happy, relaxed, or energized. Most importantly, it can help minimize migraine pain by shifting the focus off bodily aches and diverting our attention to the soul. Choose any kind of music you love, instrumental, rock, reggae, or alternative, and let it carry you to your comfort zone.
Music infuses joy into your life, and with happiness comes true pain relief.
Your turn!
Have you found these tips helpful? Please share any other faith-based tactics you have used effectively in managing migraines or other forms of chronic pain.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.
Like this? Read more:
10 Surprising Facts about Migraines you probably didn’t know
Hug a Migraine Sufferer Today: 10 Ways You can help
5 Simple Ways to Spread Migraine Awareness
Image(s) courtesy of imagerymajestic/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted in Migraine Prevention | No Comments »
March 29th, 2013
Increasingly, migraine patients are finding relief by avoiding foods containing gluten, leading researchers to wonder if celiac disease may be comorbid with migraine disorder, or if gluten, found in grains such as wheat, barley, and rye, is simply one of hundreds of migraine headache triggers in food, along with chocolate, wine, and dried meats. Here are some facts about gluten and its impact on migraine attacks.
Migraines and the stomach
Migraine symptoms include more than incredibly strong headaches- any migraine sufferer can attest to the fact that when a migraine attack strikes, she’s in for many hours of nausea, stomach cramps, vomiting, and overbearing fatigue, in addition to other debilitating symptoms.
For years, migraineurs in-the-know have learned how to reduce attacks by following a migraine-friendly diet, including avoidance of gluten, which although lacking evidence, seems to exacerbate headaches and increase your likeliness for having a migraine attack.
Now, the evidence is in- recently, US researchers have found a definitive link between chronic headaches and stomach disorders such as celiac disease, adding credibility to the claim that gluten-free dieting may substantially improve the lives of people suffering from chronic, daily migraine headaches.
After reviewing health records of 502 test subjects, researchers found a high incidence of chronic headaches- 30%- among patients with celiac disease, 56% in sufferers of gluten sensitivity, and 23% of all people who had IBD (inflammatory bowel disease).
Scientists speculate that the increased risk for migraines in people with celiac and IBD indicate proof of a neurological aspect of a disease thought to be primarily gastrointestinal-based.
“Our findings suggest that migraine is a common neurologic manifestation in celiac disease, GS (gluten sensitivity) and IBD,” said Dr. Alexandra Dimitrova, co-author of the study on migraines in patients of celiac and gluten sensitivity.
Celiac disease or gluten intolerance?
In choosing a proper tactic for migraine-friendly dieting, people often get confused between celiac disease, gluten intolerance, and wheat allergies. Here are the fundamental differences:
•Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, and the only viable treatment is avoidance of all foods containing gluten, including products that have byproducts of wheat, rye, or barley, or have come into contact with gluten. To prevent migraines caused by gluten, check package labels carefully.
•Wheat allergy is an immune system overreaction to all foods containing wheat, regardless of gluten. All other grains are safe, including barley and rye. If you suspect your headaches are influenced by wheat, then try substituting potato starch, rice flour, or oats in your cooking.
•Gluten sensitivity involves debilitating symptoms that occur as a reaction to gluten food products where celiac disease is not diagnosed; migraine headaches, stomachache, diarrhea, and nausea are common symptoms of gluten sensitivity.
Your turn!
Do you have any questions or suggestions? Please leave your comments below.
Share with your friends!
If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.
Like this? Read more:
Is Gluten Sensitivity Giving You a Headache?
Treat Migraine Headaches caused by Food Allergies- without Drugs
Sources:
Increased Prevalence of Migraine in Patients with Celiac Disease and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Compared to Controls: A Multicenter Prospective
Migraines More Likely for People With Celiac Disease, Study Says
Image(s) courtesy of Sura Nualpradid/Free Digital Photos
Tags: celiac disease, migraine diet, migraine headaches, migraine triggers, migraines and gluten
Posted in Migraine Comorbidities | No Comments »
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