WHAT ARE MIGRAINES?
Some people get Migraines and Headaches confused, or often think they are the same thing. This is not the case, Migraines are painful, often debilitating headaches that can leave an individual bedridden for days.
Migraines affect both men and women but are more commonly found in women with three times as many women affected than men.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF MIGRAINES?
The symptoms of a migraine are similar to headache except amplified.
Symptoms include:
- A pounding or throbbing feeling in the head
- Sharp pains
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Aura in vision
- Light sensitivity
- Noise sensitivity
- The need to lie down in a dark room
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF MIGRAINES?
The direct causes of migraines are largely unknown and poorly understood. Experts believe that a sufferer’s levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin drop dramatically in response to certain triggers. This drop-in serotonin triggers a series of symptoms that lead to the enlargement and inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain.
Some of the most common triggers for migraines are:
- Hormonal changes
- Periods, pregnancy and menopause.
- Food e.g soy, dairy, wheat, MSG and additives
- Alcohol
- Stress
- Sleep disorders
- Environmental changes such as with weather, seasons, time zone
- Sensory overload, including loud noises, bright lights and strong smells.
WHAT IS SOMETHING EASY I CAN IMPLEMENT AT HOME TO MANAGE MY MIGRAINES?
A very simple but powerful thing you can do at home is to begin keeping a headache or migraine diary. By keeping this diary, you will be able to assist your health care professional in identifying any underlying patterns in your symptoms.
The more detail you can add to your diary the better. Taking note of when the migraine occurs, time of day, foods eaten, stressful events, menstrual cycle etc. all helps to further understand why your migraines are occurring.
HOW CAN ENERGIE NATURAL HEALTH HELP WITH MY MIGRAINES?
Energie Natural Health can assist with the management and ongoing treatment of headaches and migraines.
Our skilled team of alternative and natural health professionals will encourage you to keep a headache diary to help build a picture of your condition and your symptoms.
Using your headache diary and the extra details added such as food consumed and other external factors, the team may begin to work through potential food triggers.
When looking at food triggers commonly identified themes may be excluded from your diet for a period of time and the response monitored for about 3-4 weeks.
As well as food, vitamins and minerals also play a large role in the treatment and management of migraines. Studies have shown that particular vitamins and minerals can be found to decrease the frequency and severity of migraines and headaches and can be used in partnership with other natural therapies to manage this condition.