Headaches And Migraines: Signs And Symptoms
80% of people will experience tension headaches in their life. The most common symptoms are:
- Pain
- Tight muscles
- Emotional stress
- Inability to concentrate
- Mood changes
- Fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting
What Can Trigger A Migraine?
The trigger of a migraine will differ from person to person with a genetic component to migraine headaches and migraines that can run in families. It is believed that it is not just one single gene that causes migraines but rather a variety of genes coming together collectively.
There are also many different environmental triggers of migraine headaches, including:
- Alcohol
- Lack of sleep
- Dehydration
- Hunger
- Hormonal changes
- Bright lights
- Muscular tension
- Intense noise
- Stress
- Menstruation
- Menopause
- Pregnancy
Certain foods will tend to cause migraines such as:
- Chocolate
- Peanuts
- Citrus fruits
- Aged cheese
- MSG
How To Help Treat Migraine Symptoms
Magnesium: Migraine sufferers have significantly lower magnesium levels than normal. By taking 600 mg a day of magnesium, it is proven to reduce the incidence and severity of migraines. Magnesium citrate was shown to significantly improve stress and tension headaches. Magnesium Diasporal may help reduce migraine attacks by up to 45%.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is also found to decrease migraine frequency. In a 12 week trial, 2000 IU of Vitamin D can help to decreased the frequency, duration and severity of headaches in its test patients.*
* The Role of Vitamin D in Primary Headache – from Potential Mechanism to Treatment Magdalena Nowaczewska.
Omega 3: Omega 3 halves the incidence of headache days per month. 51 migraneurs took 1.5gm of fish oil: 800mg EPA; 700mg DHA over 60 days and it was found that it can cause a 50% reduction in headache days per month.
Lifestyle Tips With Lisa Mackay
With over 18 years experience, our Naturopath Lisa is an expert when it comes to living a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle. She shares her knowledge in our Lifestyle Tips series.
