Migraine headaches are extremely debilitating. They can take an on-the-go, get-it-done type of person and imprison him to a life stuck in bed in a dark room unable to seek relief. What causes migraines? How can relief be attained? I have battled migraine headaches since I was 13 years old. From November 2012 to currently, I have been migraine free after a 10 year battle. I have tried everything. I used home remedies, sought doctors' advice, used multiple medications, and cut out certain foods. So is there relief? No worries, migraine-relief seekers, there is relief!
Migraine headaches can begin in two different ways, either a constriction of the blood vessels or a dilation of the blood vessels. Picture the composition of a wine bottle; it has a wide base which narrows to the opening. That is what is occurring in the blood vessels in the brain. The blood vessels are their normal size and something triggers the constriction; when this constriction occurs, the rushing blood cells are forced to squeeze through a small opening and those cells bang on the vessel wall. That sharp, throbbing pain that pulsates through your head is caused by the this constricting of the blood vessels. The other way a migraine can begin is when the blood vessels dilate. Although there is no banging of the cells along the vessel wall, pain is still very evident due to the blood vessels expanding abnormally. Symptoms of sharp, cutting pain, sensitivity to light and smells is extremely common.
So how do you find relief? Aren't we just supposed to pop a pill and it will fix everything? Let me ask, how's that working out for you? Pill popping for migraines is one of the worst ways to treat migraines. Yes, you read it correctly, taking medications, including over-the-counter, is one of the worst ways to treat a migraine. You might respond, "but my migraine goes away." Does it return? Do the symptoms seem to worsen so you have to increase the amount taken to get the same level of relief? Let me explain to you how your body responds when you pop a pill for a migraine. There is nothing natural about a Tylenol or any other pain medication. When you ingest this synthetic product, the stomach immediately begins to break this down, and those broken down elements are dispersed throughout the body. Pretty normal process, however; all your systems have to react to this new element that has arrived. Hormones are secreted from the adrenal system as well as other systems to regulate the break-down and distribution of these foreign elements. These actions are taking away from the body doing what it's supposed to do-to heal you. Now that the body has regulated all these foreign objects, you are able to start to feel some relief. Finally! Or did you just make things worse? Because you wanted such instant relief, you took that pain medication, so therefore your body became distracted from correcting the issue of the migraine from the source. Once that pain medication and all its elements have been used up, the systems spike again causing the migraine to return and usually with intensified symptoms.
I couldn't begin to tell you how many different types of medications I have been on for my migraines. The most recent medications I was on included the following: muscle relaxer, sleep aid, and anti-seizure. I was prescribed at least twice two different anti-depressant medications which I didn't pursue. The above three were prescribed a year ago this summer, but I have been on and off medications since I was 13 years old. I had to come off of those medications, prescribed to me over the summer, because it negatively responded to my body and I was unable to perform daily functions as well as affecting neurological and cognitive responses.
How else can you gain relief from a migraine headache? When the blood vessels are constricted, they need heat to expand. This can be accomplished by drinking hot water or taking a hot shower. I would, however, recommend with the hot shower that you don't stay in the shower too long because you may become light-headed and faint. When the blood vessels are dilated, you need cold to bring them back to normal size. You can either drink cold water or take a cool shower. If you can't tolerate a cool shower, place a cold, wet washcloth behind your neck. A bag of ice would be too much and may cause shock to your system and intensify the migraine. There are also pressure points on the back of your neck, the palms of your hands, and soles of your feet that help control and decrease the pain of migraine headaches. I would recommend a professional to administer these massages to ensure that you do not become nauseated and sick.
If you're like me, you've tried all of these and still nothing seems to relieve the pain, nausea, and sensitivity to lights, sounds, and smells. So what really works? Food. Food can be your worse enemy or best friend. So how do you know? Because every person is different and created by God, not every "prescription" is for every individual. However, there are a few foods that are migraine triggers and should be avoided by all if you battle with migraines. These foods include high fructose corn syrup (its composition is actually that of table sugar), table sugar, honey, milk and dairy products, caffeine (includes decaffeinated products), and even processed foods due to the increased amounts of sodium and sugars. Yes, it is quite a list, but I promise you, if you're serious about seeking relief from those chronic migraines, this is your starting place. I have been migraine free for 6 months and have not ingested these foods for 10 months. You need to get your body cleaned out, and starting with eliminating these foods, will help accomplish that.
In my situation, my chronic migraine headaches were a warning sign of other intense internal issues. I'm not stating that all migraine headaches are warning lights to other internal issues, but it is important to be aware of that possibility. Besides cutting out all the above foods, I also cut out whole grain products because of how much sugar is produced from those whole grains during the digesting process. Please remember that my diet is under supervision from my nutritionist, Karen Hurd; I do not advise drastic diet changes without consulting a registered nutritionist. Along with changing my diet, I also included legumes and lots of them. If you read the post, "A bean for your thoughts" you know I am believer of the bean. I will not repeat myself here but keep in my mind that beans help in so many areas. Beans especially aid in cleaning out your body and regulating your systems, this includes regulating your blood-sugar level which has a direct affect on migraine headaches.
Relief from chronic migraines is out there, but it's not a quick fix; it takes sacrifice, discipline, and lots of patience.
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