As anyone who has ever had a migraine knows, the pain can be excruciating. Most people suffering from it turn to over-the-counter painkillers to reduce the pain, but it is always best to try to prevent a migraine from happening in the first place.
If you suffer from headaches on a regular basis, you probably know what a migraine feels like. A migraine is a neurological disorder, which may be the result of a family history of migraine headaches, stress, and other factors. For most migraine sufferers, the pain can be highly debilitating, and can make it difficult to perform daily tasks, or even enjoy life.
Some of them find that avoiding certain foods can help them avoid the pain that comes with the headaches. (For example, eating chocolate can trigger headaches in some people, whereas it’s a perfectly safe food for others.)
If you have a migraine, the last thing you feel like doing is eating. However, eating can help ease your symptoms. Foods rich in magnesium, B-complex vitamins, and protein can help ease headaches and promote healthy blood flow.
Good foods to eat with migraine
If you suffer from migraine, you know how difficult it can be to find good foods to eat when you have a migraine.
If a migraine is caused by allergies, as many are, you may find relief by avoiding foods that you are allergic to, but if the cause is not allergies, this is only a partial solution. The rest lies in the foods you choose to eat. The following is a brief list of good foods to eat with migraine.
Sweet potatoes
One of the common foods that you can use to help with migraines is sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are healthy food as well as delicious. High in vitamins A and C, they can help to reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer.
Sweet potatoes are also an excellent source of complex carbohydrates, which provide sustained energy.
Brown rice
Brown rice has long been considered a healthier alternative to white rice, which is stripped of its nutritional value during the refining process. Studies have found that brown rice helps fight migraines and headaches.
Brown rice is whole grain and is a great source of manganese and magnesium, two minerals that are essential nutrients that help with the absorption of migraine medication and should be included in your diet.
Carrots
Carrots are nutritious vegetables that is a good source of vitamin A and other vitamins. In addition to providing your body with a good amount of vitamins, carrots contain some carbohydrates, fiber, and a very small amount of protein.
Carrots are also very low in sodium, saturated fat, and cholesterol; but, they are very high in dietary fiber and potassium. Thus, eating carrots can help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.
Carbonated water
Carbonated water is a mixture of carbon dioxide, water, and dissolved salts and minerals. And while the idea of drinking the dissolved minerals and salts might not sound very appealing, these dissolved ingredients are actually what gives carbonated water its unique, refreshing taste, and makes it a healthier option.
Carbonated water is known to relieve headache and migraine. Carbonated water has properties like alkalinization and absorbing toxins. These properties are helpful to relieve headache and migraine.
Cherries
Cherries are gaining fame as an effective “natural” migraine medication. In fact, a cherry diet is considered one of the best migraine diet plans, as it can help prevent migraines, attacks, and even frequent headaches.
Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with migraine headaches. Cherries contain magnesium, which is helpful in preventing migraines. Magnesium is a natural migraine remedy that also helps the body produce vitamin D, which helps with the absorption and use of calcium.
Cherries also have antioxidant properties that help fight the inflammation that causes migraines.
Cranberries
Anyone who has experienced a migraine knows that the first inclination is to reach for the painkillers. But painkillers can cause nasty side effects, and they don’t always work.
A natural alternative is to eat more foods rich in salicin, a natural painkiller derived from willow bark. Cranberries are the best source of salicin. The highest levels are found in cranberry juice, but whole cranberries also contain moderate amounts.
Green vegetables
Eat Green Vegetables If you suffer from migraines, eating green vegetables is a good way to get your daily dose of vitamins and minerals.
Green vegetables are found in a number of different recipes, so you can eat them as a side dish, in a soup, or as the main ingredient in a meal.
Summer squash
Summer squash is one of the more nutritious summer vegetables, providing a good amount of vitamin A and potassium.
If you’re prone to migraines, you should avoid eating too much summer squash, though, due to its high levels of tyramine, a food chemical that triggers headaches.
Foods that are high in Magnesium
Magnesium is involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong.
Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis.
Intake high amout of potassium
One known fact is that migraines are typically caused by changes in the brain’s blood flow, and one cause of these changes is a drop in blood potassium levels.
Potassium is an essential nutrient that helps regulate the electrical activity of nerves and muscles and maintains fluid balance in the body. So, if your potassium levels drop too low, your nerves and muscles may be unable to function properly, which can cause a migraine.
What can cause migraine?
Migraines are the third most common neurological problem and are one of the leading causes of disability in the world. While migraines affect both men and women, they are three times more likely to happen to women.
Migraines typically affect adults in their 20s and 30s, but they can happen at any age. Migraines are more common in people with a family history of the disease and women who have gone through menopause.
If you have migraine, you know that it is extremely painful to endure. And you’ll do almost anything to avoid getting one. Migraine is not a disease you get over with, but one you learn to live with.
Your migraines may be triggered by certain things, so you’ll have to learn which foods, drinks and other triggers will cause you migraines. To avoid getting a migraine, you need to know what the triggers are and avoid them.
Stress
tress can be defined as an event, or series of events that causes your brain to release hormones that affect your body in a negative way. It’s believed that stress triggers a migraine in people who have a genetic susceptibility to the disorder.
Stress hormones trick the brain into thinking there is a problem with the body, and the brain reacts by sending signals to the body.
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol consumption can trigger migraine in some people. In fact, some studies suggest that alcohol is a migraine trigger in between 52% and 90% of migraine sufferers.
Some of the factors that contribute to alcohol triggering migraine include age, family history, overall health, and even the time of day that you drink.
Change of sleeping habits
he study involved 26 patients diagnosed with “chronic migraine,” defined as having at least 15 migraine days per month, as well as 18 healthy controls.
All participants kept diaries detailing their daily sleep patterns and migraine attacks for two weeks, and their results were analyzed for any correlations between sleeping habits and migraine severity.
Eating something before sleep can cause many problems for our body and health. One of the most important parts of our body to take care of is our stomach and intestines.
Many of the people in the world eat something before they go to sleep, and this can cause many problems. People who eat something before they go to sleep often suffer from constipation, cramps, and even migraine.
Certain medications
The overuse of some common medications, such as decongestants and birth control pills, have been linked to the onset of migraines. The good news is the risk of developing a migraine is quite low when taking medications for a short period of time.
But you should be aware of the side effects of some medications. Risk of migraine with overused medications:
- Severe Headache – Aspirin
- Ibuprofen (Motrin, Nuprin)
- Naproxen
- Indomethacin (Indocin) Contraceptives
- Estrogens
- progestins Ammonia – Tylenol
What foods can trigger migraines?
A migraine is a debilitating neurological disorder that can have serious impacts on one’s daily life. It is more than just a bad headache.
Migraines are different from other headaches in that they are often accompanied by neurological symptoms, such as flashes of light, blind spots, double vision, numbness, and tingling in the hands and feet, and can last anywhere from four to 72 hours.
People who suffer from migraines become accustomed to dealing with the pain, nausea, and other symptoms that accompany migraines. However, they might not realize that certain foods may be triggering their migraines.
Since the early 1980s, scientists have been trying to find out which foods trigger migraines. These research efforts have taught us a great deal about how food compounds interact with the human body.
Some of the most common foods that can trigger headaches are listed below.
Eggs
Eggs are a great source of protein, and they are also a very good source of riboflavin and vitamin B12. But for some people, eggs can be problematic.
The egg protein, called ovotransferrin, can trigger migraines. For some people, eating eggs can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in salicyclic acid, a chemical that is also found in certain headache medicines. In the past, it was thought that people with migraine were more sensitive to this particular chemical, and therefore more likely to experience a migraine as a result of eating tomatoes.
However, more recent research has suggested that it’s not so much the chemical itself that triggers the migraines, but the ability of the body to break down the chemical into another chemical that is the real trigger.
Citrus fruits
Everyone knows that citrus fruits, including oranges, lemons, and limes, are great for your health. They’re high in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants which help prevent heart disease and cancer.
But even though they’re good for you, citrus can also cause migraines. Some experts believe the cause is an overactive brainstem, while others believe it’s a trigger from your sense of smell.
Onions
When you eat an onion, your body reacts to it by releasing histamine as a defense mechanism. Histamines cause the body to experience a number of symptoms, including runny nose, watery eyes, and a tingling sensation on the skin, as well as headaches for some people.
This is why onions are well-known migraine-trigger, particularly when eaten raw.
Dairy products
Most migraine sufferers are sensitive to dairy. This is because the protein in cow’s milk, called casein, can cause a reaction in some migraine patients.
The body of a migraine sufferer is already in a state of heightened sensitivity to allergens. Casein triggers an inflammatory response in the body, which can lead to a migraine attack.
Alcohol
One of the most common triggers for migraines is alcohol, which can act as a trigger in two ways. Firstly, it relaxes the blood vessels and dilates them, which can trigger a migraine.
Secondly, the process of metabolizing alcohol can trigger serotonin levels to drop, which can also cause a migraine.
Wine – Red wine
Drinking red wine often triggers migraines for people who are sensitive to sulfites, a common preservative found in red wine that can also be found in other foods and drinks. Sulfites can cause headaches in sensitive people and are often found in foods containing citrus or grapes.
Caffeine
Caffeine triggers migraines in some people. It can reach the brain within 15 minutes after you drink it. Once there, it blocks the effects of a chemical called adenosine, which is responsible for making you sleepy.
As a result, you’re more alert. But when the caffeine runs out, adenosine kicks in again, leading to a rebound effect that can cause the blood vessels in your brain to swell. Caffeine also constricts the blood vessels, which may lead to a migraine.
Finally, some people are sensitive to the chemicals in coffee, such as tyramine and trigonelline. These chemicals affect the levels of chemicals in the brain that control blood vessels
Chocolates
Chocolates are one of the most popular treats in the world, also one of the most common triggers of migraine attacks.
Chocolates contain a number of ingredients that can trigger the onset of a migraine, including caffeine, a substance that is often added to chocolate, and tyramine, a chemical that occurs naturally in chocolate and many other foods.
Treatment for migraines
There are many different kinds of migraine treatments, and migraines can be very different in different people. Your treatment plan depends on what is triggering your migraines.
If it’s something outside your body (like a food or chemical), you can cut it out of your life. If it’s something inside your body (like an imbalance in your hormones), you need to take regular doses of medication.
If your migraines are a result of too much stress, you need to learn how to breathe and relax.
Migraines are a complex disorder—there is no known cure. They often require intensive evaluation and treatment to provide relief. Migraine treatment should be tailored to your specific symptoms and medical history.
The best treatment for migraines is one you can get from a trained professional, but you can also use home treatments if you are having a lot of migraines. Some ways to do this are:
Try a cold pack
Place a cold pack of ice in your forehead, wrap it with any towel. Or you can also take a cold shower for 10 minutes and take rest after.
Dim the lights
A bright or flickering lights this can also trigger your migraine headaches. If you are prone to them, you may cover your windows at day with black curtains.
Use sunglasses when goin outdoors. You might also add anti-glare screens to your computer and use daylight-spectrum fluorescent bulbs in your light fixtures.
Hydrate
While you may think that a glass of cold water would not be a good treatment for migraines, drinking more water can help to relieve the symptoms of the migraine. When a migraine strikes, your body needs water to dilute the chemicals that are causing the pain.
Some Doctor’s explains that in dehydration, sodium, potassium and other electrolytes are pulled out of cells into the bloodstream to help flush out toxins from the body.
However, if there is not enough water in the body to dilute the chemicals and flush them out, then the chemicals will irritate sensitive tissues. So, the more water you drink, the better.
Practice relaxations
Migraines are a very common health problem in the U.S. and other countries. Experts have found the best treatment for migraines is a combination of medicines and self-care.
Among the self-care options for migraines are relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are useful because they reduce stress, which can be a common migraine trigger.
If migraines are your concern then the first thing is that you should note that you can overcome them. It is just that you need to understand that it will take a lot of practice to overcome them. In fact you need to know that there is no magic or special way in which you can get rid of migraines.
Get some therapy
While medications can be helpful, they are not always successful, and potential side effects from the medications can be worse than the migraines themselves.
Some great tips for reducing migraines include lifestyle changes, such as regular exercise and stress management.
Despite the fact that migraines are a leading cause of disability in the United States, about half of all sufferers never seek treatment. In fact, in one survey, 60 percent of migraine sufferers said they would rather deal with the symptoms than seek professional help.
That’s understandable, considering that most people find that migraine treatment involves a multi-step process including prescription medications, dietary restrictions, physical therapy, and/or behavioral therapies.
But the good news is that a combination of these treatments may help most people achieve full or partial relief from the pain of migraines.