I suffered from migraines from age 6 to 20. And as anyone who has experienced these severe headaches can tell you (and there are around 6 million migraine sufferers in the UK alone), they can be excruciatingly painful. This agonising condition is triggered by both constriction and dilation of the blood vessels in the head.
Causes of headaches and migraines
There are many causes of headaches and migraines including dehydration, allergy, tension, oxidative stress, methylation problems – or a critical combination of any of these. Peaks and troughs in adrenaline and blood sugar can also bring on a headache. Headaches can also be a maladaptive response to stress. Migraines, in particular, are most interesting in this regard. For many, the consequence of having a migraine is the desire or necessity to be completely quiet, in the dark with no movement. Through their intensity, migraines become the equivalent of a meditation on pain. The stress I’m talking about here includes any excessive loss of balance in the body’s biochemistry – a blood sugar dip, dehydration, or an allergic reaction to a food, for example. Other common triggers are oxidative or methylation stress. Fortunately, in almost all cases, headaches and migraines can be solved with optimum nutrition.
Answers to these questions & more are available to 100% Health Club Members
- The sugar connection
- Hidden allergies
- Pollution and mobile phones
- Antioxidant protection
- The Niacin Cure
- Homocysteine and Migraines
- Mind / Body Triggers
