Not just a headache, but a disorder affecting the whole body, characterized by clearly defined attacks lasting from about 4 to 72 hours, separated by headache-free periods; progresses through five distinct phases. Prodrome: experienced by about 50% of migraineurs and starting up to 24 hours before the headache - changes in mood, sensory perception, food craving, excessive yawning, or speech or memory problems. Aura: experienced by about 15% and starting within an hour before the headache - disruption of vision (flashing lights, shimmering zigzag lines, blind spot) or sensation (numbness or 'pins and needles' around the lips or hand), or difficulty speaking. Headache: usually pulsating and occurring on one side of the head, it may occur on both sides of the head and alternate from side to side. Muscles in the neck and scalp may be tender; there may be nausea and the desire not to eat, move, see or hear. Resolution: the headache disappears and the body returns to normal. Resolution may occur over several hours during sleep or rest; an intense emotional experience or vomiting may also end the headache. Postdrome: After the headache stops, the sufferer feels drained, fatigued and tired. Muscles ache, emotions are volatile and thinking is slow. Also: Migraine Headache, Migraine Headaches, Migraines

	Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Avoidance As A Treatment "...Reasons For Use Adverse effects reported from short-term and/or long-term use of Aspartame include: Seizures and convulsions, dizziness, tremors, migraines and severe headaches (triggered or caused by chronic intake), memory loss (common toxicity effect), slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue,..." Birth Control Pill Issues The Condition "...These contraceptive-related risks may be even greater among those patients with a history of migraines..." Cluster Headaches The Condition "...In both cluster and migraine headaches blood vessels dilate, but in cluster headaches only the blood vessels behind the eyes pulsate..." Recommendation Hyperbaric Oxygen "Hyperbaric oxygen is said to help cluster migraines..." Recommendation Caffeine/Coffee Avoidance "...Both migraine and cluster headaches are associated with heavy caffeine intake, and caffeine withdrawal can cause a headache resembling a migraine..." Dehydration The Condition "...every day? Signs & Symptoms Pain may be a warning of localized thirst; that is, the pain signal may be a warning of dehydration in that specific area (a regional thirst), for example low back pain, migraine headache, joint pain, and angina..." Excess Sugar Consumption The Condition "...Signs & Symptoms When the body undergoes a sugar overload, a number of symptoms can manifest themselves, including: Anxiety; Congestion; Frequent colds; Migraines; Asthma; Constipation; Headaches; Sinus congestion; Backaches; Depression; Hypoglycemia; Skin itch; Bladder/bowel dysfunction; Diarrhea; Hypothyroidism; Sleepiness; Bloating; Dizziness;..." Feverfew As A Treatment "...There have been positive studies using Feverfew leaves as a prophylactic treatment for migraine headaches, reducing both the severity and frequency of migraines..." Fish Oils As A Treatment "...Fish oil has also been proposed as a treatment for many other conditions, including diabetic neuropathy, allergies, gout, and migraine headaches, but there has been little real scientific investigation of these uses..." Ginkgo Biloba As A Treatment "...Positive clinical effects have been seen with short-term memory, tinnitus (ringing in the ear), vertigo, concentration, slowing the onset of Alzheimer symptoms, intermittant claudication, impotence, migraines, allergies and asthma..." Headaches The Condition "...Effective treatment is available for all types of headache, even migraine..." Lysine Related Topic "...Research indicates that lysine may be useful in the treatment of migraine and herpes simplex..." Magnesium As A Treatment "...Gall Stones, Menstrual cramps, High blood pressure, Hyperactivity, Glucose intolerance - diabetes and hypoglycemia, Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Prevention of hearing loss, Kidney stones, Leg cramps, Migraine, Osteoporosis, PMS and Prostate health..." Migraine/Tension Headaches The Condition "Headaches are commonly classified under categories such as tension, sinus, migraine, menstrual and cluster among others..." Our Question about menstruation-related headaches "Up to 25% of women have migraine during their reproductive years, with an average prevalence of 16% (11% without aura and 5% with aura)..." Relationship to Lupus, SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythromatosis) "Vascular or migraine headaches occur in 10% of lupus patients..." Relationship to Mitral Valve Prolapse "Patients with classic migraine have a two-fold increase in incidence of mitral valve prolapse..." Recommendation Pressure "Many individuals with migraine can obtain effective relief by simply applying an elastic band around the head, securing it with Velcro, and inserting rubber discs (or any available substitute such as a bottle cap) for added..." Recommendation Essential Fatty Acids "Omega 3 fatty acids can reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines..." Recommendation Tyramine-containing Foods Avoidance "Tyramine-containing foods are responsible for migraines in 15% of sufferers..." Recommendation Magnesium "Several researchers have provided substantial links between low magnesium levels and both migraine and tension headaches, based on both theory and clinical observations..." Recommendation against High/Increased Protein Diet "When migraine and tension headache patients are placed on low-protein, natural plant-based diets, with no refined sweets of any type, they often recover within a month..." Recommendation Test for Food Allergies "Food allergy may be a factor in as many as 80% of migraine sufferers..." Recommendation Processed Foods Avoidance "...When migraine and tension headache patients are placed on low-protein, natural plant-based diets, with no refined sweets of any type, they often recover within a month, never needing medication or further..." Recommendation Therapeutic Fasting "It is believed by those specializing in detoxification that the major cause of both tension headaches and migraines is the retention of toxins or tissue irritants within the central nervous system..." Recommendation Plant-Based Nutrition "When migraine and tension headache patients are placed on low-protein, natural plant-based diets, with no refined sweets of any type, they often recover within a month..." Neurologic Testing, Conventional As A Treatment "...Conversely, 15% of the population shows mild abnormalities on EEG, representing old head trauma, old strokes, migraine, viral infections, and most of the time for unknown reasons..." Night Sweats The Condition "...Hypothalamic lesions Epilepsy Strokes Cerebral palsy Migraine Spinal cord infarction Head injury Familial dysautomia Anti-nausea medication used during pregnancy Antidepressant/anti-anxiety medication Birth control pills Unfortunately, sometimes there..." Osteoporosis - Osteopenia The Condition "...Women for whom HRT might not be suitable include those with a history of thrombosis, high blood pressure, diabetes, migraine, a history of breast cancer or breast cancer in close family, and heavy smokers..." Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) The Condition "...Physical ... Frequent headaches or migraines..." Rosacea The Condition "...Flushing is prevalent, and migraine headaches are three times more common amongst sufferers..." Recommendation Test for Food Allergies "The incidence of migraine headaches and flushing accompanying rosacea points to some form of food intolerance..." Tryptophan / 5HTP As A Treatment "...It is used by the brain to produce serotonin; it is a natural relaxer, helps alleviate insomnia, reduces anxiety and depression and helps treat migraine headaches..." Tryptophan Need The Condition "...It has also been found that people suffering from migraine headaches have abnormal levels of tryptophan, and in this supplementation may be helpful..." Vasomotor Cephalalgia Related Topic "Migraine headache..." Vitamin B3 (Niacin) As A Treatment "...It stimulates circulation and for this reason may be helpful in treating leg cramps caused by circulatory deficiency; headaches, especially the migraine type; and Meniere's syndrome, associated with hearing loss and vertigo..." Vitamin B3 Requirement The Condition "...Low doses of niacin can relieve migraine headaches..." Zeolites As A Treatment "...allergens in the blood and digestive tract, thus decreasing symptoms from inhaled and swallowed antigens Possibly stopping diarrhea through its absorptive action in the intestines Patients with migraine headaches frequently are aware that certain foods will trigger headache attacks, for example red wine, preserved meats treated with nitrites and nitrates such as sausages, hot dogs, salami,..." Zinc Requirement The Condition "...It has been observed that those suffering with any of the auto-immune diseases (such as multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis); atopic problems (allergy, eczema, asthma or migraine); or many of the inflammatory diseases (such as osteo-arthritis, ME or irritable bowel syndrome), have a consistent, and often severe, zinc deficiency, which is greatly benefited by a..."

Last updated: May 10, 2007