Headaches: Your Friendly Ally

Nearly fifty million americans suffer one form of headache. Headache sufferers know just how very disturbing the pain could get. Doctors and health care providers advise that it is safer not to ignore any form of persistent  or unusual pain in the head for long period of time. Unfortunately,most headache sufferers reach for temporary pain relief from drugs which sometimes come with devastating side effects.Someone rightly said that such action could be likeened to shooting the red light on the dashboard of your car and expect the problem to go away forever.Since that is never going to happen ,it is better to be familiar with the different health conditions that may trigger off a headache and leave the  differential  diagnosis and  proper treatment in the hands of the experts. Of all the different types of headaches, only one requires common sense to deal with. It is called the “Brain freeze”. This happens when you drink or swallow ice cold substances such as ice cream too quickly. The pain from brain freeze headaches last no longer than three to five minutes, which is long enough time to consider the better option of thawing your ice cream or taking it slowly next time.Other forms require the differential diagnosis and treatment by your health care provider.Below are ten health conditions that may trigger a headache and simple alternative measures that may help you cope.

Hormonal Imbalance

Some women will experience at some point in their monthly cycle what is known as “menstrual headache”. This is characterised by throbing pain on one side of the head accompanied by a feeling of nausea and slight body tempreture. Depending on what time in the cycle this occurs, this type of headache  indicates that ovulation  has commenced if this occurs mid-way in the cycle .Otherwise it heralds the onset of a new cycle.  Women who are on birth control pills tend to experience this more than others and have been known to be more prone to developing uterine fibroids and cysts. The key issue here is increasing pelvic circulation. By taking some doses of Vitamin E ,few days before the onset of a period usually helps. Some women have done better by adding magnesium for support due to the possible deficiency of this mineral during  such times.

Muscle tension and emotional stress.

Believe it or not, nothing more triggers tension headaches than emotional stress.People who work to meet official deadlines, workaholics who cannot draw the line between work and rest, or those who are under emotional stress in their relationships are major sufferers of tension headaches. This is characterised by tightness in the head, high pressure pain on both sides of the head , shoulders and neck. A relaxing massage over the neck and shoulders followed by two to three  eight ounce glasses of water usually bring quick relief.

Migrane headache.

This could mimic a sinus condition or even an elevated blood pressure caused by constricted arteries, but a doctor should be able to tell the difference.Migrane headaches  are characterised by throbbing pain on both sides of the head, accompanied by sensitivity to light and sometimes sound.Many things may trigger a migrane, including food allergy, chemical imbalances resulting in certain mineral defficiences,troubled nerve in the head and  poor circulation to the brain. Deep breathing excercise and a cup of feverfew herb sold in health food stores in capsule form or tea bags work wonders for migrane sufferers.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)

If you have ever had headaches accompanied by dizziness, lack of concentration, blurry vision and low energy especially when you are hungry, you  may be experiencing low blood sugar. As soon as you eat something, energy is  restored and all those horrible feelings subside.When people are hypoglycemic and not diabetic, they tend to believe that they have the better of a bad disease.Low blood sugar should raise as much concern as high blood sugar just as low blood pressure is as bad as high blood pressure.Functional deficiencies in both the liver and pancreas must be addressed in this condition. Milk thistle, dandelion and chromium picolinate are helpful . A good multivitamin/mineral supplement also help. Snacking  between meals to balance sugar levels and increasing nuts and vegetables in the diet is highly recomended by experts.

High blood pressure

Hypertensive patients are well too familiar with headaches accompanied by pain in the eye, neck and jawbone. Some of these symptoms may not be  common with some patients ,that is why heart disease is called the silent killer. Wherever  these symptoms prevail,it is usually due to the narrowing of blood vessels  and  the formation of plaque . Diluting a table spoon or two of pure apple cider vinegar into half  glass of water, not only help clean out arteries but is quite beneficial in stopping headaches associated with elevated blood pressure. cayenne pepper capsules which is good for increasing circulation have helped many sufferers. Drinking lots of water to stay hydrated at all times is not only good for headache sufferers but for everyone.

Structural misalignment

This is one root cause of headache that most people cannot relate with,nonetheless is affects many people especially the aged due to a normal  process of degeneration. Other likely sufferers of this type of headache are  the obese and overweight where a lot of strain is put on the body’s structural frame . For many sufferers, a simple chiropratic adjustment which may also necessitate the use of a  collar. Applying pepermint oil on the forehead helps to relieve pain not just for this but most types of headaches.

Toxicity

Your body is exposed to all forms of toxicity daily. From toxic fumes and industrial wastes in the enviroment to a diet loaded with preservatives,pesticides and additives.Even our cars are serviced and our engines overhauled, yet many disregard the necessity to do the same for their bodies.Headache is  not the only symptom of toxic overload, a coated tongue,constipation, skin problems, acid reflux, the list is almost endless.The big picture in the issue of toxicity is that all the eliminating organs of the body begin to function below capacity or  near shut down.  Here is the systemic  detorioration that occurs when there is toxic overload.The colon and the digestive system become clogged with undigested  and decomposed  food, inflammation ensues causing a bloated feeling and the release of gas, the blood is polluted by the waste  constipation, skin problems  and possibble infections begin  to take place and in due course the whole system is polluted. Detoxification is so vital  to wellness and is therefore recommended  twice annually.The best detox remedy  should involve the liver, kidney colon and blood. Some detox programmes only involve the colon which is not good enough.Fruit juice fasting for no less than a week at a time is beneficial. It is better to lubricate the walls of the intestines with some  omega 3  oil, aloe vera juice and some fibre powder like psylium . Most detox programmes also will relieve parasite infestation .Expect  more headaches during the cleansing process which  should not last long.

Tumors.

Since only a careful and detailed diagnosis can confirm the presence and growth of a tumor,it is wise to see a doctor or health care provider whenever there is a sudden excrutiating headache that is quite different from any other you have experienced before. Some cases of headaches associated with suspected tumors  may  be accompanied by pulsating pain in the eye, dizziness  and confusion. Taking a good multivitamin/mineral supplement containing  anti-oxidants is a good preventive measure. The herb pau darco, an anti-tumor herb as well as ginko biloba which helps to improve cerebral circulation have proven beneficial for this condition. These herbs are popular and have been in use for ages.

Food allergy.

Many headaches  are now being  associated with food allergies  arising from the comsumption of  the food additive known as  monosodium glucomate ( MSG).It is  therefore important to eliminate all sources of MSG from diet. Some  other forms of allergy may also arise from  the body’s inability to process certain types of food .A preventive strategy will be to observe what causes discomfort.

Chemical Imbalance

The human body  functions through a complex  mechanism of chemical reactions. Some of these  chemicals are released through the glandular system as hormones and other organs producing  substances called enzymes . The body thrives on nutrients from a  balanced nutrition and since that is not an exact reality  in todays world, supplementation is imperative to avoid defeciencies and chemical imbalances.A good multivitamin/mineral, in addition to a good source of digestive and systemic enzymes  will take care of possible imbalances.