In recognition of “Headache Awareness
Week” we thought it would be prudent to focus on education and treatment
options available for those folks who suffer from headaches – many of which can
be quite disabling. I have personally suffered from both Tension (Stress)
Headaches and Migraines in the past so it is my sincere pleasure to share
information on how I found relief and treatments that may work for you as well.
What triggers
headaches:
People of all ages can suffer headaches; in fact children as young as
two years old have complained of headaches. About 50% of 7 year olds and
almost 85% of 15 year olds report experiencing recurrent mixed Tension-Migraine
type headaches. There are between 150 and 200 types and sub-types of headache
according to the International Headache Society.
Some people may have a genetic predisposition to have headaches, but
they are still usually triggered by an external stimulus such as noise or
bright lights. Some common triggers
include, but are not limited to:
Stress Odors
Lights Lack of Sleep
Weather Humidity Sun Milk
Products
Fatigue Perfumes Noise Dehydration
Chemicals
Anxiety Menstruation Low
Blood Sugar
Headaches can also be due to a history of head trauma such as being in a Motor Vehicle Accident (even low-speed impacts), a Sports Injury or Concussion, or something that happened to you earlier in life and you may not remember or even be aware of. Being involved in any fall or accident can cause long-term inflammation, affect your alignment, dural adhesions, or even primary or secondary traumatic brain injury.
The fact is that knowing what causes your headaches will help you find
an appropriate treatment ─ after all, why suffer if you don’t have to? Physicians can give you medications to lessen
the symptoms, but wouldn’t it be more prudent to remove or fix the cause of the
headaches so you don’t suffer from them in the first place?
Research shows that headaches and migraines can be associated with
certain food chemicals; migraine headaches and food intolerances are ancient
phenomena, each mentioned in the Hippocratic texts. The terms food sensitivity
and food allergy are often used interchangeably when referring to food
intolerance, but they do have different meanings. Food allergies are immune
responses to proteins called antigens in foods. They are more serious and more
rare than food sensitivities, which occur as a result of enzyme deficiencies,
as is the case with lactose intolerance. In general, more foods cause sensitivities
than allergies, though some foods, such as eggs, milk, and fish, can cause
both. Approximately 2 percent of adults
and 5 percent of infants suffer from food allergies whereas sensitivities to
food can take many forms and can affect 60 to 70 percent of the population.
Eight foods account for 90 percent of food allergies. These are milk,
eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans. In
addition to these eight foods, other foods to which people are frequently
sensitive include beef, chicken, pork, corn, oranges, strawberries, kiwi fruit,
spinach and tomatoes. Other items likely
to cause food sensitivities include alcohol, chocolate, MSG, caffeine,
fermented cheese, refined sugar, smoked meats, and vinegar.
Treatment
Options:
My advice for anyone who is still suffering with headaches despite seeing
their family physician is to do two things: (1) go see a Doctor of Naturopathic
Medicine to investigate possible food intolerances, and (2) go see an Osteopath
for assessment and possible treatment of alignment and soft tissue or nerve
tissue compression issues.
There are so many assessments and treatment options available though both
of these healthcare professionals that I'm not even going to try to list them
here. I will tell you that my quality of
life improved dramatically after just two visits as my headaches have been almost
completely eliminated. Before I would take a medication when the headaches
became intolerable in an effort to lessen the severity, but now I
don’t need the medication as I rarely get headaches, and when I do, they’re
mild enough to tolerate. I sincerely
hope many others can find the wonderful relief I did – it really has changed my
life!
*If anyone would like the name of the healthcare professionals I saw,
please email me and I’d be more than happy to share their contact information with
you.
*For the record, I am in no way
affiliated with either, nor do I profit by referring people to them. I do this only in an attempt to allow others
to find the relief I did; I wish someone had told me about them years ago.
Excerpts
from:
www.medicine.usask.ca/pediatrics
www.livestrong.com/article/309533
