Natural Treatment of Migraine
Tips for Natural Treatment of Migraine
A migraine is generally characterised by repetitive throbbing headache usually affecting one side of the head. It is a neurological disorder involving nerve pathways and neurochemicals. It is certainly complicated to explain and is a collection of several symptoms. Handling a migraine is definitely a hassle. Individuals suffering from a regular issue of a migraine treat it as the most dreaded issue.
Symptoms of Migraine
- Prodrome: One or two days before the migraine, there are certain possible subtle changes. They are as follows:
o Constipation
o Mood swings
o Food cravings
o Frequent yawning
o Increased thirst and urination
o Stiffness of the neck - Aura: This phase is slightly uncommon and constitutes symptoms of the nervous system. They are usually spotted before or during migraines. They may include visual disturbances such as zigzag vision, flashes of light or maybe touching sensations as if someone is touching you or your muscles might get slightly weak. These symptoms initiate gradually and build up in a time frame of twenty to sixty minutes. Examples of Aura may constitute:
o Hearing noises or music
o Vision loss
o Visual phenomena: seeing various shapes, flashes of light or bright spots
o Numbness or weakness on one side of the face or body
o Uncontrollable jerking or movement
o Hearing noises
o Needle or pin sensation on arms or legs or both - Attack: The usual duration of a migraine if left untreated is from 4 to 72 hours. The rate and frequency varies from person to person. The symptoms may include:
o Pain on one or both sides of the head
o Throbbing or pulsing type of pain
o Light-headedness, may be followed by fainting
o Nausea
o Vomiting
o Blurred Vision
o Sensitivity to light, sound, smells or touch. - Post-Drome: This is the final phase which occurs after a migraine. Generally, individual feel drained, washed out or exhausted. Common symptoms of this phase constitute:
o Mood swings
o Dizziness
o Confusion
o Weakness
o Sensitivity to light, sound, smells or touch
Causes of a Migraine
Causes of a migraine haven’t yet been discovered. However, genetics and environmental factors play a major role in triggering it. A minute change in the parts of a brain or imbalance in neurotransmitters play significant role in initiating a migraine.
Migraine triggers can include:
- Hormonal Changes in Women: Fluctuations in oestrogen levels seem to trigger headaches in a large number of women. Often women complain about headaches just before or during their period, during which they experience a severe drop in oestrogen levels.
- Foods: Skipping meals, especially fasting are popular causes of migraines. Processed foods, aged cheese or salty food may also trigger migraines.
- Food Additives: Preservatives, MSG, artificial sweeteners are known to play significant roles in initiating a migraine.
- Stress
- Drinks: Certain drinks that induce a migraine include alcoholic beverages, highly caffeinated drinks or even wine.
- Medications: Oral contraceptives, vasodilators can aggravate migraines.
- Sleep Cycle: An irregular sleeping pattern is a common cause of migraines.
- Sensory Stimuli: Bright lights, strong smells, loud music, glaring sun are known to trigger migraines in some cases.
- Environmental Changes: Weather changes or barometric changes can induce migraines.
Harmful Effects of Using Medications for a Migraine:
Using NSAIDS and analgesics to suppress migraine pain and accompanying discomfort gives short-term relief. It also has several side-effects. It damages several organs such as liver and kidneys. Dependence on medications deteriorates body’s natural pain relief mechanism. Natural treatment for migraines is known to be a much better option including ayurvedic treatment for headache.
Natural Remedies for a Migraine
Following are tips for how to reduce headaches naturally:
- Drinking ginger tea helps to cope with several symptoms of a migraine. It provides quick relief and helps in promoting overall health.
- Inhaling essential oils such as rosemary, jasmine and lavender prove to be extremely soothing during a migraine. It acts as a stress buster which is a major cause of a migraine. Lavender acts like a mild sedative to induce the process of calming down. Rosemary treats hormonal imbalances.
- Sesame drops reduce mental stress and cure insomnia hence indirectly targeting migraines. Inhaling sesame oil is a great remedy for a migraine.
- Massaging forehead with a paste of crushed nutmeg and water calms down a migraine as it promotes sleep. It is useful for instant relief.
- Yoga essentially helps to calm the mind and relaxing the blood vessels. It is a great way to soothe pain caused due to migraines.
- The freshness of peppermint is beneficial for relieving a headache.
Ayurvedic Medicines for Migraine Headache
Several ayurvedic medicines are instrumental in preventing and curing migraines. The major advantage that the ayurvedic medicines for migraine provide is that there are very little or no side effects as these medicines are completely natural. They do not harm any system of the body and are very effective. Headache ayurvedic medicines along with natural remedies for a migraine are the safest methods to handle and prevent migraines in today’s generation. Some ayurvedic medicines are Ath Ardhari Capsule, Ajwain, Trifala Powder, etc.