by Colleen Oakley
(Breath Magazine) – If you’ve ever had one, you know you never want one again. Migraines are debilitating headaches that are typically ten times worse than any New Year’s Eve hangover. Everyone knows the common cure of popping a few aspirin and lying down in a dark, quiet room, but here are eight things about migraines you might not know.
1. Misery loves company. Migraines affect more than 30 million Americans. And they cost the U.S. economy more than 20 million dollars each year.
2. …And loves women in particular. One in three women will have a migraine in her lifetime. Experts believe that women suffer more migraines than men likely thanks to hormonal fluctuations, and are more likely to suffer from migraines the week before their period when estrogen levels are lowest, says Daryl Thompson, director of ATM Metabolic Research. To combat that trigger, eat plenty of foods containing phyto-estrogens, like tofu, flax and legumes.
3. Your “sinus headaches” could actually be migraines. “Many people with migraines also feel sinus pressure and congestion, which often makes people believe that their sinuses are the source of their headache,” says Dr. Daniel Kantor, president of the Florida Society of Neurology, “but really it is the migraine causing sinus symptoms. True sinus headaches are rare and would be accompanied by fevers and greenish discharge from the nose.”
4. Your aura may be warning you about more than a headache. Increasing data suggests that women who get migraines accompanied with auras (a warning symptom preceding a migraine with numbness or flashing lights) may be at greater risk for stroke and heart attacks.
ANTI-MIGRAINE COCKTAIL
These supplements calm down irritable nerve cells in the brain (much like anti-seizure drugs), helping to prevent migraines, when taken daily, says Dr. Larry McCleary, author of Feed Your Brain Lose Your Belly. Before you begin to take any vitamin be sure to consult your doctor.
Magnesium: 400 mg twice daily (800 mg total daily dose)
Taurine: 1 gram twice daily (2 grams total daily dose)
Coenzyme Q10: 100 mg twice daily (200 mg total daily dose)
Huperzine A: 100 micrograms twice daily (200 microgram total daily dose)
Vinpocetine: 10 mg twice daily (20 mg total daily dose)
5. But you may be at less of a risk for breast cancer. A 2008 study published in Cancer Epidemiology found women with a history of severe, chronic headaches have a 30 percent lower risk of breast cancer compared to women who do not suffer from such headaches.
6. The solution to migraines might be in a needle. If you haven’t heard about the magic of Botox (beyond its wrinkle reducing capabilities), it was approved last year by the FDA for chronic migraine relief. And more recently, a prescription called ALSUMA hit the market, which, in EpiPen® fashion, offers migraine relief in as little as 10 minutes.
7. Blame it on Mom. Migraines tend to run in families. If one parent suffers from migraines, there is a 40 percent chance their child will suffer. If both parents suffer, the chance rises to 90 percent, according to the Migraine Research Foundation.
8. Change is… good? Whether it’s sleep habits, the weather, your diet or menstrual cycle, change is often the culprit when it comes to migraine triggers. You can’t control a rise in temperature or dip in barometric pressure (like before it rains) but you can try your best to manage lifestyle triggers such as sleep, stress and food.
Dear Diary: Want to find out which foods are causing your migraines? Keep a food journal of everything you eat (and drink!) and write down every time you get a migraine. After a few weeks, you may be able to spot the triggers.
