When it comes to migraines everyone is different – for people who are affected their triggers and their possible cures are often varied. It’s interesting that although the migraine has been known of for centuries, an Egyptian medical scroll dated 1500 to 3000BC is the first known mention of a migraine, they are not actually very well understood. This can be especially annoying when the migraine impacts on your daily life. It may mean lots of days off work, or that you spend your whole holiday worrying about getting a migraine, and missing out on holiday activities.
According to this article in the Daily Mail, the single biggest misunderstanding is that a migraine is just a severe headache. It is, in fact, a complex neurological disease that affects the central nervous system. Migraines are caused by abnormal brain biochemistry and are not, as some believe, self-induced. They are a chronic illness that is present from birth and 70-80% of sufferers have a family history of the condition.
One in ten Britons suffer from migraines – one in five women and one in 20 men. Migraine is the ninth leading cause of disability in the world – more common than diabetes or asthma.
There’s a widespread myth that people who suffer from migraine should avoid chocolate and foods with the flavour enhancer, Mono Sodium Glutamate. Actually, these things can trigger a migraine in some migraine sufferers, but not in everyone. As every migraine is different, finding out what triggers an attack, and how to control and manage it, is the key to understanding this debilitating condition. Triggers can be anything from a glass of red wine, to a change in the weather, to lack of sleep or the smell of strong perfume. Unfortunately, all things that could affect you when you are on holiday and just want to relax and enjoy your time away.
| Migraine vs normal headache |
| A headache is a pain in the head that occurs randomly and sporadically but is not actually a disease |
| People who suffer from headaches don’t tend to remember the specific details of the experience in the way that migraine sufferers do. |
| Rather than the dull pain of a tension headache, 85% of migraine sufferers experience a continual throbbing, pulsating or pounding pain |
| A Migraine almost never consists of head pain alone – other symptoms include nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, tingling or strange sensations in the skin, to visual changes, hunger pangs, slurred speech, excessive weeping, and bloodshot eyes |
Cures
As we have said, migraine is a unique illness, so the treatments vary widely too.
Interestingly, some say the best cure for migraines can be a cup of coffee or a caffeinated soft drink. This is because caffeine constricts blood vessels which can decrease pain. Caffeine can be so effective that many over-the-counter migraine medications include it as an ingredient, including Anadin Extra.
Another good possible remedy is massage. Tight muscles or muscles in spasm can be a migraine trigger for many people. You might have a tight neck, back or shoulders, especially if you sit in front of a computer or drive for hours each day. You may have tight facial or scalp muscles, or clench your teeth, especially at night, so that you wake up with a migraine.
A more physical potential remedy is yoga. Desperate Housewives actress Marcia Cross uses Yoga to help treat her Migraine. Her method is backed up by a recent study in India which found that migraine sufferers who used yoga in combination with meditation and other relaxation techniques had fewer migraines with less pain. Anxiety and depression were also significantly reduced.
The final remedy brings me back to that magical magnesium. Although it does not help everyone, taking a daily supplement may help prevent migraines. As I have said in a previous blog, magnesium is a mineral that regulates how your blood vessels operate, reduces pain and calms your nervous system, which is probably why it helps with migraines. It can also help decrease stress and it helps regulate blood-sugar levels - two common migraine triggers. Many people are deficient in magnesium in part because the high fat and high sugar in the Western diet block its absorption into the body. Often those who suffer migraines have lower magnesium levels than normal. Talk to your GP first to see if there is any reason why you should not take it, such as kidney problems.
If you suffer from migraines, and have a holiday booked, you might want to look at www.allclear4you which is all about travelling with medical conditions.
