Monday, June 14, 2010

Unraveling The Mystery Of Migraine

Those who have experienced migraine know how painful and disabling it is. The headaches come without warning.

Symptoms such as dizziness, sensitivity to light, anxiety, and even nausea (the impulse to vomit) precede an attack of migraine. It can last for hours or even days, causing discomfort and apprehension in one’s life and family.

Present studies confirm that there’s no one cause for migraines. It could be a combination of several causes which doctors call “systemic.” Cancer, for one, is systemic: it is caused by several possible causes. That is why alternative or integrative medicine offers multiple protocols when it treats degenerative diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, arthritis, depression, etc.

Let’s try to discuss some possible causes of migraines from various studies.

  • Stress triggers a pain-producing substance by nerve cells called “substance P.” This substance dilates blood vessels, releasing allergic compounds as histamines. Chronic stress and food allergies may also cause migraines.
  • Food preservatives, like chemical sweeteners and aspartame, also trigger many migraines. Consumption of excitotoxins such as Monosodium Glutamate (MSG); food ingredients that contain MSG, such as yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, processed sodium, to name a few, are the most common causes of migraines.
  • Weak ligaments in the neck or “stiff neck,” is another cause of migraines for some individuals. Therapeutic massage done by a licensed practitioner, like a chiropractor, may overcome migraines.
  • Other substances that can trigger migraines are tyramine, nitrates, and caffeine. Tyramine is derived from the amino acid tyrosine that is found in aged cheese, beans, red wine, grape juice and soy sauce.

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