Migraine Headaches

Migraines are now considered a neurological disease with a hereditary link. They can be triggered by many factors including stress, anxiety, bright lights, hormone levels, barometric pressure or diet. The pain is intense and throbbing, usually on one side of the head and often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise.

The cause of a migraine is thought to be an overreaction that causes rapid contraction and then dilation of the blood vessels in the brain. This irritates the surrounding tissue and causes the throbbing pain.

Food links- Certain foods have been reported as headache triggers, mainly migraines. A suspected food may a trigger but not 100% of the time. Often foods are triggers when combined with other triggers such as stress, hormonal changes, abrupt weather changes, loud noises and depression. To further complicate the issue it may depend on the amount of the trigger food eaten and may not happen right away. It could be hours or days after eating a trigger food before you have a reaction. Keep in mind that more and more the science of migraine triggers is moving away from the diet exclusively and leaning toward the combined effects noted above.

Chocolate was thought to be a trigger because it contains vasoactive amines. In a recent study women who ate carob (a chocolate look-alike which contains no caffeine or vasoactive amines) were no more likely to trigger headaches than chocolate. Stress or hormonal changes (the real migraine trigger) may cause chocolate cravings. There is a link, but not what was suspected.

Caffeine is one diet component that is consistently associated with headaches. Too much or too little can set it off. To little caffeine is troublesome because it triggers a so-called coffee withdrawal headache if die-hard consumers of coffee, tea, cola and other caffeinated soft drinks, coffee flavored yogurt and ice cream, chocolate and over the counter pain medications like Excedrin. Rebound headaches happen in about 50% of migraine sufferers who try to stop cold turkey.

Red wine contains tyramine, a vasoactive amine with a reputation as a migraine trigger. Research now indicates it?s the phenols, a type of flavenoid in red wine that?s the real culprit. Drinking beer, whiskey and wine can cause headaches because of serotonin draining compounds. You don?t have to be a migraine sufferer to have hangover headaches anyone who drinks too much knows this first hand. This headache is due dehydration that empties out fluid around the brain and causes the pain by a pulling of the brain lining.

In addition to red wine, other tyramine rich foods include aged cheeses including cheddar and Swiss, very ripe bananas, avocados, fava beans, chicken livers, pork, venison and soy-based foods. Evidence that these foods cause migraines is based on old research and many of today?s headache experts doubt the connection.

Ice cream headaches are not migraines; they are intense, short-lived headaches that are likely to affect migraine sufferers twice as much. This is due to rapid cooling on the roof of the mouth. This affects nerve endings that trigger headaches. To avoid them eat frozen foods slowly warming them first in the front of your mouth.

Aspartame (Nutrasweet), monosodium glutamate (MSG) and nitrites have been cited as triggers. Experts, however, question how much of a threat these compounds pose to migraine sufferers. . Supplemental Helps

At the first sign of a migraine take an Alka seltzer and lie down for 30 minutes. All that lingers is a mild headache. The aspirin in Alka Seltzer is blood thinner that reduces the stickiness of platelets that might cause the headache.

Magnesium - mineral- 600 mgs/day may decrease incidence but not severity.

Riboflavin- (vitamin B2) 400 mgs- fewer migraines. Researchers recommend taking riboflavin for 4 months. Recommended for those who have migraines twice/month. To get 400mgs you need a prescription or you can take 4 100mgs/day. Likely mode of action is to influence glucose metabolism in the brain.

Feverfew is an herb that helps prevent migraines if they are mild. The daily dose is calculated as 125 mgs of dried leaves per day. Caution if you are allergic to ragweed. Mouth ulcers have been reported in 7-12% of patients who use the product.

Keep a food diary of your food intake exercise, sleep, menstrual cycle and emotional stress and headache occurrence. Look for trends, but don?t forget look at foods you ate up to 72hours before a headache. Give it a couple tries so you don?t miss out on a favorite food if it?s not the culprit.

Avoid smoking and second-hand smoke, limit caffeine and cut back slowly, create a schedule for meals, exercise, sleep etc and try not to waver, as changes in activity can be migraine triggers.

Keep well hydrated- Maintain a constant blood volume. This reduces the likelihood of migraines due to dehydration.

For more information contact the National Headache Foundation website at www. headaches.org or call toll-free 1-888-NHF-5552.

Donna Tinnerello, MS, RD, CD/N is a registered dietitian, living in Manhattan, with more than 10 years experience in HIV and nutrition. Her subspecialties are cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal disease, diabetes and weight management.
Donna is available for private consultation by referral only. Ms.Tinnerello has donated time and articles to our web site at always your choice and we sincerely appreciate her contributions.