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Health Tips for July
Headache and Migraine
Types of headache
Headaches can be divided into several different types:
•Vascular headaches, which in clude migrane headaches, and are thought to involve abnormal function of blood vessels.
• Muscle contraction headaches.
•Traction headaches, which occur when pain sensitive parts of the head are pulled, streched or displaced.
•Inflammatory headaches, which are symptoms of other diseases such as those of the sinus, spine, neck, ears and teeth.
Causes of headache
There are many causes of headache but most are caused by fatigue. emotional disorders, or allergies. Other causes include disease; high blood pressure; low blood sugar; dental problems; head injuries; aneurysm (ruptured blood vessel); and nutrient deficiencies and toxicities. Alcohol; cigarette smoke; exposure to chemicals and pollution; and some medications, including oral contraceptives; may also cause headaches.
Causes of migraine
The causes of migraine are not well understood, and triggers tend to be different for everyone. Common ones include stress, fatigue, bright light, loud noises, weather changes, changes in sleeping patterns or diet, low blood sugar, certain foods and chemicals.
Vitamins, Mineals and Headaches
B Vitamins
A deficiency of any B vitamin may lead to headache. Both Vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiencies eventually lead to anemia, one of the symptoms of which is headache. Supplements are useful in these cases. Niacin is sometimes used to treat headaches and migrains. It is given at the onset of a migraine and its effect may be due to its ability to dilate blood vessels. Vitamin B6 may be useful for treating headaches associated with premenstrual syndrome and estrogen related headaches that occur in the early stages of pregnancy.
Magnesium
Several studies suggest that magnesium metabolism is altered in some migraine sufferers. Low magnesium levels may contribute to migraine in a number of ways, including increased muscle and blood vessel contraction, which may lead to reduced blood flow to the brain. The activity of serotonin receptors can also be affected by changes in magnesium levels.
Supplements may be beneficial in the treatment and prevention of migraine. In a 1996 study, Belgian researchers assesed the effect of oral magnesium on the prevention of migraine in 81 patients aged from 18 to 65. they were either given a placebo or a daily supplement of 600 mg of magnesium for 12 weeks. In weeks nine to 12 the attack frequency was reduced by 42 percent in the magnesium group and by 16 percent in the placebo group. The number of days with migraine and the drug consumption for symptomatic treatment per patient also decreased significantly in the magnesium group. Supplements may also be useful in the treatment of menstrual migraine.
Calcium and vitamin D
SIn a 1994 study, researchers treated two premenopausal women with a history of menstrually-related migraines with a combination of vitamin D and calcium. Both women experienced reductions in their headache attacks as well as premenstrual symptoms within two months of therapy. In another study, the same researchers successfully treated two postmenopausal women with frequent and excruciating migraine headaches with vitamin D and calcium.
Nicola Reavley, with a foreword by Stephen Holt, M.D.
The New Encyclopedia of Vitamins, Minerals Supplements, & Herbs.
New York: M. Evans and Company Inc., 1998.
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