More people are suffering from headaches and migraines than ever before. The Global Burden of Disease names headache disorders among the most disabling prevalent conditions worldwide. In the last year, half the globe suffered from a headache disorder, 5% for 15 days a month or more; 14% suffered from a migraine. Women are three times more likely than men to suffer. At this very moment, 15% of you have a headache. Do you know why?
We’re increasingly reaching for over-the-counter, non-prescription painkillers which contain acetaminophen (paracetamol), aspirin and alarming quantities of highly addictive pharmaceutical caffeine to deal with them. There is a time and place for these medications. When used correctly, they save lives. Often, they provide short-term relief and mask the symptoms though. Pain needs to be honoured, understood and not masked if we want to stay healthy, happy and pain-free in the long term.
Headache tablets and powders put strain on the kidneys and liver in particular if they are used over extended periods of time. They are habit-forming, create dependence and lower the pain threshold. Excessive and continued use has even created a new type of headache called medication overuse headache, causing rebound headaches on top of the headaches.
Pain always serves a purpose in the body and the head is no exception. Let’s understand headaches a little more holistically and how to manage the suffering more naturally. Nothing changes if nothing changes. If you would like to avoid being a statistic, kindly read on.
What is the Difference between Headaches and Migraines?
Headaches were first documented around 7,000 BC. Since then, we’ve identified and developed approximately 300 different types of headaches according to the International Headache Society. It has provided the International Classification of Headache Disorders which is used by health professionals all over the world today.
A headache is a medical disorder or a disturbance to the normal functioning of the brain. It is one of the most widespread and common disorders of the nervous system. The pain is local to the head area including the top of the shoulders and the skull including the neck, face and jaw. The pain can be mild to severe or downright debilitating, and it affects everyone including babies and children.
Headaches fall into two main categories namely primary and secondary headaches. This depends on whether there is an underlying cause such as disease, illness or other conditions stimulating the pain sensitive nerves in the head or not. A primary headache is the cause for the pain while a secondary headache is caused by an infection, illness, trauma or disorder.
Although a migraine is officially categorised as a type of primary headache, it is in fact a neurological disease. Some migraines do not always cause head pain. They are often thought of as a set of debilitating symptoms with generalised pain symptoms.
Migraine episodes move through phases. If left untreated migraines may create lesions on the brain and cause brain damage. They are more than just a headache and are classified in the same category as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, stroke and Parkinson’s disease. Although headache pain might range from mild to severe, migraine pain is crippling, lasts for one to three days and is often accompanied by light sensitivity, nausea and vomiting. Sometimes the migraine affects the senses including vision and hearing.
The acronym POUND is used to describe and distinguish a migraine from a headache:
P = Pulsating Pain, Photophobia (light sensitivity), Phonophobia (sound sensitivity).
O = One day duration but can last three days.
U = Unilateral (severe pain to one side of the head).
N = Nausea, vomiting and sometimes abdominal pain.
D = Disabling intensity.
What Causes Headaches and Migraines?
The body constantly works to protect itself and stay in balance through the process of homeostasis. It does this on every level imaginable so that it can function properly.
Imbalance is part of the experience of life creating disharmony and disorder in the process along the way. Inflammation and the inflammatory response are how the body protects itself, signalling through the pain receptors found all over the body, that something is wrong when there is an imbalance. When the body picks up an imbalance, blood flow and nerve activity increase.
Although a headache feels as though the brain is in pain, brain tissue is the only part of the body that doesn’t have any pain receptors.
The biggest nerve in the brain, called the trigeminal nerve that travels to the heart of the brain called the limbic system, can feel pain. The limbic system controls behaviours, emotions, learning and memory. The limbic system is chiefly responsible for how we experience the world, how we experience pain including headaches and migraines, and how we respond to them.
The brain experiences pain when the head area battles to maintain balance in its nerve activity and blood flow.
It is the increase in chemical activity and inflammatory markers in the nerves, blood, blood vessels, brain fluid, muscles, meninges (membranes protecting the brain) and other tissue surrounding the brain, and how they communicate into the limbic system that actually causes the head to hurt. It is the general homeostasis of all of these, as well as the pressure inside the skull and on the trigeminal nerve that causes the sensation of pain.
And it makes sense. Ever experienced a sharp headache after eating a lot of really cold ice-cream or drinking an ice-cold drink really quickly? That’s called an ‘ice-pick headache’ and it’s caused because the nerve cells got stimulated really quickly by all the ice and the blood flow to the brain got interrupted suddenly, causing an imbalance.
There are many factors that affect why we experience headaches including age, gender, hormones, lifestyle, genetics, mental well-being and general health. Headaches are treated as nervous system disorders.
Types of Headaches and Symptoms
Headaches are divided into two categories including primary and secondary headaches. They are called episodic if you experience them for two weeks a month or less, and are chronic if you experience them daily, ongoingly or for any periods longer than that.
Primary headaches are when there aren’t any underlying diseases or illnesses to blame for the pain. The headache itself is the problem. Primary headaches account for approximately 90% of all headaches.
Medically, there are four types of primary headache disorders. The most frequently reported are tension-type headaches (TTH), TAC headaches and migraines.
Tension-Type Headaches
Tension-type headaches or TTH affect around 75% of all people. They are the most reported headache disorder. They are considered comparatively mild to moderate and last between 20 minutes to 2 hours. We experience them when the muscles in the neck, face and scalp are tense. Although they are more common in women, slightly older teenagers and in adults, anyone is at risk. Common triggers are thought to be poor posture, mood including stress and anxiety, hormonal imbalance and trauma to the head. These are also thought to be heredity. The average person has one, three times a week.
Symptoms include:
- A dull, throbbing, and consistent ache on both sides of the head.
- Pressure on the forehead, temples and back of the head.
- Sensitivity to the scalp.
- The feeling of a tight rubber band around the head.
- Tender neck and shoulders.
- Tension or muscle knots in the neck and shoulders.
Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgia (TAC) Headaches
TAC headaches are characterised by sharp, shooting pains that tend to happen suddenly on one side of the head, accompanied by an involuntary response from the same side of the head such as intense pain in the eye, a red eye, swollen eyelids, drooping eyelid, runny or stuffed nose, ringing in the ears, pain in the face, or sweaty forehead. There are five different TAC headache subtypes. The most common type of TAC headache is the cluster headache.
Cluster headaches are five times more common in men and tend to affect smokers or people who live with smokers. They happen in bursts, and are episodic and cyclical in nature meaning that they tend to happen at the same time throughout the day, night, or even year. The pain is severe, sudden, continuous, sharp and can last 15-60 minutes with between one to eight episodes per day. The clusters can go on for six to 12 weeks and tend to start a few hours after falling asleep.
Symptoms include:
- Sudden, sharp, continuous pain to one side of the head, usually but not always behind one eye that drops suddenly before starting again.
- Nausea from the pain.
- Watery eye, blocked or runny nose, tinnitus or ringing in the ears.
- Drooping eye or swollen eyelids.
- May experience sensitivity to light and sound.
- May experience pain on one side of the face.
Secondary headaches, on the other hand, are as a result of an illness, infection, trauma, disorder or other condition that causes friction and inflammation in the head’s pain-sensitive nerves.Other conditions that might cause the headache include pregnancy, menstruation, menopause and other hormonal imbalances, allergies, vascular disorders, blood pressure issues, psychiatric disorders such as addiction, anxiety, depression and stress, internal haemorrhage and brain tumours. There are many different types for the secondary headaches.
Medication Overuse Headaches
Along with tension-type headaches (TTH), cluster headaches and migraines, The World Health Organisation names medication overuse headaches (MOH) as one of the most common and worrisome headache disorders in the world. That’s because lack of knowledge among healthcare providers is one of the biggest barriers to effective care.
On average only 4 hours of undergraduate medical education is dedicated to teaching headache disorders. An estimated 10% of people with MOH are correctly diagnosed and treated.
MOH is also called the rebound headache because it tends to come back persistently after taking medication and when it does, it’s worse than before. Symptoms are like TTH and are caused by the constant and excessive use of painkillers such as headache tablets and powders. They are chronic and persistent despite taking the medication.
To explain how they work: Most over-the-counter pharmaceutical headache medication includes three ingredients namely acetaminophen or paracetamol, aspirin and caffeine.
- Paracetamol slows the brain and the spinal cord down from producing hormone-like transmitters called prostaglandins. These affect how the brain responds to inflammation and tension in some muscle groups.
- Aspirin is a type of anti-inflammatory acid that thins the blood, and reduces blood pressure, inflammation, blood clotting and fever. It works by stopping the production of certain natural substances in the body from doing their job.
- Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor. It narrows the blood vessels and constricts blood flow to reduce the amount of blood going to the head.
However, it is not only these medications that can cause MOH. Opioids including codeine, fentanyl, morphine and oxycodone are all types of pain relievers which are only obtainable with a prescription from a doctor. They are also one of the most abused types of prescription drugs and cause of addiction.
By taking these medications you mask the symptoms of the headache because your brain is tricked into believing that the inflammation isn’t there and that blood flow is normal. Once the kidneys and liver have cleared the perceived toxins of the medication from your system, the headache rebounds and sometimes feels worse than before. Furthermore, the medication creates many other imbalances in the body resulting in more reasons for headaches such as dehydration.
Symptoms of MOH include:
- Headaches tend to be worse first thing in the morning.
- Dull and constant throbbing all over the head.
- Taking painkillers more than twice a week.
- Needing more than the prescribed dose to relieve the pain.
- Experiencing headaches for more than 10 days a month.
- Headaches come back a few hours after taking medication.
- Tends to be worse when standing up and better when lying down.
- Agitation, anger, nausea and restlessness when not taking medication.
Types of Migraines and Symptoms
Migraines are one of the world’s top 10 most disabling illnesses. There is no known cause for them. They tend to start at puberty and affect adults between the ages of 35 to 45 the most. Women are two times more likely than men to experience them.
Migraines are considered a recurrent condition meaning that they are lifelong and happen repeatedly. There is a 60-70% chance that genetics play a role and that the condition may be inherited. In children, migraines tend to be shorter in duration and affect the abdominal region the most.
Migraines tend to go through four phases or stages. It is worth noting that not everyone always experiences all the stages. There are several different types of migraines, many share the same symptoms. The two main types are Migraine With Aura and Migraine Without Aura. The type of migraine depends on the symptoms you experience during the phases.
1. Premonitory Phase:
This is sometimes also called the prodrome phase. It usually starts one to two days before the onset of the migraine attack but in some people can start a few hours before. These are often mistaken for triggers and should be considered warning signs.
- Stiff neck, tension in the shoulders and upper back muscles, and some sufferers also experience lower back pain.
- More sensitive to light especially bright overhead light, smells and sounds which are normally tolerable.
- Sudden changes in behaviour and mood for no reason.
- Frequently sighing and yawning and general lack of energy, perhaps drinking more coffee, tea or drinks with caffeine as a result.
- Food cravings especially for refined carbohydrates, sugary foods, sweets and chocolate.
- Stomach issues with symptoms that are similar to Irritable Bowel Syndrome including constipation, diarrhea, urgency and/or bloating.
2. Aura Phase:
The aura phase creates disturbances in the senses and most commonly sight. Not everyone experiences this phase. This is why the two most common types of migraines are called Migraine With Aura and Migraine Without Aura. Sometimes, these disturbances happen during the headache phase. The disturbances develop gradually, build and then start to fade. Not everyone experiences all the symptoms. Symptoms are temporary and tend to last between 20 minutes to an hour on average.
- Disturbances to eyesight including seeing flashing lights, zigzag or wavy lines, blind spots, orbs of light sparkles or double vision.
- Sudden loss of eyesight or blurry vision.
- Deafness in one or both ears.
- Hearing music or sounds that are not there.
- Tingles, energy zaps or the sensation of pins and needles in the arms and legs.
- Numbness and/or sudden loss of sensation, in the one side of the body, including the face, some people experience partial paralysis.
- Acute sense of smell or smelling things that are not there.
- Difficulty thinking, speaking, and communicating clearly.
- Difficulty with comprehension when reading or understanding what other people are saying.
- Feeling dizzy with a sudden sense of vertigo that the world is spinning on its axis;
- Nausea, vomiting and intense abdominal pain.
3. Headache Phase:
The headache phase usually lasts one day and shouldn’t last longer than three days. The pain is so severe that it is debilitating. The duration varies from person to person. Moving around, physical exertion or any stimulation to the senses increases chemical activity in the brain’s nerve cells and blood flow to the brain which increases the sensation of pain. This is why most sufferers prefer to lie down in a cool, dark, quiet place with as little stimulation as possible during this phase.
- Pulsating and throbbing pain to one side of the head although it can spread to both sides.
- Motion sickness.
- Nausea, vomiting and body aches.
- Acute sensitivity to light and sound, and sometimes even smell.
4. Postdrome Phase:
This phase is often referred to as the migraine hangover and for many, it feels the opposite to how they felt before the migraine started. It tends to resolve within 24 hours but can last for a few days. It happens after the headache phase when the pain subsides.
- Either feeling extremely tired or full of energy.
- Very thirsty and good appetite.
- Foggy brain and difficulty concentrating.
- Sudden changes in mood.
- Mild head pain; tender scalp, stiff neck and general muscle aches.
- General stomach issues.
There are many different types of migraines. They are named according to the symptoms experienced during the Aura Phase. They become chronic when they are experienced for more than 15 days a month. The most common types of migraines are:
- Migraine With Aura: About one in every three sufferers experiences visual and other sensory disturbances as outlined in the Aura Phase above before the headache attack. It might not happen every time, however.
- Migraine Without Aura: This is often referred to as the common migraine. It tends to be episodic. You need to experience five attacks a year to receive an official diagnosis. Although you do not experience sensory disturbances, you do experience extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and smell.
- Abdominal Migraine: This type of migraine is seen most in children between the ages of three to ten years old. Symptoms include intense abdominal pain and as a result, nausea and vomiting. It doesn’t always result in headaches although it does as the child gets older.
- Migraine With Brainstem Aura: Also called Basilar-Type Migraine, this type of migraine is most often seen in teenage girls. It can sometimes be confused with epilepsy or stroke. Symptoms include auras, slurred and jumbled speech, wobbly on your feet, numbness in various parts of the body and the sensation of vertigo.
- Hemiplegic Migraine: Over and above the visual disturbances, you might experience intense vertigo, difficulty speaking and sometimes swallowing. The biggest signifier of this type of migraine is temporary paralysis and/or weakness in one side of the body.
- Acephalgic Migraine: Called the Silent Migraine, this is experienced mostly by people over the age of 50 years old and is often misdiagnosed as a mini-stroke. It displays all the symptoms of a typical Migraine With Aura but without a headache.
Top Tip for Preventing Headaches and Migraines in Babies and Children
Headaches and migraines in babies and children are often very difficult to diagnose and manage because of the communication barrier. This is why it is important to take note of the symptoms. Children will often rub their eyes, ears or head as signs of a headache or complain of a stomach ache for no particular reason. These may be warning signs.
Extensive research now confirms that the first 1,000 days of life, from the start of pregnancy to around two years old including 270 days in the womb and the next 730 days after birth, is a critically vulnerable period as well as a major opportunity for children. During this vulnerable and critical stage, the amount of growth is essential. If nutritional requirements are not met, consequences may be permanent. Give your child the solid foundation that they need to set them up for life.
Of all the overwhelming advice out there for expectant Moms and Dads to read and know and listen to, this podcast has some of the most important and critical information. It is not to be missed. Listen to the podcast here.
Headache and Migraine Treatment the Natural Way
Pain is caused in the head area when the nervous system battles to regulate itself and maintain balance. This is why anyone and everyone can suffer from a headache or a migraine. Understanding the causes and then the triggers behind the symptoms might allow you to deal with them more effectively.
When experiencing a headache or a migraine, everything HALTS. It’s a handy acronym that requires you to stop and take stock by asking yourself the following questions:
H: Hungry or Hormonal: Am I hungry? Have I skipped a meal or eaten too much salt or sugar? Am I premenstrual or premenopausal? Could it be my hormones?
A: Anxious or Angry: Am I nervous, stressed or holding onto anger?
L: Lifestyle: Am I living my best life, exercising regularly, sleeping properly and eating enough fruits, vegetables, and whole foods? Is my body’s pH level in balance? Am I lonely?
T: Thirsty: Am I drinking enough water or am I dehydrated?
S: Sick: Am I sick, hurt or injured? Have I recently been sick? Am I sweating? Is it time to quit smoking? Is this a secondary headache?
The following natural remedies help in dealing with the immediate effects of head pain and the ongoing management of migraines the natural way. They are non-habit forming, homeopathic formulas that are safe to use during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
- A.Vogel Petadolor Analgesic Formula – A homeopathic medicine for the supportive treatment of painful conditions. In accordance with homeopathic literature, ingredients specifically address conditions characterised by nerve pain and spasms. Suggested for painful spasms of the neck and back, associated headaches and nerve pains. It contains a blend of 12 carefully selected ingredients that address various forms of pain and soothes them safely.
- A.Vogel Migraine Formula – A homeopathic medicine for the prevention and supportive treatment of headaches, and recurring headaches. In accordance with homeopathic literature, ingredients address spasms, and tension and support detoxification as well as address associated symptoms such nausea, visual disturbances and light sensitivity.
Headache and Migraine Prevention the Natural Way
There are a number of reasons why headaches and migraines become chronic and persistent. Although the reasons cannot always be understood, the imbalances in life and in our bodies could perhaps lead us to better understand and manage the underlying causes. Better still, help us to prevent them.
From a broader and more holistic perspective, specialists in their various fields might assess the causes according to biological, psychological, social, spiritual or a combination of all these viewpoints. From our experience, the ongoing prevention and management of headaches and migraines may be hormonal, lifestyle or medically related.
Hormones
Who remembers the awkwardness of puberty? We have our hormones to thank for that. Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers affecting our growth and development, sexual development, metabolism, and mood amongst many other functions of the endocrine system. As we move through each life stage, the body will naturally work to achieve hormonal balance. However, hormonal imbalance is part of that journey for both men and women.
The reason that women are more likely than men to have headaches is due to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy and then later in life due to menopause. This happens as the body works to find its new normal.
Women report a frequency of headaches two days leading up to their period and three days thereafter. Headaches may get significantly worse in the first trimester of pregnancy and tend to decrease in the final two. And the number and intensity of headaches increase as menopause approaches. This is mainly due to the rise and fall of oestrogen levels.
Although men might not have this struggle, it is believed that testosterone levels fluctuate seasonally and peak in springtime. Furthermore, men do experience andropause, the male equivalent of menopause. This also contributes to an imbalance in testosterone and other associated hormones leading to an increase in the frequency and intensity of headaches and a decrease in testosterone levels.
Prepubescent boys have more headaches than girls but this changes with puberty. As many as 80% of all teenagers report having a headache at least once a month.
Recommended Treatment:
- A.Vogel Menstruation Formula – A homeopathic medicine which assists with the treatment of painful periods, irregular periods, heavy periods, abnormal menstrual flow, premenstrual tension and menstrual cycle irregularities.
- A.Vogel Menopause Formula – A homeopathic medicine to assist with the acute treatment, and symptomatic support, of symptoms associated with menopause, such as headaches, sleep problems, low libido, hot flushes, as well as mood changes such as anxiety, depression and irritability.
Lifestyle
The stresses and strains of modern living take their toll. There is a reason that tension-type headaches are the most commonly experienced headaches. These tend to be lifestyle related. When our lifestyles are imbalanced certain areas like our health tend to suffer without us realising.
Importantly, we become dehydrated. Did you know that you lose as much as 3 litres of water a day through sweat without doing that much? Stress and anxiety creeps in affecting more than our sleep and wake cycle, it also affects how deeply we breathe and how much oxygen reaches our vital organs including our brains. We start to feel fatigue which affects how much and how often we exercise, how many stimulants such as tea or coffee and carbohydrates we consume for instant energy which throws the pH balance in our bodies out too. A downward spiral begins. We may even start to feel depressed or anxious for no reason whatsoever. Tension in life creates tension in the body creates chronic and recurring tension-type headaches.
Cause:
Stress and Anxiety – These are more than emotions. They produce hormones in the body which are addictive, chief among them adrenalin and cortisol which influence systems such as the cardiovascular system and many others. Furthermore, they may contribute to mood disorders such as depression.
Recommended Treatment:
- A.Vogel Neuroforce Formula – A homeopathic nerve tonic. Ingredients specifically address nervous tension and exhaustion during or after stressful events with hypersensitivity, agitation and restlessness. Indicated for emotional symptoms such as grief, tearfulness, anger, resentment, irritability, anticipation, fear and depressed mood. To support the nervous system during periods of stress, conflict or emotional strain or to use in situations of acute shock and trauma.
Cause:
- Try to eat x5 portions each of fresh fruit and vegetables a day where a portion is x80 grams.
- We also need to be consuming more bioavailable Omega-3 which is only found in whole foods, fresh nuts and seeds. Research shows that diets higher in Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the frequency and severity of migraines.
- Try to cut back on refined carbohydrates and limit salt intake.
- Alcohol consumption also needs to be watched.
- Headaches tends to affect smokers, those who used to smoke or those who live with smokers the most.
Recommended Treatment:
- Bio-Strath® – This daily nutritional supplement is a 100% natural, Swiss plasmolysed herbal yeast supplement containing 61 essential nutrients (11 vitamins, 19 minerals, 20 amino acids and 11 building substances) in a highly bioavailable format with 39 scientific studies and publications confirming its effectiveness over a period of more than 50 years. Bio-Strath® is also scientifically proven to improve micronutrient bioavailability and significantly improve the absorption of iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin B1.
- A.Vogel Multiforce® Alkaline Powder – This is a source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium, as well as citrate and bicarbonate salts (alkalising minerals) and has a systemic alkalinising effect. It supports the body’s acid buffering mechanism by supplying essential alkaline minerals required to combat a typical acidogenic diet (high in animal protein and low/deficient in fruit, vegetables, and minerals) and lifestyle, thereby assisting in addressing the negative consequences thereof.
- A.Vogel VegOmega-3 – These capsules are a vegan source of the Omega-3 essential fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which are essential for the maintenance of good health and must be included in the diet as the body does not produce them. They are non-GMO and gluten-free.
Cause:
Sleep – The body needs between 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep daily to repair itself. This is what is called the circadian rhythm, or the natural body cycle needed to keep balance.Recommended Treatment:
- A.Vogel Dormeasan – A Western Herbal formulation for the relief of sleep disturbances, stress and anxiety. Ingredients support the nervous system by having a calming action and address symptoms such as restlessness and anxiety and when taken at bedtime promotes restful sleep. A. Vogel Dormeasan is made from fresh, organic Valerian root and Hops, is non-habit forming and will not cause grogginess on waking the next morning.
- A.Vogel Nervousness/Insomnia Formula – A homeopathic medicine for the supportive treatment of nervousness, nervous exhaustion and sleeplessness. In accordance with homeopathic literature, ingredients address symptoms such as restlessness, tension, anxiety, and nervous exhaustion which can lead to sleep problems.
Note:
- Water – Drink at least 2 litres of good quality, filtered water consistently throughout the day. We get dehydrated by losing as little as 2% of our body mass in water and it happens more quickly than we realise.
- Exercise – Regular and moderate cardiovascular exercise such as walking is shown to be an effective tool for the management of many neurological disorders including headaches. Easy does it.
Medical
If you find yourself constantly at the mercy of injury, inflammation, illness, infection, and allergies, it tends to mean that you’re on a course of medication, just come off a course of medication, or need a course of medication. It might also mean that you’ve been taking more painkillers than usual.
This affects the health of the gut microbiome and therefore the health of the gut-brain axis. Antibiotics and anti-inflammatories cause an imbalance in the intestinal flora including the bacteria and yeasts in the gut needed to keep us healthy. There is a direct link between the health of your gut and that of your brain.
In much the same way that we don’t need to understand how electricity works to understand that when we flick the light switch the lightbulb goes on, we don’t need to understand that the gut and brain are linked. An imbalance in the gut creates an imbalance in the brain.
Step 1 is to fortify your immune system by improving your gut health and restoring balance to the gut microbiome with a proven prebiotic.
Recommended Treatment:
- A.Vogel Molkosan® – A.Vogel Molkosan is made from lacto-fermented whey, and is a prebiotic food supplement. It assists in promoting better digestive health. It can be taken either alone, before or alongside a probiotic supplement. It is a source of high levels of lactate (L (+) lactic acid) and butyrate.
Cause:
Allergies – The number of allergies is increasing exponentially. These also cause inflammation. There are occasions where allergies and especially signs and symptoms of hay fever cause headaches, especially sinus-related headaches. Other types of allergies might be skin disorder-related or reactions related to food, medicines, or even cosmetic products.
Recommended Treatment:
- A.Vogel Allergy Formula – A homeopathic medicine for the supportive treatment of minor allergic conditions. In accordance with homeopathic literature, ingredients assist in addressing minor allergic and common seasonal allergic symptoms such as itching (of eyes, nose, throat and skin) as well as sneezing, blocked or runny nose and minor allergic skin rashes.
Cause:
Detox – Your body might need a reset and detox. Toxins accumulate in your kidneys and liver, gall bladder, gut, skin as well as synovial fluid and especially when you have been taking certain medications for extended periods of time, not drinking the right amount of water, perhaps not eating as well as you should have etc.
Recommended Treatment:
- A.Vogel Anti-Toxin Formula – A homeopathic formulation for supporting the body’s detoxification process after exposure to toxins (metals, poisons, chemicals). Ingredients included support a wide variety of detoxification organs including the digestive tract, liver, gall bladder, kidneys, lymphatics, and skin.
- A.Vogel Boldocynara – is a Western Herbal medicine which acts as a tonic to support the function of the liver, gallbladder, and digestive system, and is indicated for the relief of unhealthy liver symptoms such as indigestion, nausea, the sensation of fullness, bloating and flatulence.
- A.Vogel Nephrosolid – is a Western Herbal medicine which acts as a tonic to support the function of the kidneys, bladder and urinary tract. By promoting irrigation of the urinary tract, it assists with the maintenance of kidney and urinary tract health.
When Should I See a Doctor?
If you are pregnant, over 50 years old, get a sudden fever, have underlying health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, or experience any of the following, seek medical assistance immediately:
- Feeling that there is a clap of thunder inside your head.
- Suddenly feeling dizzy, weak, confused or paralysed.
- Headache pain that wakes you from your sleep.
- Persistent pain for longer than three days.
- Taking medication more than twice a week and more than what is prescribed to ease the pain.
- Headaches caused by coughing, sneezing or exercise.
- Head pain so severe that it causes vomiting.
Deciding to live life the more natural way is a choice. Sometimes those choices are big and life changing, and sometimes rather small, but never insignificant. They take a shift in mindset and being a little more mindful about your daily living habits. We’ve outlined the basics on how you can embrace a more natural lifestyle here.
This article originally appeared on Living Naturally and can be found here.
References
- (2023) The Migraine Trust. Available at: https://migrainetrust.org
- Caffeine addiction and abuse (2023) Addiction Center. Available at: https://www.addictioncenter.com/stimulants/caffeine/
- Diets higher in omega-3 fatty acids reduce headache frequency and severity in people with frequent migraines (2021) National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: https://www.nccih.nih.gov/research/research-results/diets-higher-in-omega-3-fatty-acids-reduce-headache-frequency-and-severity-in-people-with-frequent-migraines
- Global estimates of headaches suggest disorder impacts over 50 percent of the population (2022) ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily. Available at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/04/220411202337.htm
- Headache (2023) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Available at: https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/headache
- Headache disorders (no date) World Health Organization. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/headache-disorders
- Headache pain: When to worry, what to do – Harvard Health Publishing (2020) Harvard Health. Available at: https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/headache-when-to-worry-what-to-do
- Headaches: The 4 main types of headaches explained (no date) WebMD. WebMD. Available at: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/understanding-headache-basics
- Migraine vs. headache: How to tell the difference (2019) Medical News Today. MediLexicon International. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324890
- Migraines (2023) Verywell Health. Available at: https://www.verywellhealth.com/migraines-4175243
- Stovner, L.J. et al. (2022) The global prevalence of headache: An update, with analysis of the influences of methodological factors on prevalence estimates – the journal of Headache and pain, BioMed Central. Springer Milan. Available at: https://thejournalofheadacheandpain.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s10194-022-01402-2