This week we’re talking about 5 simple steps to solve your migraines. It’s no news to you as a migraine sufferer that migraines are a big problem. They affect millions of people and are responsible for billions of dollars in healthcare costs. And did you know they are one of the most common reasons for people ending up the emergency room?
I know in my own case, once migraines were diagnosed it was all about “how do you treat a migraine?” As I have become more knowledge in this area and have studied under people like Dr. Mark Hyman, a Functional Medicine Doctor, I have realized what it should be about is, “what’s causing the migraines?”
According to Dr. Mark Hyman, “This is where Functional Medicine comes in. Functional Medicine is medicine by cause; not by symptom. It helps us discover the underlying triggers of disease. And you know what? The root cause of your migraine may not be in your head at all. In fact, it may be caused by many other factors.”
So let’s talk about some of the things that can cause migraines. Remember though that just because 10 people may have the exact same symptoms, the underlying cause can be quite different.
Here are some things to consider when it comes to the causes of migraines—and remember this is just a short list of root causes plus I have chosen some that we don’t talk about some much…
Gluten allergy. More and more we hear about gluten intolerance and gluten allergies these days. As you may know, this is a specific kind of food allergy that creates a lot of inflammation. There are actually a lot of people with sensitivity to gluten. So exactly what is gluten? Simply put, it’s the protein found in wheat, barley, rye, oats, and spelt.
Sensitivity to foods like peanuts or dairy or eggs. Foods like peanuts may not be such a surprise to us as being a sensitivity, but we tend not to even think of dairy or eggs as being a cause of Migraine for us. This is where keep a food journal comes in so handy. It makes it so much easier to see if you have a food allergy when you are documenting what you eat, and noting your headache patterns. To become your own food detective, try removing the food you think you have a sensitivity to for 3 to 4 weeks, see how your migraines respond, and then reintroduce that food back into your diet again and see if the migraines come back.
Hormonal imbalances. You may be one of the women who suffer with premenstrual migraines. This is often caused by imbalances in estrogen and progesterone—too much estrogen, not enough progesterone. Interestingly, this can be caused by stress; by consuming too much alcohol, sugar, flour, and starches; and by not getting enough exercise or sleep.
Magnesium deficiency. If you’ve been following me for very long, you know I talk about this deficiency quite a bit. Magnesium is the relaxation mineral. If you’re deficient in it, you can often get headaches and migraines. It’s easy to find out if you are deficient—ask your doctor to run a blood test for you. If you do have a magnesium deficiency, then (under the supervision of your physician) take a very high dose of magnesium, and see how your migraines respond.
Imbalances in melatonin. This is another one that we tend not to even consider when it comes to our Migraine patterns. However, some newer studies have shown that this may be related to sleep cycles, which can be improved with melatonin. As you know, as a Migraine sufferer, our sleep patterns are very important and when we lack good quality sleep, we often find that to be a migraine trigger.
Vitamin B deficiency. Simply put, if you are one of those people who don’t get enough riboflavin, which may be a trigger for your migraines. I actually found myself in that predicament several months ago, and started taking liquid B12 and Garden of Life Vitamin B complex, which really helped.
It’s important to realize that not all migraines are the same. You have to find the underlying cause. Functional Medicine Doctors base their practices on looking for the root cause of disease.
Below are some simple things you can do to identify and eliminate what might be causing your migraines:
Do an elimination diet. Get rid of the common food allergens. Use my Easy Detox as a guide. You will not be hungry at all, but will have delicious foods while removing potential food sensitivities.
Try magnesium. Take 300 to 600 milligrams twice a day in the form of magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate.
Try riboflavin or vitamin B2. Try taking 400 milligrams a day. It will turn your urine a dark yellow, but that’s totally normal. Check out riboflavin >>here.<<
Balance your hormones. This can be done by something as simple as exercising; eliminating caffeine, alcohol, and sugar; and eating a diet rich in plant foods, especially the broccoli family, flax seeds and tofu as well as other vegetables, and fruits.
Try melatonin. This has also been shown to help relieve migraines. Take 1 or 2 milligrams of melatonin at night. (You can try the liquid form or the pill form.)
These are just a few simple things you can do at home to help with your migraines. As you know, I have many more suggestions. So, I encourage you to read my blogs on migraines and take advantage of the information on my website.
If this information resonates with you, I encourage you to go over to my Facebook Migraine Support Community ask to join and get daily tips for migraine relief.