How To Prevent A Migraine Headache
By Alyssa Nair
If you’re interested in learning how to prevent a migraine headache, it helps to first know what causes migraines. By understanding the root cause, you can better understand the potential cures.
A migraine is caused by the enlargement of the temporal artery, which is the artery that lies on the outside of the skull and under the skin of your forehead. When this artery enlarges, it stretches nerves around it and they in turn release certain chemicals. These chemicals are the cause of the pain that is called a migraine, and they also cause the artery to enlarge even more causing more pain, more enlargement. Migraines are just a never-ending circle of agony. When considering how to prevent a migraine headache, it’s important to understand the circle, so that you at least don’t do anything to make it worse.
What Causes Migraines
Obviously the cause of migraines is going to be different for everyone. However, to consider how to prevent a migraine headache, it helps to remember that stress hormones that cause migraines can be released by such things as fasting, bright lights, caffeine, and artificial substances such as MSG or aspartame. There may be other sensitivities that you yourself have.
One of the steps involved in how to prevent a migraine headache is to keep track of the specific trigger for you. If you suffer from frequent migraines, you should keep a food diary to see if there are certain triggers for you. Since bright lights also trigger this particular nerve in some people, think of how this might be applicable to you. For example, do you work in a place where the lights change frequently, such as a movie theater or some type of lab where you go from a dark room to a bright room?
How to Prevent a Migraine Headache Naturally
There is good reason why migraines do not normally respond to regular headache medications. This type of pain caused by migraines activates what is known as the sympathetic nervous system, that “fight or flight” response that is common during stress. This reaction pulls blood and oxygen from the digestive system in order to divert it to the muscles of your legs. This keeps oral medications from being absorbed in the intestinal systems.
So when considering how to prevent a migraine headache, you see how regular aspirins and other oral medications are probably going to do little to help. They are simply not absorbed the way they should be.
Some ways to treat migraines naturally include acupuncture, which seems to calm that temporal artery and the sympathetic nerve system after it.
When considering how to prevent a migraine headache naturally, try oils such as lavender or peppermint. These can be put in a vaporizer or washcloth. Calcium and magnesium relieve muscle tension, so consider taking a supplement with these elements.
Don’t forget the more obvious remedies of giving yourself a mini massage and staying in a darkened room. Watch your diet and get rid of artificial sweeteners and substances. And if all else fails, see your doctor so he or she can accurately diagnose your condition and give you additional pointers on how to prevent a migraine headache permanently.
Alyssa Nair has written articles on natural headache remedies and how to stop them before they start. Read the helpful tips and advice about natural remedies that cure many different types of headaches.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alyssa_Nair
Technorati Tags: migraine headache, stress hormones, sympathetic nervous system, food diary, artificial substances, cause of migraines, temporal artery, flight response, bright lights, root cause, migraine, movie theater, agony, forehead, good reason, nerves, skull, nerve, chemicals
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