Migraine headaches - how to cure and prevent them naturally

(NaturalNews) An astounding 10% of the American population – 18% of American women and 6% of American men, and 10% of American children suffer from migraines. A migraine is not just a headache, it is a neurological disease with varied and complicated symptoms.

A classic migraine lasts from hours to days. A 72-hour migraine is not uncommon. During this time, the sufferer experiences extreme sensitivity to noise, light, smells, and touch. Nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, and numbness and tingling in the extremities accompany excruciating pain on one or both sides of the head. The headache may present with or without a warning aura.

Although they have been studied for years, scientists and doctors still do not definitively know what causes migraines. They believe there is a genetic link, as they do run in families. Estrogen levels appear to play a major role. Neurotransmitters, inflammation, blood vessel dilation, and food and food additive reactions all appear to contribute as well. So does dehydration. The consensus is that there are likely to be multiple triggers working in conjunction to trigger an attack.

Over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs that are taken regularly for migraines take a toll on the body. Like any other illness, migraines are a body's cry for help, an indication that the body needs two things: excellent, daily nutrition and ongoing detoxification.

Feverfew has been proven to be beneficial in preventing migraines when taken regularly. Ginger shots or ginger added to other juice can stop a migraine in its tracks if taken at the first sign of an impending attack.

Several essential oils are reported to help migraines; lavender and peppermint are the most popular.

Some migraine sufferers have found relief after chiropractic adjustment. It seems that misalignment in the neck may be a primary cause for some. (Misalignment of the neck is likely a thyroid issue).

Massage, self-massage, acupressure, acupuncture, and reflexology have all been known to stop and prevent attacks.

The best and quickest cure for migraines is snorting cayenne pepper. This will work very, very quickly for most people. If you think this sounds too painful, you probably haven't experienced the pain of migraines.

Prevent Migraines

The best treatment is prevention. Avoid toxic chemicals and toxic food. The best possible diet is a whole food diet consisting of 80% raw, fresh, organic produce- more vegetables than fruits. Eliminate artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, MSG, GMOs, and refined sugars. No trans fats. No high fructose corn syrup. Limit caffeine. Be sure to drink plenty of clean, pure water. Be sure to include healthy fats with omega 3s. Do an elimination diet and remove any triggers you find. Consider eliminating gluten.

Heal your gut if needed. And chances are, if you have any chronic health condition, including migraines, you need to heal your gut. The source of migraines is often an imbalance of gut flora, with an abundance of Candida. To learn more, read Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases and check out the first few sources below. If migraines concentrate, or begin in the back of the head where the skull meets the neck, see Understand Hypothyroidism - Prevention and Natural Remedies.

Sources:

organiclifestylemagazine.com

organiclifestylemagazine.com

organiclifestylemagazine.com

migraineresearchfoundation.org

naturalnews.com

About the author:
Allene Edwards first became interested in alternative medicine and holistic treatment modalities when she successfully used diet therapy to manage her children�s ADHD. Later when she became chronically ill with an auto-immune disease that multiple doctors could not identify, much less cure, she successfully treated both the symptoms and the cause through naturopathic treatment and nutrition. She is the Managing Editor of Organic Lifestyle Magzine and a regular contributor.