Don’t Lose Your Head
As many as 15% of adults suffer from migraines, so we’ve found the latest headache heroes and zeroes
Migraines combine a throbbing headache and nausea, sensitivity to light and sound and an “aura” of flashing lights. Although the top cause is stress (behind 80% of attacks), hormones, odours,
neck pain, poor sleep and smoke are culprits, too.
So how can you prevent your head from pounding?
Don’t overdo the painkillers. According to German research, using over-the-counter painkillers more than twice a week can result in rebound migraines. But don’t despair—plenty of other therapies can stop the throb.
Cut the fat. Researchers at Loma Linda University, California, put migraine sufferers on an extremely low-fat diet (they got just 10-15% of their calories from fat each day) for 12 weeks. The result? 94% reported a 40% or more decrease in migraine occurrence. When they did get migraines, they were 70% shorter and 66% less severe.
Go herbal. Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) to be precise. A study by the US journal Neurology found that 68% of parti-cipants who took a butterbur pill experienced a migraine drop of 50% or more. You’ll find it only in specialist shops or on the Internet.
Try homeopathy. Although it is disputed, many migraine sufferers say they get relief after homeopathic treatment. What’s important is the experience and skill of the doctor.
Visit the chemist. Migraine-formula pain relievers are the ones for you if your attacks are mild (they don’t stop you carrying on with everyday activities). Go for one that contains aspirin, caffeine and paracetamol—it’ll relieve your migraine faster than ibuprofen.
Speak to your GP. The kings of headache relief, triptans, can halt a migraine if taken at the first sign of an attack and can even ease it when it’s underway. Triptans provide complete relief within two hours for a third of users.
Source: Readers Digest
As many as 15% of adults suffer from migraines, so we’ve found the latest headache heroes and zeroes
Migraines combine a throbbing headache and nausea, sensitivity to light and sound and an “aura” of flashing lights. Although the top cause is stress (behind 80% of attacks), hormones, odours,
neck pain, poor sleep and smoke are culprits, too.
So how can you prevent your head from pounding?
Don’t overdo the painkillers. According to German research, using over-the-counter painkillers more than twice a week can result in rebound migraines. But don’t despair—plenty of other therapies can stop the throb.
Cut the fat. Researchers at Loma Linda University, California, put migraine sufferers on an extremely low-fat diet (they got just 10-15% of their calories from fat each day) for 12 weeks. The result? 94% reported a 40% or more decrease in migraine occurrence. When they did get migraines, they were 70% shorter and 66% less severe.
Go herbal. Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) to be precise. A study by the US journal Neurology found that 68% of parti-cipants who took a butterbur pill experienced a migraine drop of 50% or more. You’ll find it only in specialist shops or on the Internet.
Try homeopathy. Although it is disputed, many migraine sufferers say they get relief after homeopathic treatment. What’s important is the experience and skill of the doctor.
Visit the chemist. Migraine-formula pain relievers are the ones for you if your attacks are mild (they don’t stop you carrying on with everyday activities). Go for one that contains aspirin, caffeine and paracetamol—it’ll relieve your migraine faster than ibuprofen.
Speak to your GP. The kings of headache relief, triptans, can halt a migraine if taken at the first sign of an attack and can even ease it when it’s underway. Triptans provide complete relief within two hours for a third of users.
Source: Readers Digest
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