The dark realm of headaches

Practical defence against the dark arts of headache and migraine.

Oh, Kristie, dear Sys, you have, once again, bitten off more than you can chew!

I must warn you at the very beginning - this topic is not nearly as simple as it may seem (especially if you write about it while struggling with a headache), and above all - and quite probably a few times throughout this article - I will always send you to your doctor before you try my personal recommendations. There are so many different kinds of headache, and just as many causes. Some of them may be hacked by my home remedies which provide an alternative to standard medication, but with others you should rush to a specialist or at least to a pharmacy! Never underestimate any headache, especially if they come back, feel intensely paralysing, and nothing helps to alleviate them.

I do not dare dive into classification of all the different kinds of headache, and for good reasons. First, I am not a medical doctor and have never studied all the existing types of headaches and the right medication for each of them. Second, you can find such categorisation on any specialised website or in the right literature (1). And third, such a list would most certainly give you a boredom-induced headache. So let’s look at this from a different perspective. I believe that if you suffer from severe headaches and migraines, you have already sought out professional help.

Keep in mind that headaches or migraines are not a female excuse! One person out of ten suffers from migraines and, unfortunately, women are more prone to them (2). This is why I want to address our men. This sort of pain is truly paralysing and whoever experienced it knows that even a mere soft sound, a ray of light, subtle movement, or any smell can hurt like a thousand needles and scalpels. So please, never play down the significance of headaches and do not take them for excuses. If it really is used as an excuse, think about the state of your relationship, rather than overestimating the pain. A migraine can seriously disrupt the natural everyday flow of life and, in view of its prevalence, has an impact on not only the afflicted, but also healthcare. As is the case with many chronic and other diseases, more attention is being paid to the advantages and importance of prevention nowadays.

Before we dive into practical defence, let’s state the main differences between these two head aching phenomena.

• A common headache does not last as long as a migraine and manifests typically in the muscles and skin on the head and forehead. We feel like a vice is gripping our head, but we usually manage to move through space and carry out our activities, albeit with a lowered efficiency. A truly severe headache can have similarly crippling effects as a migraine and can also be dangerous.
• A migraine is a chronic disease of the blood vessels in the brain, lasts from several hours up to three days, and is more like a state of brain activity. It may include vertigo, nausea and vomiting, hot flashes or chills, and impaired vision. There is often a change of sensitivity to light, sound, and smell - everything becomes several times more intense and may cause painful sensations. Migraines can be perceived as localised, pulsating pain, and may render us incapable of normal functioning. Common medication for headaches usually has no effect on migraines.

There are many possible causes of headaches (besides a genetic predisposition and serious medical conditions which I shall not mention again and believe that you will have them checked out responsibly). Have you had too little or too much sleep? Is the weather or atmospheric pressure changing? Have you drunk too little, are you feeling very stressed, is something in your diet irritating you, are you feeling anxious, getting allergies, or are there any sudden changes happening in your life? Migraines can appear in the premenstrual phase of the cycle or even with the full moon, however strange it may sound. Hopefully, you don’t turn into a werewolf, though. Your first task in this defence against the dark arts is to find your triggers! Notice how your day went before the headache started and write down every suspect in a diary. The next time a headache comes, you might realise that you are closer to finding out the “serial killer of a painless life”. And careful, there doesn’t have to be only one trigger!

If you are pregnant or breastfeeding and suffer from a migraine, have it checked out to see if it is not a sign of another health problem. In pregnancy, treating migraines should steer clear of medication as much as possible, and should not be postponed in order to avoid elevated stress levels, sleep disorders, onset of depression and a lowered food intake (4).

And now, let’s get practical.

Antidotes to nervous headaches

I will obviously not present you with an alchemystic potion to cure headaches; instead, I offer you some practical tips of “occlumency” to protect yourself from them. In reality, it is also for myself that I am putting together this list because there is nothing better than having all your tricks in one sack and trying out a couple of them randomly, in case of need. So let’s get cracking! 

• Water intake

We may be missing some important minerals that we sweated out, especially on hot days. Add some salt to your water. When drinking tea, opt for those with calming effects, such as camomile. For severe headaches, choose dried ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea) which can be snuffed in the form of powder.

• Invite some nitric oxide in and oxygenate your body

Treat yourself to a portion of beetroot, pumpkin seeds, watermelon, or rocket which can all support the production of nitric oxide. You can also try reishi, the adaptogenic mushroom, light physical activity, or just breathing through your nose.

• Alchemystic essential oils and massages

Do a little magic in your home laboratory and prepare a compress for yourself with lavender, lemon balm, mint, eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary, rose, thyme, or oregano. Choose the essential oil that you have at your disposal, but also according to how you feel. Do not overdo it with the scents! Instead of compresses, you can massage your temples, nasal bridge, and forehead with thyme or rosemary oil (the carvacrol they contain acts as an COX-2 inhibitor - in much the same way as ibuprofen). 

You can also try a herbal foot bath with a drop of lavender or mint oil. The hot water will cause blood rush to the feet, relieving pressure in the upper body.

• Calm down your nervous system

Get rid of stress and tension. Try some slow yoga, red lenses, silence, darkness, sleep, or take a walk in nature, in the fresh air. Play some 1-2 Hz frequency delta waves in your headphones - they will reduce the tension in the contracted muscles of the head.

• Invest in your future

Focus on long-term prevention, prevent the next episode from happening (I am referring, obviously, to a headache, not your favourite TV show). Support your body with cold therapy, meditation, good diet, and sufficient exercise.

• Never forget to see a specialist!

When a MiG-raine is chasing you

Many of the tips concerning classic headaches will also work for migraines, but there is a huge difference in sensitivity to external stimuli. In this part I will talk mainly about migraines caused by common factors, such as stress, long-term insufficient water intake, or triggers in the diet or behaviour. In case of serious problems, contact a medical doctor immediately!

And now the battle plan:

• First and foremost - sleep! 

Retreat in the healing darkness. Eliminate all light, noises, and smells and lie down. Personally, I find that nothing helps me combat a migraine more than sleeping as much as the body needs. Most of the other anti-migraine measures form part of a long run, rather than an acute help in case of an attack. The efficiency of these measures is always individual, so find out what works for you. If sleep is not an option at the moment, put on glasses with red lenses to relieve your head. During a migraine, try to move as little as possible, a walk can make the pain a lot worse. You have probably already noticed this from your own experience. 

• Water intake and magnesium

Many people who suffer from migraines experience a magnesium deficiency in the body and brain during a migraine attack. You should therefore pay attention to sufficient water intake and supplement chelated magnesium. Magnesium reserves in the body are depleted especially due to chronic stress, and this causes the blood vessels to become more prone to spasms. 

• To piercing pain - acupuncture, ointment, and massage

Massage your temples, nasal bridge, and forehead or - as my own sys calls it - “squeeze the devil out”. In a less intense attack, you can rub your temples with an ointment with reishi extract, nutmeg, menthol, and camphor. It has a cool-and-heat effect and other smells are usually unbearable during a migraine. However, even this ointment can be simply too much. Listen to your sensitive senses. 

Some people may find well-executed acupuncture very helpful. It tends to be even slightly more effective and a lot safer than standard medication (5).

• Food and other external factors

I recommend you explore this point with great attention. First find out if you have any food sensitivities. Feast on foods rich in magnesium, such as whole-grain cereals, legumes, leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, and Brazil nuts. If you suffer from migraines, be careful with fermented foods which can trigger them through released histamine. In addition, try to avoid processed and instant foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG).

These other food-related tips are meant specifically for your experimentation - different things work for different people. Try reducing fatty foods (except for omega-3 fatty acids which are highly recommendable) and vegetable oils (extra virgin olive oil can help some people, it really is all about experimenting). Low quality fats increase oestrogen production and this can contribute to migraines. You can also experiment with avoiding or cutting down on red wine, chocolate, ripened cheeses, dairy products, citrus fruits, wheat, caffeine, smoking, contraception, standard medication for headaches and artificial sweeteners sucralose and aspartame. Eliminating caffeine from your diet might help if you drink coffee regularly, several times a day. On the other hand, if you usually don’t drink coffee, it might help with the migraine. Consult all your strategies with an allergologist or other attending physician. Focus on caring for your gut.

• An alchemystic medical kit and supplements

I will open by recommending ginger tea (in my opinion, it has the power to sort out any problem including a clogged toilet and broken-down washing machine) which can suppress the production of prostaglandins and nausea.

Other helpful herbs that I have encountered in relation to migraines may be feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) and the root of butterbur (Petasites hybridus). You can also try riboflavin (vitamin B2) 

• Other ways of investing in your future

The same as with normal headaches, think mainly about long-term prevention and try to prevent future episodes. Support your body regularly by cold therapy, meditation, yoga, a balanced diet, and plenty of exercise outdoors. Avoid an excess of stress and overstimulation as much as possible. 

• Support your mitochondria and they will support you in turn

Refuel your batteries through physical activity, red-light therapy, intermittent fasting here and there and a reduced toxic load. There are many supplements that help to support them, including resveratrol.

• Never forget there are professionals to help you!

Keep a cool head and s(ys)tay golden.

Bibliography:

1. Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta version). Cephalalgia. 2013 Jul;33(9):629-808. doi: 10.1177/0333102413485658. PMID: 23771276.
2. Woldeamanuel YW, Cowan RP. Migraine affects 1 in 10 people worldwide featuring recent rise: A systematic review and meta-analysis of community-based studies involving 6 million participants. J Neurol Sci. 2017 Jan 15;372:307-315. doi: 10.1016/j.jns.2016.11.071. Epub 2016 Dec 3. PMID: 28017235.
3. Goadsby PJ, Holland PR, Martins-Oliveira M, Hoffmann J, Schankin C, Akerman S. Pathophysiology of Migraine: A Disorder of Sensory Processing. Physiol Rev. 2017;97(2):553-622. doi:10.1152/physrev.00034.2015.
4. Negro A, Delaruelle Z, Ivanova TA, Khan S, Ornello R, Raffaelli B, Terrin A, Reuter U, Mitsikostas DD; European Headache Federation School of Advanced Studies (EHF-SAS). Headache and pregnancy: a systematic review. J Headache Pain. 2017 Oct 19;18(1):106. doi: 10.1186/s10194-017-0816-0. PMID: 29052046; PMCID: PMC5648730.
5. Giovanardi CM, Cinquini M, Aguggia M, Allais G, Campesato M, Cevoli S, Gentili F, Matrà A, Minozzi S. Acupuncture vs. Pharmacological Prophylaxis of Migraine: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Front Neurol. 2020 Dec 15;11:576272. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.576272. PMID: 33391147; PMCID: PMC7773012.
   
   
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