Did you know that your brain doesn’t have pain receptors. But it does have pressure receptors. So when there is pressure – you will get a headache.
Okay, so what can cause pressure? The most common causes include:
- High blood pressure
- Hypoglycemia
- Dehydration
- Constipation
- Other gut issues include irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory gut issues; or immune dysfunction issues in the gut
- Kidneys not filtering out the blood
- Infection, heavy metal or other toxins in the blood
- Poor diet
- Depleted magnesium
- Stress
- Muscle tension
- Caffeine withdrawal
- Even lack of exercise
Then we have the more serious issues that can include:
- Brain tumours
There are different types of headaches:
- Cluster headache
- Migraine
- Migraine with aura
- Tension headache
- Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia (TAC), such as cluster headache and paroxysmal hemicrania
Cluster headaches usually occur in cyclical patterns or cluster periods. They are the more painful type of headache. It may waken you in the middle of the night with intense pain in or around one eye on one side of your head.
The clusters can last from days to weeks to months. The cluster is usually followed by a remission period. During remission the headaches can stop for months or even years.
Migraine headaches are also painful. Usually it is experienced as a severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head. Typically migraines are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. While migraine attacks can last for hours to days, they don’t last for months like clusters can. However, the pain can interfere with normal functioning.
For some people, a warning symptom known as an aura may occur before or with the headache. This is then called a migraine with an aura. An aura can include visual disturbances, such as flashes of light or blind spots. Other disturbances can include tingling on one side of the face or in an arm or leg and difficulty speaking.
A tension-type headache is generally milder than cluster headaches or migraines. More often than not, described as a feeling of a tight band around the head. A tension-type headache is the most common type of headache, yet its causes aren’t well understood.
Perhaps the more important question is what to do about them. Well, there are a number of herbs that can be utilized for headaches and of course, understanding what is causing the headache will help to determine what herb might be most beneficial:
- Feverfew
- Butterbur
- Peppermint oil on the bridge of the nose between the eyes – especially if it is a sinus headache
- Willow
- Ginger
- Caffeine
- Valerian
- Coriander seed
Supplements that may help with headaches include:
- Magnesium
- Transfer molecules (contact me at ho***@ch**************.ca if you want the best transfer molecules on the market)
Foods are very useful and include:
- Bananas – magnesium and potassium
- Watermelons – dehydration
- Flaxseeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds are all good sources of magnesium and fibre, both of which can be of benefit with constipation
- Real chocolate – especially if it is a caffeine withdrawal
- Berries are great if it is due to increase free radicals and/or insufficient fibre