When a woman has a headache, she has a pain somewhere in her head. This pain is in her forehead, temples, back of her head, or even her neck. There are different kinds of headaches. Primary headaches are headaches which are not the symptom of a disease. The tension headache and the migraine are examples of primary headaches that a woman can learn to handle.

Personal Story

One day, my daughter came into the kitchen and said, “I have another migraine!” I asked her to describe it to me. She told me her migraine started in the inner corner of her eye. It them spread out across her eyes and up into her forehead. She talked about her eyes being light-sensitive and “twitching”.  The migraine was “buzzing” in her head.  Something hammered inside her temples. The back of her head, her neck, and her back hurt. She was nauseous. She was in so much pain that she couldn’t function. She needed help!

Tension Headaches

Stress triggers tension headaches. Tension headaches are different from migraines in that they are not associated with the nausea, vomiting, or eye disturbances that migraines have.

Migraine Headaches

A migraine has four phases. It can last from several hours to several days. The phases and common symptoms are:

1. Prodromal phase before the migraine: irritable, thirsty, sleepy
2. Aura phase: vision changes like flashing lights
3. Attack phase: pain, throbbing headache, light-headed, nausea, vomiting
4. Postdromal phase after the migraine: sluggishness, tiredness, confusion, head pain

Both tension and migraine headaches need nutrition, supplement, and physical support.

Headache Support

Nutrition Support

• Drink more water.
• Consume an anti-inflammatory diet in regular meals and snacks.
• Choose lower glycemic foods to even out blood sugar and to lessen headache frequency.
• Try to eat regularly to regulate your body’s glycemic control and keep your insulin levels even.

Supplemental Support

• Magnesium, in the form of magnesium aspartate or citrate, might be consumed daily.
• Use omega-3 fatty acids long-term if you have migraine tendencies.
• Choose white willow bark to lessen headaches. It is Class 1, but use it with caution in those with salicylate sensitivity. Do not combine with anticoagulant medicine.
• One study showed that ginger worked as well as a migraine drug without the side effects.

Migraine Supplements

Consult with your health care professional about taking supplements to support your body. They would be taken for at least three months to see improvement.

• Vitamin B-2
• Co Q10
• Magnesium
• Vitamin B- 12
• Niacin

Physical Support

• Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep.
• Try to reduce stress by using deep breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques.
• Use peppermint oil topically on the temples every 15 minutes for 3 applications or rub one drop of lavender oil into your temples.

You might want to keep a headache diary to discover possible triggers, list symptoms, and track what you have tried for relief. A diary  will give you discussion points when you talk with your health practitioner.  Over time, you will learn to handle your headaches.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. Please encourage others by writing in the comment section above.