Highlights
- Migraine is characterised by pulsating and one-sided headaches
- Certain lifestyle changes may help regulate migraine pain
- Adding fatty fish, nuts, leafy veggies to diet may reduce migraine pain
Living with migraine pain isn't easy and it is also among one of the most common headache condition across the globe. The World Health Organisation defines migraine as a "primary headache disorder", which "often begins at puberty and most affects those aged between 35 and 45 years." The WHO also states that the condition affects more women than men by a factor of about 2:1, the reason being "hormonal influences". Migraine, says WHO is caused "by the activation of a mechanism deep in the brain that leads to release of pain-producing inflammatory substances around the nerves and blood vessels of the head", adding that it is "recurrent, often life-long, and characterised by recurring attacks." Migraine attacks typically include symptoms like pulsating headaches, which are one-sided and may vary from moderate to severe in intensity, as well as nausea and an experience of visual auras, wherein a person may see shimmering lights or flashes around a black spot.
Headache disorders like migraine are a huge public-health concern and only people who suffer from it can testify to the severe mental and financial impacts of the condition on their lives. Health practitioners and experts have determined that certain genetic and environmental factors may play a huge role in triggering migraine pain. There are a number of drugs available for people suffering from migraine, to help manage the condition, but regulating lifestyle may also go a long way in reducing headaches in patients. For example, patients may often identify certain food items in their diet, which often trigger migraine pains and may limit their consumption on a day-to-day basis.
Here are some diet tips which may help reduce migraine headaches:
1. Drink enough water. Consuming water may offset migraine pain, as dehydration may be one of the contributing factors to the pain.
2. Limit consumption of caffeine. Aside from the fact that caffeinated beverages dehydrate you, they may also directly trigger migraine pain.
3. Limit consumption of alcohol. We're all familiar with hangover headaches and excessive drinking is said to trigger migraine pains as well, within three hours of consumption.
4. Never skip meals. Staying for long periods of the day on an empty stomach is also one of the most common migraine triggers.
5. Limit consumption of chocolate. A large number of migraine patients confess to being sensitive to chocolate and hence, reducing the intake of this much-loved food might just do the trick.
Top 5 Foods To Control Migraine Pain
Here are some foods that may help you control the pain of migraine headaches:
1. Fatty Fish: The presence of inflammation-fighting omega- 3 fatty acids, make fishes like salmon good additions to migraine diet.
2. Nuts: Nuts like walnuts and almonds are rich in magnesium, which helps in enhancing blood circulation in the body, reducing migraine pain.
3. Ginger: This earthy spice is a storehouse of a number of nutrients and it may also help ease migraine pain, due to its ability to block inflammatory substances called prostaglandins.
4. Leafy Green Vegetables: Fresh leafy green vegetables are rich in magnesium, the deficiency of which has often been identified as a migraine trigger.
5. Legumes: These are rich in plant estrogens, which may offset the effects of the estrogen made naturally in our bodies. The fibre in legumes may help fight migraine, by removing excess estrogen from the body.