Natural Home Remedies and Cures for Migraines

Migraines are very common. They affect 18% of women and 6% of men, about 26 million Americans and without treatment, they can recur year after year. They can also be hereditary, as I know. I suffered from menstrual migraines for 40 years and all three of my daughters have them too. Migraines can be treated with natural home remedies and cures.

*"A typical migraine:

• Occurs on one side of the head
• Is of moderate to severe intensity
  
• Interferes with daily activity
• Is exacerbated by physical activity like coughing, walking or climbing stairs
• Is accompanied by nausea, vomiting or sensitivity to light and sound"

Even though the migraine predisposition is inherited, most attacks are triggered by diet or environment:

• Alcohol (especially beer and red wine)
• Erratic meals and sleep schedules
• Aspartame (Nutra Sweet)
• Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
• Processed meats and foods containing the preservatives nitrates or nitrites
• Aged cheeses anb other foods containing the amino acid tyramine
• Chocolate (contains phenylethylamine)
• Perfumes or cigarette smoke
• Stress
• Caffeine
• Allergies
• Sugar
• Changes in weather, unexpected high temperatures, barometric pressure, humidity

The exact cause of migraine headaches is unknown, but it's believed that the attack starts in the brain, where pain receptors become activated when arteries widen and become inflamed.

There are prescription drugs that people can get now for migraines but I will not list those here. I believe in using natural home remedies and cures when at all possible for ailments because they are safer and don't usually cause bad side effects. Prescription drugs are man made.

People with poor sleep habits tend to get more migraines than those that sleep well. Scientific research has shown that those who received counseling on good sleep habits, adhering to a specific schedule of going to bed and rising, had a 29% decrease in headache frequency and a 40% decrease in headache intensity.

It might be wise to keep a food diary of everything you ate and drank at least the last 24 hours before coming down with a migraine to try to figure out what might be a trigger for you. Avoid sugar, caffeine (the biggest trigger), food additives and dyes in prepared foods, all that could be triggers.

The next two natural home remedies and cures that I found might be worth trying. First is acupuncture. It has been found to relieve pain. You may feel relief at once from the rush of endorphins, the body's natural painkiller, induced by acupuncture. But in order to treat the underlying problem causing your migraines, you may need to schedule as many as 15 treatments.

At the first sign of a migraine coming on, dip the flat end of a toothpick into cayenne pepper and sniff a little bit into each nostril. Cayenne pepper offers natural pain relief and is a good source of magnesium which helps ward off migraines.

The next few natural home remedies and cures have been found to work well for migraines. Magnesium helps reduce the amount of episodes and severity. In a study with a group using magnesium supplements, 56% reported fewer migraines. Use magnesium oxide or chelated magnesium to be effective.

Feverfew works to inhibit histamines and serotonin in the brain which is partly responsible for those agonizing headaches. It can also prevent future episodes. The most effective way to use feverfew is to use the tincture made from fresh leaves (steeped in alcohol) or look for a prepared product containing sufficient concentration (0.2%) of the active ingredient, parthenolide. Mix 1 teaspoon with water in a cup and drink. Or take 3 4 capsules of 125 mg. daily every 3-4 hours or as needed.

Knock out migraine headaches naturally with these home remedies and cures. Take:

• Vitamin E
• Riboflavin (Vitamin B-2) 400 mg. a day
• Vitamin B-6, 50 mg. a day
• Magnesium, 300 mg.
• Feverfew, 100 mg.

For best absorption, take half of the daily dose twice a day, with meals. If you are on blood thinners, consult with your doctor first. Avoid triggers: certain foods, drinks, caffeine and activites. Get exercise, enough sleep and schedule quiet time.

As many of you know, migraines are miserable and it's great to know that there are natural home remedies and cures that can help. I wish I had known all of this when I was suffering from them myself. But now you know.

*Source taken from "The World's Greatest Treasury of Health Secrets" by Bottom Line Productions, Fred Sheftell, M.D.

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