Migraines

What a horrible word.  What a horrible event.  Even just mentioning the word or thinking about one makes me cringe.  If you suffer from migraines then you sympathize.  If you don't, then I have one word for you:  Lucky.  


Migraines are a severe form of headache and can include symptoms such as sensitivity to light and sound, throbbing of the head, neck, eyes, and temples, nausea, and irritability (although I'm pretty sure my irritability is a result of the aforementioned symptoms!)  Unfortunately, the "cure," if you will, doesn't exist quite as nicely, which leaves us migraine sufferers to our own devices.


There is, however, hope.  If you suffer from migraines it's best to start journaling or really taking note of what riggers your migraines.  Now, this might take a while, because sifting through the plethora of triggers is challenging, however, it would behoove you to try.  I, for one, have noticed some things that immediately cause migraines:  Aspartame (aka artificial sweeteners used in low-fat, no sugar added, etc products), really sugary drinks, certain cheeses, oak-aged wines, vodka fermented a certain way, and yes, even rainstorms can occasionally start migraines.


Again, it's not an exact science, but knowing your triggers can help.  Also, I highly recommend becoming friends with a great chiropractor in your area.  Talk to some friends whom you trust to recommend a good doctor.  Chiropractors are phenomenal at realigning your spine, which helps to reset your body's natural rhythm and systems.  When systems work correctly, problems diminish.  I visit mine regularly, and it helps immensely with reducing the frequency with which I have migraines.  However, and even though my chiropractor hates when I do this, I do keep a stash of Excedrin Migraine and Ibuprofin with me for emergencies.  Otherwise, I try to avoid them and try to rely on an ice-cold ice pack and sleep, but that's not always possible.


Doctors will tell you to start taking some medicine the pharmaceutical companies they work with prescribe.  Personally, I don't think that does anything but mask the problem.  You have pain because something in your body isn't working correctly, which means you either gave your body something it didn't like or parts of your body aren't communicating correctly.  Now, this doesn't mean there aren't extreme cases or people who sincerely need doctors and medical assistance, but for the occasional migraine sufferer, do yourself a favor and listen to your body.  See a chiropractor and lay off the aspartame and fake foods.  Then, go from there.