Headache Pain:
What you can do about it
From Alternatives Newsletter Summer 2008
Who hasn’t suffered the effects of a nasty
headache? If you’re like thousands of
Americans, though, you may struggle with recurring migraine headaches, which
are not only painful but disabling.
According to statistics, up to 17 percent of women
and 6 percent of men have experienced a migraine. But any headache can be distressing. “There are several types of headaches from
structural to hormonal to bio-chemical,” said Dr. Patricia Ryan, founder of
Alternatives: A Center for Conscious Health.
“A structural headache can occur as the result of a fall or accident,”
Ryan said.
“Hormonal headaches are common with women around
the time of their period or after menopause and often present as pain in the
back of the head. Bio-chemical headaches
can be caused by allergies to foods or toxins in the bodies. Migraine headaches are the toughest kind to
fight.”
A full physical and patient history is vital to
both diagnosing and treating headaches, according to Dr. Ryan. Those treatments can include medications,
supplements and lifestyle modifications, Dr. Ryan added. “Some common food allergies that can cause
headaches are wheat, coffee, alcohol and dairy.
One thing to note is that a tolerance to both alcohol and caffeine go
down after menopause,” Dr. Ryan said.
For more information about how to identify the
cause of headaches and treat them, contact Alternatives: A Center for Conscious
Health at 827-9450.
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