Chester Herbalist

The causes of migraines are thought to be due to either a problem with your blood vessels, resulting in a lack of oxygen or nutrients to brain, or to a problem with the functioning of your brain tissue. Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, dizziness, visual disturbances and light and noise sensitivity commonly occur at the same time as a migraine. Many people experience an aura before their migraine starts. This is characteristically a change in your vision. You may see spots or light or bright colours, or the edges of your vision may become hazy. Your vision may also become blurred. Your nose may become extremely sensitive to smells and your ears become sensitive to noise. You may hear ringing in you ears as well. Often people report a feeling of drowsiness and a decrease in their ability to think clearly. The migraine will usually start after the aura symptoms disappear. Once the migraine has disappeared, you may be left drained and tired from the pain and often people take a day or two to recover from a severe migraine.

There have been links between certain foods and migraines. Milk and dairy, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, especially wine, MSG, chocolate and pickled foods may trigger a migraine attack in people who suffer from migraines. Other triggers of a migraine attack include stress, a lack of sleep, hormonal fluctuations (such as during adolescence, menopause and PMS), bright lights and loud noises. Sleep is often the best way to recover from a migraine. If you suffer from migraines, it may be beneficial to work out what triggers your attacks and avoid them. There are also self-hypnosis techniques which you can use to induce a state of deep relaxation during a migraine attack. Please consult your healthcare practitioner if your migraine lasts longer than one week or if you have recurring migraines over a period of four weeks or more.