Have you ever had a migraine attack so strong you wanted to literally remove your head or are you God’s favourite? No, it isn’t overreacting, migraines can really make you question whether your brain is about to explode. For those quick with the “it’s just a headache, get some fresh air” advice, let me tell you, it’s not that simple.
If you’re wondering what’s the difference between a migraine and a headache, you should know that the former is a chronic condition and the latter is just one of the symptoms one can experience during an episode or attack.
Migraine headache disorders affect more than 1 billion people worldwide and yet there is still no cure to be found. Does that mean that migraines can’t be completely cured? Unfortunately yes, but there are plenty of ways in which you can lessen their severity, frequency and duration, making them easier to cope with. Care to know how? Keep reading!
Try a Therapeutic Supplement
Yes, sometimes migraines catch you off guard and the only thing you want is fast relief, so you grab the first OTC you see and hope for the best. However, since prevention is better than cure, especially when it comes to migraines, it’s wiser to deal with the causes and triggers first. Although migraine causes are yet to be discovered, high-stress levels are often linked to this chronic headache disorder. While you can’t eliminate stress altogether in these hectic times, you can help your body build a healthy stress response system with nutritional and therapeutic supplements.
One of these products comes from the Australian-owned BioCeuticals company which is now a part of the Blackmores Family. The multi-action BioCeuticals Migraine Care formula is a practitioner’s only supplement that targets the many aspects of migraine aetiology. Not only that this product can help your body manage stress, but it can also reduce the duration and occurrence of mild migraine headaches and other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
BioCeuticals Migraine Care Under the Loupe
Since we’ve all heard the claims mentioned above before, you may be wondering whether Migraine Care is really effective or is it just another “miraculous” product? Let’s leave the facts to do the talking. This supplement is a blend of natural and scientific ingredients among which feverfew, selected B vitamins and magnesium. The efficacy of this combination has been confirmed by scientific research including a 3-month study involving 49 subjects. This study showed that feverfew, magnesium and B vitamins can decrease the occurrence of migraines by 50%.
Tanacetum parthenium L., commonly known as feverfew is a flowering plant from the daisy family. This aromatic plant has strong medicinal properties and has long been used for the treatment of fever, arthritis aches, menstrual cramps, tension and migraine headaches. Legend has it that this plant was used in ancient Greece to save the life of someone who had fallen from the Parthenon, hence the name.
Then, the mighty trio of B2, B6 and B12 vitamins in BioCeuticals formula aids the synthesis of neurotransmitters and supports healthy nervous system function. These carefully selected B vitamins join forces with magnesium to further support nerve conduction and energy production. The last ingredient to join the Migraine care bunch is Coenzyme Q10 plus which together with vitamin B2 helps your body fight free radicals.
When taken as a part of a healthy, well-balanced diet BioCeuticals formula can be a powerful ally in migraine treatment. However, you can’t rely solely on one product to do all the work no matter how effective it is. To further strengthen your defence against the effects of chronic stress you can also incorporate aromatherapy, mediation and regular exercise in your daily routine.
Spring Clean Your Diet
Health professionals advise that for effective migraine prevention and relief, you need to follow a healthy diet based on fresh and unprocessed ingredients. Unfortunately, this also means that you need to cleanse your diet from commonly known food triggers such as coffee, cheese, yeast, artificial sweeteners, MSG, red wine etc. The silver lining? Not everyone has the same food nemesis and if you’re one of the lucky ones you can still enjoy chocolatey goodness or a glass of wine without terrible headaches sabotaging your evening.
One of the most commonly reported migraines triggers on this list is red wine. Research shows that it’s the high histamine content that’s causing the problem. If red wine is on your list of no-nos, but you still don’t want to forego the pleasure of enjoying vino from time to time, you should switch to its white counterpart. A little known fact is that white wine is a migraine blocker and it can make you feel better when a headache strikes.
As for the cocoa bean lovers, they also have a migraine-friendly alternative called carob. Carob powder tastes and looks quite similar to cocoa and you can use it as a substitute in all your recipes. There’re plenty of other substitutes and alternatives to common food triggers, so following a migraine-friendly diet won’t be too difficult.
Round It All Together with a Good Night’s Sleep
Could it be your sleepless TV show-binging or phone-scrolling nights that are giving you migraine headaches? Absolutely. Scientists have found a clear link between poor sleep and painful headaches. Not only a lack of sleep lowers your body’s pain tolerance, but it also makes it more prone to headaches. To save yourself the trouble of another migraine attack in the morning, you should get plenty of Zs. If you have trouble falling asleep, there’s another BioCeuticals product called Ultra Muscleze® Night that might be of help. This formula provides a readily bioavailable form of magnesium to relieve sleeplessness and restlessness when dietary intake is inadequate.
Remember, there still isn’t a cure or a magic formula that’ll make your migraine headaches disappear in an instant. That’s why you need to take a holistic approach to prevent attacks and episodes from occurring in the first place. Now that you know how to hit back at migraines it’s time to take action and improve your quality of life.