Showing Migraines Who's Boss

At least one in four women suffer from migraines, a staggering number with a not so flattering history. Women who suffered from migraines in the past were considered incapable of coping with stress or suffering from hysteria. Luckily, this ignorant perception was quickly shattered once individuals realized that migraines were debilitating headaches with causes outside of "women being women." Although the exact specifics are still unknown, factors like genetics and environment are known to play a definite role. Also, changes in the brainstem, trigeminal pathway, hormonal influences with hormones like estrogen and serotonin have all been associated with migraine development.
The good news is that instead of curling up in your bedroom, void of any light, there are things you can do every day to prevent or at least reduce the extent of your next migraine! The first is by watching your diet; there are certain foods that may trigger migraines, including aged cheese, salty foods, excessive sweetness, wine, and caffeine. Stress, bright light, changes in sleep cycle and environment can also be triggers. So what can you do, you ask?  Eating these trigger foods in moderation is ideal in conjunction with a high ketone diet. A ketogenic diet is a low carbohydrate diet that helps reduce migraines by blocking high concentrations of glutamate, which is found in migraines and epilepsy. Moreover, the healthy fats found in this diet may also lower cholesterol, hitting two birds with one stone.
Regular exercise also can help to prevent migraines, especially aerobic ones like walking, swimming, and cycling. Ultimately, leading a healthy lifestyle with a regular schedule can greatly help to ameliorate migraines. Here's to beating migraines one day at a time!


Meghana Pisupati
IHS 2018