Migraines are severe headaches that affect about 17 percent of women and 6 percent of men in the United States, according to certified nutritional consultant Phyllis Balch, author of "Prescription for Nutritional Healing." This type of headache is caused by blood pressure changes that accompany both contraction or dilation of blood vessels in your brain. Blurred vision, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light may accompany migraines. In addition or instead of taking pain medication or using cold packs, several nutritional strategies may help provide relief from migraine attacks.
Cayenne
Take a cayenne supplement or consume a meal containing fresh cayenne peppers. Cayenne is a hot pepper that is commonly used in Asian stir-fry dishes, Indian curries, Tex-Mex dishes and Jamaican jerk sauces. This pepper contains capsaicin, a chemical compound that may help prevent constriction of blood vessels, relieving pain and vision disturbances associated with migraine headaches, according to Balch. Talk to your doctor before using cayenne to treat migraines. This pepper may cause nausea or stomach upset.
Water
Drink one or two glasses of filtered water as soon as you notice migraine symptoms. Water can help prevent or correct dehydration, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. This may help alleviate migraine pain. Proper hydration is particularly important if you experience vomiting as a side effect of migraine headaches.
Feverfew
Take a feverfew supplement, or steep 1 tsp. of dried feverfew in 1 cup of boiling water for 10 minutes, then strain the liquid and drink as a tea. Feverfew is an herb that was originally used by ancient Greek physicians to treat menstrual cramps. Feverfew may also stabilize blood pressure, relieving migraine pain, according to Michael Castleman, author of "The New Healing Herbs." Talk to your physician before using feverfew; it may cause abdominal pain and mouth sores.
Tryptophan
If you are able to eat, have some turkey, brown rice, peanuts or low-fat cottage cheese. These foods are rich sources of tryptophan, an amino acid. Tryptophan may increase serotonin levels in your brain, which may alleviate migraine pain, according to Balch. Serotonin may inhibit swelling and inflammation of the blood vessels in the meninges, which are the outer covering of your brain.
References
- "Prescription for Nutritional Healing"; Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C. et al.; 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Migraine
- "The New Healing Herbs"; Michael Castleman; 2010
