Headaches: the warning signs

Subject to headaches and migraines, it is important to listen to your body in order to discern their warning signs and anticipate their consequences. So be attentive to:

- your changes of appetite, it can be an irrepressible desire for food or conversely a total disgust for the foods presented to you.

- your mood jumps , you go from laughter to tears, from intense joy to sudden loneliness.

- your hyper excitement , whether intellectual or sexual, your energy reserve will be weakened.

- your variation of physical tone , you feel fit to run the marathon and shortly after a sudden tiredness seizes you.

Headaches: the causes

The causes of headaches are diverse.

- A migraine can be considered as a " family disease ", in other words, you are able to suffer from this kind of inconvenience if one of your close relatives also suffers.

- Headaches can also be the consequence of eating disorders , so be careful not to eat too much, foods too fat or " trigger foods " such as cheese, oysters and eggs. Restrictive diets, as well as fasts and monodines, can also be the cause of migraines.

- Pathological and / or organic causes are the main sources of migraines, among them, there are notably otitis, sinusitis, head trauma, dental problems, intestinal indispositions, fever ...

- A change in lifestyle can cause headaches. A change in schedules, too long or too short nights of sleep, altitude or sedentary life are all risk factors.

- Your senses can also be impeded by noise, heat, humidity, cold, vibrations in transport or strong or unpleasant odors.

- Psychological causes such as learning bad news or an excellent one, being angry, being afraid, being anxious ... are all reasons likely to trigger a headache.

Anticipate headaches

To prevent headaches, various measures should be applied:

- Review your diet.

Avoid (or moderate) the absorption of alcohol , chocolate , foods including aspartame and / or sweeteners , Camembert or Roquefort type cheeses, Chinese prepared meals, cold cuts ...

Prefer vegetable juices, soups and compotes as well as rice, buckwheat or quinoa.
Take care of your liver by drinking herbal tea from time to time such as dandelion, rosemary or gentian.

- Practice a tension-free sport for the neck , such as yoga or qi gong.

- Take soothing plants with anti migraine virtues like Nigella ™, chamomile fever, Siberian ginseng ...

Treat headaches

To cure your headaches, several possibilities are available to you:

- essential oils , take a drop of basil and a tarragon on your tongue , this will eliminate spasms. You can also apply lavender on the temples and ear lobes or peppermint at the same spots, as well as on the forehead.

- relaxation , work your breath to acquire a feeling of well-being by practicing " ventral breathing, alternating and braked ".

- hydrotherapy , place a heat pad on your liver , take a hot foot bath , put your elbows in very hot water : the head will decongest with the action of heat, which derives the excess of blood located in the upper part of the body.

- the sophrology 'inverted' , concentrate and imagine the opposite feeling to your pain : if your head seems heavy, think of lightness and freshness.

- hydration , drink plenty of water and herbal teas.

- the trace elements , so take a magnesium ampoule that you keep in your mouth as long as possible.

For more information: The great book of Naturopathy , Christian Brun, ed.Eyrolles