Holistic Solutions for Headaches

Headache is a general term for the symptom of pain in your head.

To get more technical, “primary headaches” are those not caused by an underlying problem such as brain tumors, aneurysm, or brain injury. Primary headaches are much more common and are diagnosed based on certain criteria and patterns of occurrence. 

Subcategories of Primary Headaches include:

• Migraines: impact about 15% of all adults globally. Some will describe migraines as a pounding pain, and other co-occurring symptoms can include nausea/vomiting, noise and light sensitivity, “seeing spots” often called aura
• Cluster headaches
• Tension headaches (most common)

What Causes Primary Headaches?
Headaches are thought to have multiple causes. Some theorize that tight muscles and open or expanded blood vessels in the head are responsible and this can happen for a variety of reasons. Migraines are believed to be the result of alterations in neuropeptides (specifically CGRP) which trigger substance P, a compound linked with pain. CGRP initiates a chain reaction that includes increased production of nitric oxide and sensitization of the trigeminal nerve. Sometimes people have difficulty distinguishing between a headache or a migraine; regardless, see your Doctor for proper diagnosis and ruling out or ruling in more deeply rooted causes.

What can you do about this once diagnosed with Primary Headaches?
Traditional healthcare prescribes medications. Some are preventative in nature, some are reactionary, and some are to help with pain management. 

Prescription therapy for primary headaches include medications that block the CGRP signaling in the trigeminovascular system. Medications do have a time and place; however, they alone won’t resolve all root causes to primary headaches.

Integrative Approaches for Primary Headaches Beyond Medications
The following diet, nutrition, and lifestyle related factors are associated with greater incidence and severity of primary headaches. This is why it’s important to take an integrative approach (meaning beyond just medication) as interventions specific to the problem are more appropriate and effective.

Start overturning these other stones to get relief from headache pain especially if medication alone is not cutting it for you.

• Addressing Dehydration: Nerve cells depend on fluid intake to function; lack of fluid in muscles, nerves, and blood vessels in the brain causes pain. Staying hydrated is crucial via drinking fluids and having appropriate mineral intake.
  
• Addressing Insulin Resistance: insulin resistance and migraines may be due to the action of two neuropeptides (CGRP and PACAP) involved with both migraine-related pain and release of insulin from beta cells. Reversing insulin resistance may help migraines. There are many holistic ways to sensitize insulin. One simple way is adding inositol (formerly vitamin b8) at therapeutic doses. Other ways to reverse insulin resistance include a high fiber diet, plenty of zinc, exercise, remediating mold in your home (mold can worsen insulin resistance!), and so many other things.
  
• Addressing Caffeine Consumption Habits: Drinking caffeine as well as withdrawal from caffeine may trigger severe headaches. So it’s challenging as caffeine can “help” but can also contribute to primary headaches. I recommend staying even keel and avoiding large fluctuations in terms of consumption. 200 mg caffeine per day is considered a safe amount (about 1 cup of coffee depending upon the strength)
  
• Avoiding Food Additives: Sulfites, MSG, and artificial sweeteners are a few examples of ingredients that may produce headaches. Aspartame in diet sodas I found was a huge trigger for me personally.
  
• Avoiding Tyramine: Tyramine (found in some food) may cause headaches. Tyramine is found in aged cheese, smoked fish, cured meats, and certain types of beer. Experts suggest that tyramine may cause nerve cells to release norepinephrine, which causes altered chemical levels in the brain leading to pain. Avoiding tyramine helps some patients if it is a trigger.
  
• Consume more Omega-3 fatty acids: Increasing omega-3 and reducing omega-6 fatty acid intake can help improve inflammation. Including fatty fish, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and walnuts in the diet increases omega-3 intake and massively decreasing seed oil consumption is recommended.
  
• Finding & Remediating Toxic Indoor Mold: This is a huge, underdiscussed issue in many homes that is not found or thought about as home inspections are not mold inspections. Given this, many people think “it would never be in my home” even though the reality is it is statistically a significant problem. Mold is very inflammatory. I recommend testing and not guessing (your home and your body for colonization) and aggressively pursue remediation when needed. Not 100% sure if mold is in your home? Start with an at home ERMI dust test (Kit 1) – the medically recognized way to see if there is clinically significant levels of mold in the home or not.
  
• Avoiding Heavy Metal Laden Tap Water: I cannot stress enough the importance of drinking water that has been reverse osmosis filtered. Heavy metals are notoriously found in tap water, and heavy metals are linked to headaches. Tap water consumption over years and decades is a slow poisoning over time of various contaminants depending upon the zip code. It is very common to find significant amounts of arsenic, radium, chromium hexavalent, etc. in tap water. Reverse osmosis or distilling is the best way to effectively filter out health hazards. Note your standard fridge filter and Brita filters are a false sense of security. You need reverse osmosis (can get minerals from foods as reverse osmosis will decrease minerals but better it gets out health hazards). Here is an affordable, third party tested brand that can adequately filter out heavy metals and many other health hazards. If you can afford whole home reverse osmosis, go for it!
  
• Addressing Estrogen Dominance if found: In women with a menstrual period, estrogen dominance is a common issue. We are exposed to endocrine disruptors way more than anyone thinks and excess estrogen relative to progesterone is known to cause headaches. Also a sharp decline in estrogen (especially in the days leading up to a menstrual period) is well known to contribute to “menstrual migraines.” Also, women may be more susceptible to severe headaches when using hormonal birth control methods; however some women find relief.
  
• Addressing Gut Dysbiosis: certain overgrown intestinal opportunistic bacteria are known to contribute to headaches. Morganella is a common one I see in stool tests and eradicating this can be so helpful in my ways. Get a GIMAP test done if you have primary headaches.
  
• Screening for and eradicating H. Pylori: this is a common, communicable bacteria that spreads from human to human via salvia and feces. It will colonize in the GI tract and in high amounts, is known to contribute to headaches. H. Pylori is extremely common and thought to be present in 50% of adults or more. Top symptoms include bloating, fullness, heartburn, and some will get headaches. This would be another great reason to get a GIMAP test as it also screens for H. Pylori, which then needs eradicated.
  
• Screen for and Correct Suboptimal Vitamin D levels: A review of studies on vitamin D shows it may be beneficial in reducing the frequency of migraines, but mainly in those with vitamin D deficiency. Get your vitamin D levels checked and corrected if deficient. This is an extremely prevalent nutrient deficiency. You cannot “eat your way out” of this deficiency and targeted supplementation will be needed. You can self order this lab here and get it drawn at any Quest Labs.
  
• Address Suboptimal Intake of Magnesium: magnesium deficiency may contribute to migraines and primary headaches; low serum and cerebrospinal levels of magnesium have been linked to migraines. However, most magnesium is not found in the blood so checking serum isn’t thought to be reflective of the big picture. Studies have shown that magnesium can decrease CGRP levels and block pain receptors, which may explain its therapeutic effects. Magnesium supplementation is a low risk and potential high reward; it is just an essential mineral that studies show about 80% of adults adults are deficient in. Most just flat out don’t eat enough from food. Eat more magnesium rich food but there is no shame in the supplement game. Many practitioners recommend 300-500mg nightly to try as a preventative strategy. If it contributes to looser stools just lessen the dose (magnesium can pull more water into the colon so the stool softens). Magnesium glycinate, lactate, or malate are the most studied forms of magnesium for headache prevention.
  
• Checking for underling vectorborne issues like Lyme and other coinfections and dealing with appropriately. Consider getting a Tickborne 1.0 test by Vibrant Wellness or Igenex testing.

Visit here for the link to my headache care starter pack that includes safe brands in studied doses from various nutraceuticals that can help those that suffer from primary headaches.

Because there are nutrition-related causes and preventive measures for primary headaches including migraines, accessing a registered dietitian is an excellent option if you are looking for help beyond or in addition to medications. As with all conditions, see your Doctor for proper diagnosis and know that treatment of primary headaches should be individualized. Self schedule a consult package here if you would like one-on-one assessment and guidance.

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