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DISORDERS
(Their description, characteristics or symptoms,
causes, and complementary or alternative treatments)
Disorder: HEADACHES
Description: Headaches are a common health complaint that affect almost everyone at one time or another. Tension headaches are by far the most common, followed by migraine headaches. Other types of headaches include cluster headaches and caffeine withdrawal headaches. Cluster headaches are rarer than migraines and affect mostly men between the ages of thirty and fifty. Severe headache pain can also result from more serious conditions such as brain tumors or arterial inflammation.
Symptoms: Migraine headaches cause a one-sided throbbing headache that can be so extreme that they cause limb numbness, hallucinations, nausea and vomiting, and hypersensitivity to light and sound. Cluster headaches are the most painful form of headache, with excruciating pain concentrated around the eye. They are often accompanied by tears, facial flushing, and nasal congestion. Caffeine withdrawal headaches involve a dull, throbbing pain on both sides of the head and are generally not as intense as migraines or cluster headaches. Symptoms of brain tumors or arterial inflammation headaches include seizures, projectile vomiting, speech or personality changes, walking difficulty and increasing pain. Temporal arthritis (an inflammation of the temporal arteries common among people over sixty) cause a burning, boring, or throbbing pain, often felt around the ear when chewing.
Incidence: Approximately 45 million Americans reportedly suffer from headaches each year. Migraine headaches affect about 10 percent of the population, and are much more common in women than men. Experts estimate that about 90 percent of all headaches are tension headaches and 6 percent are migraines.
Causes: The most common cause of headaches is stress resulting from chemical, emotional, or physical factors. Other common causes of headache include tension, anxiety, allergies, eyestrain, hunger, sinus pressure, muscle tension, hormonal imbalances, nutritional deficiencies, and the use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco. Migraine headaches result from a disturbance in the blood circulation to the brain. Frequent headaches may be caused by certain foods, sulfites, sugar, fermented foods, or alcohol. Often, headaches are a sign of other underlying health conditions. Possibilities to consider are anemia, bowel problems, brain disorders, hypertension, hypoglycemia, sinusitis, spinal misalignment, vitamin B deficiency, and diseases of the eye, nose, and throat.
Treatments: Proper treatment first involves careful diagnosis to locate the disturbance that is actually causing the pain.
Nutrients:
Supplement Dosage Comments
|
Bromelain |
500 mg. as needed. |
An enzyme that helps to regulate the inflammatory response. |
|
Calcium And Magnesium |
1500 mg. daily 1000 mg. daily |
Minerals that help to alleviate muscular tension. |
|
Coenzyme Q10 |
30 mg. twice daily |
Improves tissue oxygenation. |
|
Glucosamine Sulfate |
As directed on label. |
A natural alternative to aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). |
|
L-Tyrosine Plus L-glutamine Plus Quercetin |
As directed on label. 500 mg. twice daily. 500 mg. twice daily. |
For relief of cluster headaches. Caution: Do not take tyrosine if you are taking an MAO inhibitor drug, commonly prescribed for depression. |
|
Potassium |
99 mg. daily |
For the proper sodium and potassium balance, which is needed to avoid water retention. Water retention may put undue pressure o the brain. |
|
Primrose Oil |
500 mg. 3-4 times daily. |
Supplies essential fatty acids, which promote healthy circulation, helps regulate the inflammatory response, and relieve pain. |
|
Vitamin B3 (niacin) and niacinamide |
Up to 300 mg. combined daily. Do not exceed this amount. Stop and maintain the dosage that provides relief. |
Improves circulation and aids in functioning of the nervous system. Professional supervision is advised. Caution: Do not take niacin if you have a liver disorder, gout or high blood pressure. |
|
Vitamin B complex |
50 mg. 3 times daily. |
B vitamins work best when taken together. In severe cases, injections (under a doctor’s supervision) may be advisable. |
|
Vitamin C With Bioflavonoids |
2,000-8,000 mg. daily, in divided doses. |
Protects against harmful effects of pollution and aids production of anti-stress hormones. |
|
Vitamin E |
Start with 400 IU daily and increase slowly to 1200 IU daily. |
Improves circulation. |
Herbs:
 | Burdock root, feverfew, lavender, rosemary, skullcap
and thyme may relieve headache pain.
| A salve made from ginger, peppermint oil, and
wintergreen oil rubbed on the nape of the neck and temples can help relieve
tension headaches. For sinus headaches, rub the salve across the sinus area.
| Ginkgo biloba extract improves circulation to the
brain and may be helpful for certain types of headache. | |
Recommendations:
| Always seek and treat the cause of the headache, not
the symptom. Long-term over-reliance on aspirin, acetaminophen and other
over-the-counter painkillers can make chronic headaches worse by interfering
with the brain’s natural ability to fight headaches. Talk to your health
care provider about other ways to control the pain.
| Practice deep-breathing exercises. A lack of oxygen
can cause headaches.
| Try eliminating foods containing tyramine. Then
reintroduce one food at a time and see which ones produce headaches. Foods
that contain tyramine include alcoholic beverages, chocolate, bananas, cheese,
chicken, citrus fruits, cold cuts, herring, onions, peanut butter, pork,
smoked fish, sour cream, vinegar, wine, and fresh-baked yeast products.
| Also eliminate foods containing the amino acid
phenylalanine. Phenylalanine is found in chocolate, MSG (monosodium
glutamate), aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), and nitrites (preservatives found
in hot dogs and luncheon meats). MSG is a flavor enhancer often used in
restaurants and in prepared foods such as soups and salad dressings. Even in
small amounts, it can provoke severe headaches as well as flushing and
tingling in headache-prone people.
| Alcohol can dilate the blood vessels in your brain and
cause headaches.
| Apply cold compresses to the spot from which the pain
is radiating. This helps constrict blood vessels and ease muscle spasms. Leave
a damp washcloth in the freezer for ten minutes or use a cold gel-pack.
| For headaches caused by sinus congestion, try
self-massage. By applying pressure to specific areas of the head, you can open
up the sinuses and ease tension. Rub the area surrounding the bones just above
and below the eyes, and massage the cheeks directly in line with these points.
Lean your head forward slightly to facilitate sinus drainage. Applying heat to
the sinuses, either with compresses or with steam inhalation, can also help.
| Use a heating pad or hot water bottle to relax neck
and shoulder muscles, which can cause muscle contraction headaches if they are
too tight.
| Eat a well balanced diet. Also eat small meals and eat
between meals to help stabilize wide swings in blood sugar.
| Be sure to get sufficient sleep.
| Consult your health care provider if any of the
following symptoms accompany a headache: blurred vision; confusion or loss of
speech; fever and stiffness in the neck; sensitivity to light; pressure behind
the eyes that is relieved by vomiting; pressure in the facial sinus area;
throbbing of the head and temples; a pounding heartbeat; visual color changes;
feeling as though your head will explode; chronic headache pain that worsens
after coughing, exertion, straining, or sudden movement. Seek immediate
medical attention if you experience a sudden, severe headache like a
"thunderclap," or if you experience a headache after a head injury,
even a minor fall or bump. | |
Considerations:
| Headaches are often caused by allergies. Allergy
testing is recommended.
| Regular exercise can help prevent tension headaches.
However, headaches with organic causes can be made worse by exercise. Talk to
your doctor about your headaches before using exercise to control pain. | |
Vitamin For Life Recommended Regimen and cost:
|
Product No |
Description |
Comments |
Cost |
|
614-12NP |
Bromelain 500 mg. |
As directed on label |
$6.80/60 |
|
112-17 |
Calcium Oyscal 500 mg. with D tablets |
1 tablet 3 times daily in divided doses |
$5.75/120 |
|
232-15 |
Magnesium 200 mg. Caps. |
5 capsules daily, taken with calcium |
$4.95/100 |
|
946-12 |
Coenzyme Q-10 30 mg. Capsules |
2 capsules daily |
$13.95/60 |
|
625-12NP |
L-Tyrosine 500 mg. |
As directed on label. |
$14.95/60 |
|
02-292 |
L-glutamine 1000 mg. |
1 tablet daily |
$15.20/60 |
|
248-15 |
Potassium Gluconate 595 mg. Tabs. |
1 tablet daily |
$2.00/100 |
|
239-15 |
Evening Primrose Oil 500 mg. softgels |
1 softgel 3 times daily |
$7.95/60 |
|
926-15 |
Niacinamide 100 mg. tablets |
1 tablet 3 times daily |
$2.95/100 |
|
891-15 |
B Complex 50 mg. daily |
1 tablet 3 times daily |
$6.95/100 |
|
970-12 |
Vitamin C 1000 mg. with Rose Hips Tabs. |
1 tablet 3 times daily |
$5.75/60 |
|
234-15 |
Vitamin E Softgels |
1 softgel daily. Increase slowly to 3 softgels daily in divided doses. |
$8.95/100 |
Sources:
Prescription for Nutritional Healing, 2nd Edition
By James F. Balch, M.D. & Phyllis A. Balch, C.N.C.
Prevention’s Healing with Vitamins, by the Editors of
Prevention Magazine Health Books
Alternative Medicine, The Definitive GuideCompiled by the Burton Goldberg Group
