Low-fat milk Milk is a hydrating protein-rich liquid and full of important minerals like calcium and potassium. It's also naturally high in riboflavin and fortified with vitamin D, which some research suggests may reduce the frequency of headaches in people with migraine.
One study done linking migraines to lactose intolerance identified 72% of the study group to be lactose malabsorbers, meaning 72% of the individuals were unable to completely absorb lactose due to a lactase deficiency. Of that 72%, over 50% showed a significant increase in headaches when ingesting lactose.
Diet. There's a laundry list of foods known to trigger a migraine attack, the most common ones being foods that contain histamine and MSG, chocolate, cheese and other dairy products, artificial sweeteners (e.g. aspartame), caffeine, cured meats, and anything with a strong smell.
“Bananas are a great food for quick energy recovery, and they're high in magnesium, which can be helpful when people have headaches,” she says.
When it comes to cheese, older isn't always better… for headaches. If eating cheese makes your head hurt, it's likely an aged-type like Swiss, Parmesan, Brie or cheddar. Aged cheeses are high in tyramine, a natural chemical found in some foods. Tyramine can cause headaches by constricting and dilating blood vessels.
Caffeine
People sensitive to caffeine can develop migraines after drinking coffee, tea or caffeinated soft drinks. However, caffeine can also be used to stop migraines for some people.
Stress. Stress is the most common trigger of headaches and migraines. More than 70% of patients experience a high level of stress leading up to a migraine. During stressful times, people can experience tightening of the neck and shoulder muscles, and this pain can be felt in the head.
Stress at work or home can cause migraines. Sensory stimuli. Bright or flashing lights can induce migraines, as can loud sounds. Strong smells — such as perfume, paint thinner, secondhand smoke and others — trigger migraines in some people.
Caffeine tends to constrict blood vessels, which would seem to cause pain by cutting off blood flow. But mid-migraine, caffeine may relieve pain by returning enlarged and painfully distorted arteries back to their pain-free state.
1. Acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is a pain reliever that works well for migraine treatment. It's thought to work by blocking certain brain chemicals that make you sense pain.
Whether you prefer them hard boiled, over easy, or cooked up in an omelet, eggs are one food that may help your headache go away. Eggs are naturally rich in riboflavin,i or vitamin B2, which is a B vitamin essential for cell growth and function.
If you cut off the brain's food supply by skipping breakfast or going a long time between meals, the brain becomes stressed and may start a migraine. Similarly, skipping breakfast or eating inconsistently causes spikes and crashes in blood sugar; these spikes and crashes create migraine storm conditions for your brain.
You can also add lemon juice and honey. Drink 3 or 4 times a day to relieve the symptoms of migraine.
Yogurt offers high levels of riboflavin, a part of the B vitamin complex that has been shown to help reduce the number of migraine attacks in people who commonly suffer from them. It may also help increase the effectiveness of beta-blockers, drugs used to prevent migraines.
The pain of a throbbing headache may, in some cases, bebrought on by certain fragrances; however, the scent of green apples may reducethe severity of a migraine, found Hirsch. “The scent seems to reduce musclecontractions, which are the main cause of pain in migraines,” he says.
One study found that people who took magnesium supplements had migraines on 43% fewer days than others given the empty placebo pills. Several of the other studies found that magnesium users had fewer migraine attacks than nonusers.
Occipital nerve blocks
An occipital nerve block is a common treatment for headaches, including migraine headaches. Doctors use this treatment to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.
In fact, consuming chocolate treats can end up stimulating a headache due to the caffeine and tyramine present. For migraine sufferers looking for relief, Durham advises not to reach for that Hershey's chocolate bar but rather try consuming some good old-fashion dark chocolate that has 90% or more cacao.