Both headaches and migraines have the same root cause. However, most people suffering from headaches are not aware of this. If the frequency of headaches is higher, you can easily place yourself in the category of patients suffering from migraine. The main aim of this article is to make you familiar with the underlying cause of frequent headaches and migraine.
Where Does It Start?
Our brain has many different parts, and the hypothalamus is one of them. It is a small part of the brain where headaches are often triggered. The hypothalamus acts as the central control unit that controls different activities in the body without involving the other parts of the brain. For example, regulation of body temperature, various metabolic processes, and even the emotions and sense organs are under the control of the hypothalamus.
Triggers Responsible for Headaches
Technically termed triggers and certain actions performed by the human body or by the surroundings are responsible for headaches. The hypothalamus considers these triggers as threats to the human body. This means that the hypothalamus is an acutely sensitive part of the brain.
Whenever a threat is experienced by the hypothalamus, it emits signals to the blood vessels present in the head, neck and face. These signals are like warning signs sent by the hypothalamus to make the whole body conscious about a probable threat. These signals force the blood vessels to swell and trigger headaches and migraine attacks in a person.
In technical/medical terms, there is a base point and a breaking point in the hypothalamus. The triggers start from the base point and when they go beyond the breaking point, headaches and migraines are caused.
For the hypothalamus, even a harmless change in the surroundings is like a probable threat. For example, a person with a highly sensitive hypothalamus may have a headache when he or she sprays some perfume on the body. This is because the hypothalamus considers perfume as a harmful thing for the body and alarms the body about the action.
Experiencing Triggers throughout the day
Some people who have a hypersensitive hypothalamus might get affected by severe headaches due to one or two triggers in a day. However, it is the combination of many triggers throughout the day that result in severe headaches.
For example, a person depending highly on beverages, working in extremely hot conditions, or being subject to too much stress will be prone to severe headaches. In such a situation, high intake of beverages and an intolerance toward heat and stress are the triggers that lead to headaches and migraine too.
Again, the intensity of headaches and migraine depend on the quantity of triggers. For example, a person drinking 6-7 cups of coffee per day is at a higher risk of experiencing headaches and migraine.
What Is the Effective Treatment for Headaches and Migraine?
Headaches and migraine are problems that can be controlled with the use of drugs and medicines. However, you can’t rely on medications to completely eliminate the problems from your life. You have to follow an effective procedure that must work simultaneously with the use of medicines to achieve better results.
The first step of the treatment process is to identify the underlying cause of headaches and migraine. Triggers or threats, sensed by the hypothalamus in the human brain, give rise to signals that alert the blood vessels in the head. These signals enforce the vessels to swell and cause severe headaches and migraine.
Identifying the Triggers
As you have understood, triggers are the underlying cause of headaches and migraine. The next step should be to identify the triggers that contribute toward the problems. Here is a list of some of the five main triggers that are known to cause headaches:
- Change in hormones during pregnancy, puberty and menopause.
- Weather conditions like change in temperature, humidity and pressure.
- Change in the routine including improper sleep, hectic schedule on a particular day, and improper diet.
- Foods like sodas, chocolate and citrus fruits are other triggers for migraine and severe headaches.
- Environmental conditions like smoking and exposure to paint and perfumes.
So, how can we identify the trigger/s that result in headaches and migraine?
It is actually very simple. What you need to do is to analyze your routine and make a list of things that make you feel uncomfortable. For example, if you regularly visit a beach, you might get a headache after returning home. This means that exposure to the sun is one probable reason for you to have frequent headaches.
Sometimes, it might be a combination of triggers that could lead to headache/migraine or both. For example, a person who drinks five to six cups of coffee a day and follows a stressful routine at the workplace may suffer from headaches at the end of the day. In such a situation, the combination of food and stress work as triggers to cause headaches or migraine in the worst cases.
After you identify the triggers that cause these problems, the next step should be to find solutions to get rid of them. For example, if some foods are the triggers, you must restrict those food products in your diet. In case stress leads to headaches, you must reduce stress by being happy in life. Also avoid going in sun if you find high temperature to be the trigger for your problems.
Those who obtain headaches and migraine due to one trigger often have a hypersensitive hypothalamus. In other words, the person has a low breaking point beyond which the triggers cause these problems.
People suffering from these problems often get frustrated by everything in their lives. However, there is a need to target only those triggers that are root causes of the problem. This will help you increase the effectiveness of the treatment for headaches and migraine.
In my migraine and headache program, I have discussed steps that you can follow to lower and even eliminate the major triggers. I also describe 24 minor triggers that you may watch out for in addition to the five major triggers.
Christian Goodman
PS: Check out my migraine and headache program for more information.
Dear Christian,
You have helped me considerably in the past through your snoring exercise program, which helped my sleep apnea, too. Now I would like to share a couple of things that have helped me in hopes that you may be able to continue your mission.
1. I read several books on the vegan diet, especially by John McDougall (A Challenging Second Opinion is one if his best) and by, Colin Campbell (his The China Study is a classic). After trying the exercises you sent me, I decided to try the whole food vegan diet as I still had problems. Let me list some of the results.
a) Dropped 45 pounds.
b) Sleep apnea conpletely cured.
c) Hypertension gone — no more beta blockers.
d) Carotid arteries opened up as measured by blood flow rate slowing down.
e) Very good energy, especially mental energy and clarity, for 70 years old. Doing scholarly writing and publishing still.
From my personal observation, the whole food vegan diet (no added oil) is a genuine cure for a number of lifestyle induced disorders. I am mentioning this to you because many of the disorders you address have been helped or cured by the diet I am describing. If you will read the two books I’ve mentioned you will see that this is a scientifically substantiated claim.
More radically, let me suggest that you go to the website of Hallelulia Acres and look into their program which is also vegan but also includes more raw food. Again, if you check out the list of testimonies, you will see that people have been delivered from many of the disorders you address.
May God continue to bless you as you serve others.
James Martin
i am new to all this- i thought pain, sleeples nights and snoring was all part of the deal. i can say now that this has changed. i sleep better, no longer need pain relief and i am working through the TMJ program. every day i am feeling better, losing weight and returning to my normal self.
thank you-i have given all your details to my doctor-he was aslo in the dark to TMJ and tell everyone how wonderful i feel.
thank you. my family and i are truly gratful.
Very nice article on migraines. Thanks for the great tips!
Very interesting - always spread the word. Looking forward to an update. For too long now have I had the need to get started on my own blog. Guess if I wait around any more I’ll never do it. I’ll be sure to add you to my Blogroll. Many thanks!!