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Take Feverfew for Migraine

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 November 2004, 12:00 CST

Q: I SUFFER from tension headache and migraine daily. I have to take painkillers. Often, the pain persists and I find it hard to work. My work is not stressful; only the pain stress me out. I experience pain early in the morning. Please recommend an alternative besides the painkiller.

A: Migraine is characterised by severe disabling headaches. There are two types of migraine - the common type or migraine without aura, typically accompanied by nausea, vomiting and visual disturbances and migraine with aura, in which the attack is heralded by warning symptoms, such as flashing lights before the eyes.

The attack may last from a few hours to a few days, and followed by a "hangover" which usually leaves the sufferer feeling weary and washed out. The majority of migraine sufferers are women and for many, attacks tend to coincide with menstruation which suggest a hormonal trigger. Platelet aggregation is found to cause migraine. Another factor is stress.

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is a classic herb for migraines and is known to reduce inflammation and the frequency of attacks.

Take a few fresh leaves with a sandwich. Soaking a towel or flannel in a cool infusion of feverfew, squeezing it out, and laying it across the forehead, may also be soothing.

Food allergy is one of the major factors that triggers a migraine attack. Elimination of the allergen will greatly reduce migraine symptoms in the majority of sufferers. Abnormal response to certain pharmacologically substances in foods or deficiency in certain enzyme might be the cause.

Food that most commonly induce a migraine attack are cow's milk, wheat, chocolate, egg, orange, benzoic acid, cheese, tomato, tartrazine, rye, rice, fish, grapes, onion, soy, pork, peanut, alcohol, monosodium glutamate, walnut, beef, tea, coffee, nuts, goat's milk, corn, oats, cane sugar, yeast, apple, peach, potato, chicken, banana, strawberry, melon and carrot.

Different individuals respond differently to the allergen(s); one allergen that cause migraine in a sufferer doesn't necessary cause migraine in the other sufferer. Keep a food diary to keep track of the food that cause migraine. Caffeine should be avoided too. A drop in blood sugar may bring attack. Small and frequent diet is recommended. Increase oily fish intake such as mackerel and salmon, for its anti-inflammatory property.

You may practise yoga or meditation. Exercise such as jogging, even playing badminton (as long as you can release stress and enjoy the activity), is good.

Source: New Straits Times

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