MIGRAINE
By Dr. Dionisio Celeste

A MIGRAINE is a vascular headache that involves the excessive dilation or contraction of the brain's blood vessels.  Researchers believe many migraine attacks are caused by chemical imbalances in the brain.  Levels of the brain chemical serotonin drop during a headache.  This triggers an impulse along the trigeminal nerve to blood vessels in the meninges, the brain's outer covering.  In the meninges, the blood vessels become inflamed and swollen.  The result is a headache. Migraines occur most often in people between the ages of twenty and thirty-five, and tend to decline with age. There is higher incidence of migraine on women than men because of fluctuations in the level of the hormone estrogen due to menstruation.  The word migraine comes from the greek word HEMIKRANIA which means "half a skull".  Children too can suffer from migraines, however it tends to be more diffuse, rather than localized.  Migraine can first show up in childhood not as headaches, but as colic, periodic abdominal pains, vomiting, dizziness and severe motion sickness.

 There are two types of migraine, the common migraine and the classic migraine.  The common migraine occurs slowly, producing a throbbing pain that may last for two to seventy two hours.  The pain is severe and is often centered at the temple or behind one ear.  Alternatively, it can begin at the back of the head and spread to one entire side of the head. It is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and tingling and numbness in the limbs that can last up to eighteen hours.  A classic migraine is similar to a common migraine, but it is preceded by a set of symptoms referred to as an AURA, which can consist of speech disorders, weakness and disturbances in the senses of vision and/or smell.  An aura can also consist of brilliant stars, sparks, flashes or simple geometric forms passing across the visual field.

The following are factors that can trigger a migraine attack:

1. Allergies.

2. Constipation.

3. Stress.

4. Liver malfunction.

5. Too much or too little sleep.

6. Emotional changes

7. Hormonal changes

8. Flashing lights or sun glare.

9. Dental problems.

10. Low blood sugar.

11. Smoking.  Nicotine constricts the blood vessel while the carbon monoxide tends to expand it.

12. Foods such as chocolate, citrus fruits, alcohol (especially red wine) and any food that is aged, cured, pickled, soured, yeasty or fermented.

13. Lack of exercise.

As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. 

The following are some recommendations to consider in preventing and healing migraine:

1. Get regular moderate exercise.

2. Massage the neck and back of the head daily.

3. See your dentist regularly for treatment of any tooth problems such as gum disease, tooth decay, bacterial infection, temporomandibular joint syndrome, or tooth grinding.

4. Adopt a diet that is low in simple carbohydrates and high in protein.

5. Avoid alcoholic beverages.

6. Avoid active and passive smoking.

7. Take only hypoallergenic supplements.

8. Avoid salt and acid forming foods such as meat, cereal, bread and grains.  Also avoid fried foods and fatty, greasy foods.

9. Avoid Monosodium Glutamate (vetsin), nitrites (preservatives found in hot dogs and luncheon meats) and spicy foods.

10. Avoid frequent use of over-the-counter painkillers because it may actually increase the likelihood of migraine attacks.

11. Try coffee as a migraine treatment.  At the first sign of a migraine attack, drink 1 or 2 cups of strong coffee, then lie down in a dark quiet room.  However, for this treatment to be effective, one must not otherwise regularly consume caffeine containing products such as coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, aspirin and pills.

12. Use Biomagnetic Field Therapy:

a. Daytime Treatment- place 2 stack negative power wafers at the sternum (breastbone) where the heart is located.  However, if there is history of heart ailment, then relocate the 2 stack negative power wafers at the Cerebro Vestibular System (CVS) or at the back of the neck in order to energize the connective nerve cells and maintain body energy and vitality.

b. Nighttime Treatment-Place the 2 stack negative power wafer at the             forehead overnight.  The negative magnetic field will stimulate the pineal gland inside the brain to release a restorative, anti-oxidant, anti-stress, anti-cancer, anti-migraine hormone called MELATONIN. 

c. Place the negative super biomagnet on the area of the head where there is pain until natural relief occurs.  The negative magnetic field will calm down the constricted and dilated blood vessels of the brain.  It will also block the pain signal to the brain.

d. Drink three times a day a glass of magnetized water with 10 drops of stabilized liquid oxygen until condition improves.

13. Consult your family doctor if symptoms persist.