You’re walking through the supermarket, standing thoughtfully in the produce section, when suddenly a blinding light hits just behind your eye, the noise around you – already irritating and loud in the form of fellow shoppers, noisy children, and piped in music – begins to escalate and beat at the right side of your head with every measure. You feel like you might throw up. And you notice how immensely your head, or your stomach, hurts. You have had headaches before, but this is downright violent. This is a migraine, and there is nothing else like it in the world. You know, if you have had one before, that this could last a couple of hours or days, but at least, long enough to make you abandon your cart for the confined space of your car, and you hope that you will even have the ability to drive, so great is your pain, confusion, and possibly even temporary blurry vision, sudden vertigo, or partial blindness.
Migraines are not just another headache. They are a disease.
The National Headache Foundation describes a migraine as: Moderate to severe pain on one or both sides of the head, pulsating or throbbing pain, pain worse with physical activity, nausea with or without vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound. The group estimates that more than 2.9 million people in the US suffer from migraines. M.A.G.N.U.M. (Migraine Awareness Group: A National Understanding for Migraines) offers a list of Social Security claims that have reported favorably for Migraneurs (migraine sufferers). For thousands of Americans, migraines have completely disabled their ability to work full-time. They can lead to a greater chance of strokes and high blood pressure. A migraine can be a debilitating disease to contend with. But, fortunately, there are many effective traditional and alternative medical treatments for migraines. The alternative treatments come with fewer side effects and can even be enjoyable. I have found ways to combat my own migraines with a favorite tea. Below is a list of several that have the potential to end your migraine cycle indefinitely.
***Before you begin any herbal treatment, always speak to your doctor, as some herbal treatments can interfere with medications your are already taking, or with other herbs that you may already be taking for your good health. And, remember, most migraines have a trigger. Discover yours through a migraine diary. List all the things you did or ate just before getting your aura or migraine. Inside this all important list, no doubt, there is a trigger lurking.
Licorice Tea – Many women who regularly experience migraines do so during their menstrual cycle. This is believed to be due to the sharp drop in estrogen that comes with menstruation. Treat the drop with three 8 oz. cups of licorice root tea a day for two to three days. Licorice root is a natural estrogenic, and will raise a low estrogen level if consumed regularly over a period of a few days. It is 30 times as sweet as sugar, so no extra sweetener is needed to enjoy this cup of tea. It can also improve your energy level. While it first acts as a diuretic, it can later do the opposite, so do not drink it every day for weeks at a time. Especially if you have liver or kidney disease. But in moderation, this tea is an effective and tasty way to stave off the sharp pain of migraines.
Rooibos Tea – This is one of first teas that was suggested to me when my migraines had collected into a string of days of pain that could not be broken. I bagged the coffee and drank African Rooibos (a red and gently nutty-flavored tea) at breakfast, lunch and dinner until the migraines subsided. Within about two hours, the migraine became less harsh, by the end of the first day it was manageable, and by the next day, it was gone. I continued the regimen until I had no trace or aura of an impending migraine. Rooibos is low in tannin, an ingredient thought to trigger migraines in beverages like coffee and hot chocolate. It is also naturally caffeine free and full of anti-oxidants and flavanoids – both cancer-fighting and immune-boosting agents. It is not exactly known why Rooibos attacks migraines, but it has been proven effective by many migraine sufferers the world over for thousands of year. It is worth a try.
Peppermint – Known for its action as a natural bronchodilator, the peppermint plant has also been used for many years to treat chronic mild to severe pain. It naturally sooths a stressed-out mind and can help one breathe naturally and relax. It helps to release tension. It is suspected of being able to block certain pain receptors, much like prescription and non-prescription pain medicines. It is one of the very few herbal teas safe to drink during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and unless it causes you heartburn, it is sure to aide in your fight against migraines.
Green Tea – The Japanese or Chinese version of this tea has been long used for a myriad of diseases from rheumatoid arthritis to cancer. But green tea is also a powerful anti-inflammatory and can be used like ibuprophen or acetaminophen and taken in 8 oz a day up to three times a day. If proven to be your personally effective cup of tea, this treatment is one of the more inexpensive and more readily available tea migraine treatments. Try to avoid taking it when it is already mixed with other ingredients – like fruits or flowers -as these may end up being one of your triggers. Try the decaffinated version first, as caffeine can cause migraines as well as alleviate them. Drink as your body instructs you. Pay attention to your triggers and make sure that caffeine is not one of them.
Kava Kava – In its native Hawaii, the kava plant is used to create an alcoholic-like beverage. It used in special ceremonies like weddings and birth celebrations. For Westerners, Kava Kava tea has been used as a muscle relaxant and as a very effective treatment for anxiety. Since migraines tend to cause both extreme muscle tension (especially in the neck and face) and anxiety due to the extremely painful nature of the disease, Kava Kava is an excellent and natural treatment for the occasional migraine. It cannot be consumed for more than 4 weeks at a time, however, as it has been known to VERY RARELY cause liver damage in some people – especially if taken in conjunction with alcoholic beverages or other toxifying agents. If it is used only over a brief and occasional period, only when migraines are on the prowl, it can ABSOLUTELY work as effectively as a prescription painkiller, but in a cup and instantly. There is virtually no wait time for its relief. Do not drive after drinking Kava Kava. It really does impair thinking and relax the migraine-stressed mind.
Feverfew – While the Ancients used this root often in the treatment of many ailments, Westerners are just now getting a clue as to its effectiveness. It can be purchased in a tea form, just like the above more well-known teas, and a bit of honey ads to the gentle soothing nature of this drink. Several medical studies in the US and in Europe have strongly suggested the effectiveness of feverfew in, both, the prevention and treatment of migraines.
Whatever your type of migraine (of which there are many) there is a cup of tea to fight your pain away. So, drink up and drink away your migraine today! You do not have to suffer forever.
Reference:
- Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com
