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Not Tonight Dear I Have a Headache...I was told by a renowned herbalist one time, that he would rather work with a patient with cancer than a patient with a headache, because the cause of cancer is easier to figure out and work with. He had that opinion perhaps because the most common of all health complaints is a headache. And almost every health condition can have a headache as a symptom. A headache itself is not a disease but rather a symptom of an underlying health condition or conditions. Most people have suffered from a short term occasional headache. Usually these types of headaches are caused by: tension, nerves, stress, lack of sleep, too much of a stimulant (such as caffeine) pulled muscles of the neck, misalignment of a vertebra, strained eyes, virus or bacteria, mineral deficiencies, an injury or hormone imbalances. Many times a natural pain reliever such as: APS II, Tei Fu (topically) or feverfew has been taken by many searching for relief from a Nonrecurring headache. If, however, you have frequent or rhythmic headaches, they may only permanently be relieved by working on the source of the headache. There are five main categories of headaches origins. Toxins Toxins include dietary, environmental, as well as autointoxication. Autointoxication is a condition in which one or more eliminating systems are not purging waste efficiently and completely. This becomes a poisonous build up that starts to act against or causes the immune system to act against the body. Many people's headaches have disappeared after they have improved the elimination of their bowel, skin, respiratory and/or urinary systems. Our food suppliers have laced our foods with poisonous chemicals to improve shelf life and to make it look or taste more appealing. Some people's systems are clean and strong enough to adjust to these poisons. The poisons are still doing damage, strong individuals are just capable of withstanding the damage without producing a strong reaction. Some of the worst offenders among food additives are: Nutra Sweet (aspartame), MSG (monosodium glutamate - MSG may be listed as natural flavorings or natural flavor enhancers), aluminum, nitrates (found in hot dogs and processed meats), hormones that are injected into our beef, poultry and pork. Food preservatives and food colorings. NONE OF THESE ARE NATURAL AND ARE POISONS, CONSIDERED MILD POISONS, BUT POISONS NEVERTHELESS. Misalignment or Imbalance Going to a good chiropractor or cranialmandibular manipulator is the best way of determining a misalignment of either the spine or the tempromandibular joint commonly called TMJ - (pain, cracking or clicking in jaw joint caused by misalignment of teeth or bite). Misalignment of the Vertebra in the neck can put pressure on a nerve and cause headaches. A massage therapist or chiropractor can advise you on the best course of action for the problem. Imbalances can be hormonal stemming from the pituitary, pineal, thyroid, parathyroid, thymus, thymus gonadals (ovaries or testes), adrenals or pancreas. Many times hormonal imbalances include more than one gland. Many herbalist suggest supporting all the glands while targeting on a gland that seems to be really weak or stressed I suggest using Mastergland as that base. To help determine which gland may be contributing to a headache look at accompanying symptoms and suggestions: (This should be used only when you have exhausted test by a competent health professional - It is unsafe and unwise to do it on your own.) Pineal - Insomnia, SAD (seasonal acquired depression). Wood Betony or Alfalfa helps nourish. Pituitary - Obesity, high blood pressure, buffalo back (fat deposit on the upper back). I would take Alfalfa. Parathyroid - an imbalance of phosphorus and calcium. The Amino acid L-Arginine. Thyroid - thinning hair or change in hair texture, unexplained weight gain or loss, lack of or nervous energy. Craving salty foods. I personally would take Thyroid Activator (KC-X) for my thyroid disease, others have taken Target TS II, Target TSII with hops or Kelp. Thymus - Reacting to chemicals in an unexpected manner, such as drinking caffeine and then being able to sleep easily. Taking a medicine that is to sedate or make drowsy and you become energetic or nervous. Anyone who concentrates better on Ritalin I would nutritionally support their thymus. Thim-J, Spirulina or Bee Pollen. Pancreas - Many times if you crave sweets, wake up with a headache, have mood swings, depression, weakness and grouchiness if skipped meals I would suspect hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Some people have reported great results taking any of the following: GTF Chromium (not chromium picolinate which study shows contributes to diabetes) in addition to one or more of HY-A, HY-C, Potassium, Licorice root (licorice root should be taken only under the guidance from someone who is educated in Herbology) or Pantothenic acid (B-5). Adrenals - Lack of energy anytime possibly wanting to stay awake late at night and sleeping in late in the mornings. What nourishes the Adrenals also nourish the Pancreas (see previous paragraph). Gonadals - Mood swings, irritability, menstruation problems, pain in the glands. For Males: Men's formula, Saw Palmetto, Sarsaparilla and zinc For Females: FCSII, FC with Dong quai or NF-X. Also see the connection between gonadal health and the liver. An imbalance of Acidophilus and Yeast in the body can allow yeast to overpopulate or invade parts of the body such as the nervous system or the brain which can cause, among other things, headaches. For more information about balancing the yeast in your system read the book THE YEAST CONNECTION by Dr. Crook. An imbalance in blood pressure can cause headaches. It is a good idea to get your blood pressure tested and if it is high, I suggest you take the medication prescribed by a competent doctor in conjunction with an herbal regimen. Herbs work too slowly and you could have health complications. There is a study that indicates that at least 85% of all high blood pressure is attributed to a Potassium deficiency. Mega-chel, stress management and balancing the rest of the body also may help in normalizing blood pressure.
Allergies If you suspect that your headaches are caused by an allergy, you should keep a journal. Record where you have been and what you have eaten, smelled or inhaled to help to narrow down what is causing the headache. Allergies themselves are a symptom often caused by toxic levels or deficiencies. Environmental allergens such as: Chemicals from carpets and furniture, perfumes, dust, mold, dander, freon gas from air conditioners, pain and detergents, radiation, bacteria, viruses, fumigants (bug sprays), cleaning products, or smoke can give some sensitive people headaches. Isolating and avoiding these allergens are important but so is detoxifying the body which may be a more permanent solution. Food allergies are usually caused by toxin overload already in the body as well as deficiencies. pH Imbalance A pH imbalance can rob the body of minerals such as calcium which deficiency can cause headaches. I suggest going on an acid/alkaline balanced diet. I would also take SKL to help provide the minerals the pH imbalance has robbed from the body. Deficiencies Deficiencies can be caused by poor digestion, mal absorption or non-ingesting of needed nutrients. The body can produce and convert many vitamins, nutrients and amino acids some, however, need to be consumed. Deficiencies that do not fall under allergy producing deficiencies yet can cause headaches are: Vitamins B-6, B-3 and E Amino acids L-Tryptophan and L-Ornithine, and Minerals Zinc, Iron, Choline, Potassium, Sodium, Calcium and Lecithin and Cholesterol. Another deficiency is a lack of oxygen getting to the brain, either because of the other factors or because of build up of the arteries by cholesterol or inorganic minerals or poor circulation because of weakness of the heart. If I suspected not enough oxygen to the brain (possible symptoms might include: Poor memory, mental fatigue or dizziness.), I would research the following supplements: Mega-chel, Blessed thistle, Gotu Kola/Ginkgo combination and I-X. Stress Long term stress can cause muscles to stay in a contracted state. This can restrict blood vessels or cause poor circulation or put pressure on a nerve. When we are stressed we often alter our breathing which can cause a lack of oxygen to the brain. Stress also causes the body to produce acid which can aggravate a low sodium and calcium level in the body. Many of us ignore stress or hold onto stress which can cause headaches as well as affecting the whole body. Exercising vigorously, expressing your emotions and frustrations and medication can help you live with stress. It is very rare for headaches to be caused by cysts, aneurysm or tumors and we didn't even explore this area. That's a whole article in itself. I suggest if your headaches are chronic that you get those possibilities ruled out. I have taken a class where the instructor told us that sometimes the location of the headache can give insight on what is causing it.
A - Pain and aches in the upper side of neck and lower jaw may indicate pharyngitis (sore throat), laryngitis, diphtheria (inflammation of the respiratory system) or trigeminal neuralgia (pain caused by the inflammation of the facial muscle). B - Aches below and lateral of C may indicate nervous disorders, stomach troubles, spinal irritations, impending rheumatism or disease of cervical (neck. C - Ache at back of neck, near base of brain may indicate nervous disorders, nephritis (kidney inflammation), diseases of spinal cord or middle ear disease. E - Ache near and below F may indicate head ache caused by constipation. F. Ache at center back of head may indicate eye trouble- refraction myopia (near sightedness), etc. May also indicate choline deficiency. G- Ache at back side of head over ears may indicate poor blood or uterine trouble. H - Ache over entire top of head may indicate female disorders, bladder trouble, hysteria (emotional outbreak), neurasthenia (prolonged stress), Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia, epilepsy, or ovarian trouble. J - Ache in center of forehead just above L may indicate trouble with nose, eyes, or intestine. K - Ache over and around each eye may indicate dyspepsia (poor digestion), stomach trouble or ocular (eye/eyesight) disturbance. L - Ache above bridge, between eyebrows may indicate constipation, stomach trouble, faulty refraction (vision error) or decayed teeth. M - Ache around eye and bridge of nose may indicate stomach, eye or nose trouble. N - Ache of band like character around forehead may indicate anemia O - Ache in upper center of forehead may indicate catarrh (inflammation of mucous membrane) of nose or throat. P - Ache behind left ear may indicate efficiency of: natural sodium, l-glutamine or niacimide. Q - Ache behind right ear may indicate a deficiency of natural potassium. R - Ache in right temple may indicate an iron deficiency. S - Ache in left temple may indicate a calcium deficiency. T - Ache deep behind left eye may indicate a zinc deficiency. U - Ache above both eyes or middle of forehead at the natural hair line may indicate a weak pituitary gland or l-ornithine, Vitamin E or B-6 deficiency. W- Ache straight down top of the head may indicate a weak pineal gland. I'm sure we haven't covered every possible scenario, but hopefully it's a start. As you can see, finding the cause of a headache is hard to pin down. Some headaches may have several sources. My personal experiences in trying to help people with headaches have been that about 1/4 of them get no relief from their headaches, about 1/4of them we could figure out the cause and had good results and about 1/2 of them got rid of their chronic headaches when working on other health conditions and we have no idea the headaches went away. Some people use the accupressure for headaches with good response.
Many people give up and figure they'll just live with it or pop a few pills, but the body does not induce pain without a good reason. That headache may be the body's way of protecting or warning you. |
