Migraine and Other Neurological Conditions

Pauline Harding, MD, Family Medicine Practitioner

One middle-aged woman with chronic headaches discovered that the aspartame in her toothpaste was the culprit.

Headaches are global disabling conditions. In children and adolescents, headache has a suggested overall mean prevalence of 54.4% (95% CI 43.1-65.8) and migraine, 9.1% (95% CI 7.1-11.1)1. These painful conditions, which include migraine, cluster, or tension headache, can occur in any part of the head.

Migraine is a neurological disorder with painful, sometimes disabling headaches. Often accompanied by gastrointestinal complaints, e.g. IBS, celiac disease, nausea and/or vomiting and sensitivity to light, noise, or smell2, these throbbing headaches usually occur on only one side of the head, although the pain can shift from one side of the head to the other or occur on both sides at the same time. Migraines involve changes in chemicals and blood vessels in the brain, which trigger pain signals leading to headache and other symptoms.

Triggers include certain foods, medications, stress, lack of sleep, or even atmospheric changes 3. Eliminating exposure to these triggers may stop the headaches. A migraine headache typically lasts 4 to 24 hours but in some cases can last up to 3 days. Some people have visual disturbances, called a migraine aura, that occur before a headache starts. Migraine sufferers can have several headaches per month, or may go a year or more between incidences.

The Alcat Test Food-Scan can provide the ideal nutritional guidance to avoid cellular defense reactions by avoiding foods that may be triggering migraine or headache.