Periodic migraine attacks are characterized by varying degrees of severity of throbbing headaches. It is most often localized on one side of the head and has a variable duration ranging from 2-72 hours.
Accompanied by nausea, severe sensitivity to extraneous sounds, light, and aromas. Sometimes there is a short-term deterioration in vision, the so-called aura stage, which precedes an attack of pain.
Migraine treatment is aimed at reducing pain and may include herbal forms of treatment offered by traditional medicine.
Why herbs help with migraines
Migraine attacks usually begin to appear at puberty. They are detected more often in boys during this period.
The greatest suffering is caused by unbearable headaches at 35-45 years of age, reducing ability to work. Women in this age group experience this condition almost three times more often than men. With the onset of menopause, the frequency of attacks in some cases decreases.
From the Greek language "migraine" - hemicrania is translated as "pain on one side of the head." The exact causes of the disease have not been established, but several interrelated provoking factors are identified: genetics, psychological experiences, hunger, stressful situations, fatigue, weather changes, a certain diet, bad habits.
The benefits of a number of medicinal herbs recommended for migraines by adherents of alternative medicine are evidenced by their medicinal properties that are important for relieving severe headaches: antispasmodic, analgesic, sedative, vasodilator, anti-inflammatory.
A lady's whim or...
Despite the long-standing popularity of migraine, the causes of its development are far from understood. It has been noted that the factor of heredity plays a major role. The occurrence of the disease was associated with a violation of the nervous regulation of vascular tone, when a sudden narrowing and then expansion of the intracranial blood arteries that supply the brain occurs. Now, in addition to the vascular one, many other theories have emerged. The platelet theory explains the attacks as spasms due to platelet pathology; proponents of other theories of cerebral blood flow disorders attribute them to a disorder of the functions of the cerebral cortex. But one way or another, people under the age of 60, mostly women (2-3 times more often than men), become victims of migraine. In the 19th century, a certain stereotype even developed: a woman suffering from a migraine is a capricious lady, annoying everyone with her moans and about to faint. But it turned out not only to be a matter of the age of the sufferers. The risk of developing attacks in women increases on the eve of and immediately after the “critical days.” There was even a special term denoting a specific form of the disease - “menstrual migraine”. The onset of menopause brings relief from pain in approximately 70% of women. On the other hand, it is known that pregnant women and nursing mothers do not experience migraines, because the hormonal status, as some researchers believe, stabilizes at this time, and the headache subsides. The peculiarity of the disease is that it mainly affects people who are energetic, ambitious, temperamental, and emotional. These stubborn people experience successes and failures intensely, often experience stress and lead a disordered lifestyle: they work without rest in emergency mode, often invigorating themselves with strong coffee and alcohol. As a result, the body becomes exhausted and pain attacks become more frequent. They are provoked by many reasons, sometimes completely trivial - weather changes, stress, strong smells, bright lights, carbonated drinks, beer, red wine and champagne, smoking. Some products also act as instigators - cocoa, chocolate, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes, oranges, tomatoes, celery.
Herbal tablets
Drug therapy prescribed by a doctor is designed to relieve the severity or reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. Preparations based on medicinal herbs are popular.
- “Pyrethrum” The price of capsules containing pyrethrum plant extract (60 pieces) averages 247 rubles. Used to eliminate persistent migraines, 1 capsule per day. Do not use if you are allergic to plant materials.
- “Butterbur” Capsules with butterbur extract (60 pcs.) can be purchased for 530 rubles. The drug effectively relieves headaches, which makes it possible to use it for migraines. It is recommended to take one capsule twice a day. Contraindications include lactation, pregnancy, and liver diseases.
- “Ginkgo Biloba” The cost of 60 capsules with ginkgo biloba tree extract is approximately 357 rubles. The drug is used to improve brain activity, which has a beneficial effect on the body, easing headaches caused by migraine attacks. Take a capsule after meals three times a day. The maximum duration of the course is three months. Use is prohibited during the acute stage of ulcers and gastritis, during pregnancy, predisposition to bleeding, and complicated cerebrovascular accidents.
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Herbal Recipes
In the arsenal of folk treatment for migraine, you can select recipes that include medicinal herbs as the main component. Making medicinal products at home and determining the most effective method is based on medical recommendations.
The most effective folk recipes from herbs:
- Clover
Dried crushed red clover heads - 1.5 tbsp. l. In an enamel mug, leave for an hour in a mug of boiling water, which will require 300 milliliters. After filtering through two layers of bandage, a decoction of 100 ml is taken three times a day.
- Oregano
Dried oregano herb must be ground. Place 1 tbsp. l. prepared raw materials into heat-resistant containers. Pour in 300 milliliters of water brought to an active boil. After infusing for an hour under a linen napkin, the healing infusion is filtered off. Drink a glass every eight hours.
- Melissa
You will need dried crushed lemon balm herb - 3 tbsp. l. In an earthenware glass, the raw materials are infused with plant fragments in 250 ml of boiled water for an hour. Squeeze out the healing liquid using gauze folded in three. Drink 40 ml of this infusion every six hours.
- Valerian
In order to produce a highly effective remedy that relieves migraine attacks, you will need pre-dried and crushed valerian rhizomes. Pour 1 tbsp into a saucepan with a glass of boiling water. l. plant material.
Heat the contents using a steam bath for a quarter of an hour. Then leave for 55-60 minutes under the lid. The infused healing elixir is consumed every eight hours, one tablespoon at a time.
- Dill
In an earthenware bowl, a teaspoon of dried dill seed is infused in boiling water - 200 ml for at least two hours. The dill infusion, filtered through a double gauze filter, is drunk in small sips throughout the day.
- Rosemary
In order to alleviate the condition, at the first signs of a headache, indicating the approach of a migraine attack, place 1 tsp in a faience glass. dried rosemary powder.
Leave, covering the dishes with a linen napkin, for 20 minutes. Drink the entire prepared infusion at once, having first strained it through a three-layer flap of wide bandage.
- Chamomile
Dried chamomile flower baskets effectively relieve nausea and reduce throbbing unbearable pain. In the evening, pour 2 tbsp into a thermos. l. medicinal ground raw materials. Pour boiling water - 500 ml.
In the morning, the infusion is squeezed through gauze. It is recommended to take a third of a glass 20-25 minutes before breakfast, lunch, dinner.
- Kopyten
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Use crushed dried rhizome of European hoofed hooves - 2 grams. Powder in a glass container is poured with a glass of chilled boiling water. Cover the container with a linen napkin and leave for three hours. The finished elixir is squeezed through three layers of gauze. Drink 20 ml every six hours.
- Three-leaf watch
Crushed dry leaves of the three-leaved watch - 1 tbsp. leave a spoon in a glass of boiled water for two hours. Filtered healing liquid, 100 ml, is consumed 25-35 minutes before breakfast and dinner.
Herbal preparations
The integration of several beneficial medicinal herbs allows you to enhance the beneficial effects on migraines. Such collections are used as raw materials in the manufacture of products recommended for use at the first signs of headache development.
- Fireweed, oregano, mint
Combine several varieties of dried medicinal herbs in equal parts (angustifolia fireweed, oregano, peppermint).
The mixture is crushed and 3 tbsp is transferred. l. into a heat-resistant container with boiled water - 350 ml. The dishes covered with a towel are left for one and a half hours. The filtered healing drink is drunk at the first sign of an approaching attack.
- Valerian, hawthorn, mint, motherwort
If the cause of a migraine is anxiety, irritability, or exposure to stress, make a soothing herbal mixture from dried ingredients (motherwort herb, mint leaves, hawthorn fruits, valerian rhizomes) in equal proportions.
Pour 1 tbsp into a saucepan with 200 ml of boiled water. l. crushed mixture. Leave in a water bath for 20 minutes and then cool. After filtering, 100 ml of the healing drink is drunk between meals four times a day.
- Rosemary, lemon balm, mint, cinnamon
To ease the course of an attack of throbbing pain, take dried herbs (rosemary, lemon balm, peppermint) in equal volumes. Measure out 2 tbsp. l. crushed vegetable mixture, add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.
Three times a day, steam a teaspoon of the collection in a teapot with a glass of boiled water. After 20 minutes, the strained drink is drunk instead of tea.
- Calendula, rosehip, raspberry
A herbal mixture made from raspberry leaves, calendula inflorescences, and rose hip petals helps with migraines. These varieties in dried, ground form are mixed in a ratio of 2:3:4.
Infuse a tablespoon of the prepared mixture in a glass of boiling water until the liquid reaches room temperature. After straining it through a strainer, drink it before meals. A fresh drink is prepared four times a day.
- Oregano, chamomile, mint
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For a dull headache, a healing decoction is made, for which dried ground herbs are placed in a saucepan with 250 ml of water brought to a boil. It will take 1 tsp. mint with oregano and 1 tbsp. l. chamomile inflorescences.
The dishes are placed in a water bath for 40 minutes. Then leave under a napkin to cool. After filtering, you need 2 tbsp. l. Drink the broth after each meal (every two hours).
Disease prevention
For prevention purposes, it is necessary to make adjustments to the patient’s lifestyle. It is necessary to give up alcohol (especially drinking red wine, beer and champagne) and smoking, play sports, adjust your diet, protect yourself from stress and overwork, and take a walk every day.
Along with measures to relieve acute attacks, there are a number of actions to prevent their occurrence. These include the use of herbal infusions; applying cooling and warming compresses, using essential oils; massage; medicinal baths.
Herbal compresses
To reduce severe headaches characteristic of migraines, it is recommended to use compresses based on a number of medicinal herbs.
- An infusion is prepared from dried oregano by steaming 4 tbsp in 1200 ml of water brought to a vigorous boil. l. dry ground raw materials. With the strained liquid cooled to a warm state, soak a soft cotton napkin folded in four layers. Apply to the affected area of the head, secure with a scarf and leave for at least an hour. When a characteristic pulsating pain sensation appears, wash your hair with the same infusion.
- Pour 2.5 tbsp into a saucepan with 500 ml of boiling water. l. mustard seeds and add two sage leaves. Remove the container from the heat, leave for 15 minutes, and then strain the liquid fraction through a strainer. Compresses are used based on the chilled infusion, keeping them for 1-2 hours. If necessary, the session is repeated after a three-hour interval.
- Dried pyrethrum herb - 15 grams in boiled water - 500 ml, infused until cooled. The filtered infusion is used as the basis for a compress, which helps reduce the throbbing headache that accompanies a migraine attack.
Symptoms and types
Migraine attacks have pronounced symptoms and their treatment depends on the intensity of the manifestation. Basically, pain in the head (the main symptom of the disorder) occurs gradually. Then it grows and intensifies. The patient experiences:
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Head spinning.
- Lethargy, drowsiness.
- Irritability.
- Light and noise sensitivity.
- Chills.
Experts distinguish 2 types of migraine:
- Simple , occurring in the area of the eye sockets, temples, crown. A pulsating vein is visible on the affected side, the face turns pale, it is difficult to move the eyeballs, and there is double vision. There is dizziness, noise in the ears, nausea, and vomiting may occur.
- Classic , affecting about 10% of patients who sought medical help. Accompanied by blurred vision, photophobia, and deterioration of visual acuity. Rarely do they note its complete loss. The pain intensifies with loud sounds, bright light, and strong odors.
Treatment with folk remedies helps along with medications, but with strong and frequent manifestations of the disorder, you should consult a doctor. He will recommend an anesthetic drug and recommend effective methods of alternative treatment. For example, he will tell you what herbs to use, help you improve your diet, and adjust your work and rest schedule.
What to remember
Any healing procedures practiced at home to reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines should not cause harm to the body, therefore they are preceded by obtaining medical advice.
It is important, if possible, to determine the factors that provoke the development of severe headaches that are difficult to treat. This will reduce the frequency of migraines.
To obtain a favorable result, an integrated approach is required, integrating drug treatment, alternative medicine made from herbs, compresses, massage, and diet.
Be sure to take into account contraindications to the plant raw materials used, especially when taking medicinal decoctions or infusions orally.
Migraine is considered a complex disease because it is not always possible to determine the root cause of this painful condition.
The basis of treatment is the relief of headaches, so people often turn to the remedies offered by alternative medicine. They are based on medicinal herbs that help solve the identified problem.
If your head is in a vice
To interrupt a painful attack, it is often enough to select the appropriate medications. The range of medications for the treatment and prevention of migraines is very wide. But only a specialist can select the necessary medicine and its dosage. You just need to know the diagnosis, clarify the causes of the disease and basic treatment methods in order to prevent the threat of attacks. If you know the factors that provoke an attack, you should get rid of them or at least weaken their influence. You will have to give up habits, for example, a nocturnal lifestyle, adjust your diet, stop worrying about trifles, etc. The best remedies during an attack are sleep, bed rest, peace and quiet in a room where all sounds and lights are muted. Sometimes a glass of hot tea, a heating pad, or, conversely, cold applied to the sore side of the head in the form of a compress helps.
