How Does Magnesium Help Reduce Migraine?
Migraine is a one-sided headache with throbbing pain and a pulsing sensation in the head.
It is a neurological condition typically characterized by headaches that are often so intense that they interfere with our ability to complete daily tasks and make it difficult just to get through the day. This pain can last from hours to days.
What Causes Migraine?
The exact causes of migraine are not known to us but some common triggers include:
• Stress
• Depression
• Poor sleep (or too much sleep)
• Bright lights
• Fatigue
• Too long interval between meals
What are the General Symptoms of Migraine?
People suffering from migraine may experience four stages of migraine accompanied by general symptoms like nausea, vomiting & extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
Stages of Migraine:
There are four different stages of migraine that can be experienced by the patients suffering from it and these last for hours to even days.
1. Prodrome
This stage occurs one or two days before the actual episode of migraine as a warning of an upcoming headache which causes subtle changes to take place in our body such as;
• Constipation
• Mood changes
• Food cravings
• Neck stiffness
• Increased urination
• Frequent yawning
2. Aura
An aura can occur before or during a migraine episode. Auras are reversible symptoms of the nervous system. Symptoms are shown by the patients for several minutes and can last up to 60 minutes.
Symptoms of Auras Include:
• Visual phenomena, such as seeing various shapes, bright spots, or flashes of light
• Vision loss
• Tingling of arms and legs
• Weakness or numbness in the face or one side of the body
• Difficulty speaking
3. Migraine Attack
It usually lasts for 4 to 72 hours with a throbbing and pulsating pain at one side of the head. The number of migraine episodes that occur, varies from person to person. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month.
During a migraine, one may suffer from:
• The pain that is usually on one side of the head, but sometimes on both sides
• Throbbing Pain
• Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch
• Nausea and vomiting
4. Post-drome
After a migraine attack, one might feel drained, confused, and washed out for up to a day. Some people report feelings of extreme happiness. The sudden head movement might bring on the pain again.
How Magnesium and Migraine are Interlinked?
Several studies have shown the link between low magnesium levels and increased risk of migraine attacks. Magnesium shows effectiveness through multiple mechanisms, such as;
• It prevents the narrowing of blood vessels caused by serotonin
• It decreases the release of pain transmitting chemicals
• It may also inhibit brain signaling that causes visual and other sensory problems related to aura
So, if a person is magnesium deficient, he/she will face difficulty in the prevention and management of migraine. It can be because of inadequate or no dietary intake of magnesium at all or its malabsorption in the body.
How to Add Magnesium to Your Daily Diet?
1. Diet
Leafy green vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and fish are the best sources to keep healthy levels of magnesium in our bodies.
Though taking in magnesium through the dietary sources is the best way, however, to effectively counter this health issue, it is better to take a dietary supplement.
Supplements have isolated salts with a better absorption rate which makes the use of magnesium supplements an effective option.
Nutrifactor’s Magnesium 500mg contains Magnesium oxide; a highly absorbable form of magnesium that is strongly recommended in the prevention and management of migraine attacks.
Magnesium helps in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and is also involved in muscle contractions and nerve impulses.
Adding one tablet of Nutrifactor’s Magnesium 500 mg daily to the diet will help in reducing the risk of getting migraine episodes frequently and also, regulate the normal functioning of the brain.
References:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201
- https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-foods-high-in-magnesium