Magnesium can be helpful in preventing and treating migraines and cluster headaches. Through this article, we aim to understand how magnesium deficiency may be held responsible for migraine.
We often come across an amalgamated term, ‘calcium and magnesium’ and we consider calcium more important than magnesium. However, this is not true. Calcium and magnesium work in conjunction and it is magnesium that absorbs the minerals and is also held responsible for maintaining optimum calcium levels in the body. Maintaining a healthy level of magnesium can also fight and curb stress and anxiety meters from shooting high. Anxiety and stress, in the present scenario could be associated to chronic headaches also resulting in a migraine.
Relation between Magnesium Deficiency and Migraine
Magnesium is responsible to maintain an overall healthy body. It is very helpful in taking on cluster headaches and migraine. Research proves testimony that women suffer from migraine attacks more than men. Migraine attacks can be extremely severe when they strike and they may also be inconsistent with inflicting pain. The characteristic feature of the pain is its throbbing intensity. Tensions headaches are also very painful and are incapacitating in nature, however migraine sufferers opine that the pain during a migraine attack surpasses a ‘by the way headache’ or even a tension and cluster headache. The symptoms of migraine are:
- You may experience a visual black out where you may behold nothing but darkness before you.
- You may feel that things around are in motion.
- The sensation of sight is very similar to when you have a headache or when you rise from a bending position. You may see ‘vibgyor colors’ that hinder your vision, which finally results in a visual blackout.
It has been seen that migraine headaches are caused due to stress, in a majority of cases. Stress can make matters worse as it is due to stress that the normal regulation of the body is impaired. Menstruation cycle in women and changes in the weather may also trigger migraine headaches. It would be to your advantage that you apply ways that help in controlling stress.
To put it simply, an inadequate magnesium level may cause migraine. Magnesium if not present in adequate quantities can affect the normal brain performance due to the brain receptors being adversely affected by the deficiency. When the brain functioning endures a discrepancy, the blood platelets get clubbed together. This is due to magnesium deficiency that results in a migraine.
Magnesium Deficiency Treatment for Migraine
Evidences prove that the intake of magnesium supplements, may reduce the frequency of migraine attacks and may also impede a migraine in totality. Medical experts recommend a particular dosage of magnesium supplements where 320 mg is meant to be the daily recommended dosage for females above 30 years of age and 420 mg applicable for men above 30 years of age.
For children above 13 years of age, 280 to 320 milligrams can be termed an ideal magnesium dosage. However, it’s always best to speak to your doctor and follow his/her dosage instructions. It has also been recommended that a daily dosage of vitamin B2, feverfew and magnesium can serve the purpose of dealing with migraine headaches. Medical professionals may also administer magnesium injections that are directly injected in the head to reduce the intensity of migraine attacks.
As far as possible, it would be to your advantage to avoid supplements. By this statement, we do not mean that supplement intake is bad, however it may make you too dependent on the supplements that you may cease to introduce magnesium in your system through the foods that you consume. Include green leafy vegetables, herbal teas such as ginger tea or feverfew tea, nuts and whole grains to your daily diet.
A migraine headache may be an indicator of migraine attacks. Accompanying it are symptoms such as fatigue, loss of appetite, irritation and bewilderment that you may experience at any point in time, especially when you are under stress and tension. Thus, it would be advisable to fight the root cause by consulting a medical professional.
