A new study from the Philippine Headache Society (PHS) says that apart from euphoria, chocolate and cheese could actually trigger a migraine.
PHS president Regina Canlas said migraine is a debilitating illness affecting about 12 million Filipinos including children. According to Canlas, migraine is not just an ordinary headache but a disorder involving recurrent attacks of moderate to severe head pain.
” It is not just a single headache, sometimes it is a throbbing pain in the head that affects one’s quality of life. Unfortunately, migraine is widely misunderstood. People living with migraine may experience lack of empathy from employers and colleagues when frequent migraine attacks prevent them from delivering optimal work outputs” shared Canlas. “Migraine is hereditary and children whose parents have the disorder are likely to have the same illness. The onset of a pediatric migraine can be as early as seven years old for boys and 10 years for girls” added Canlas.
She suggested a change in lifestyle for those with migraine. This may include avoiding food that can trigger the attack like chocolate, cheese, red wine, monosodium glutamate, and caffeine. Migraine patients should also avoid emotional stress as well as physical stress and loud noise, intense smell, glaring light, and prolonged television watching.
Also identified as triggers of migraine headaches are too much sleep or lack of it, high blood pressure and contraceptive pills. In the long run, migraines might also develop into a more serious disease such as stroke.
According to her, 30 percent of migraine patients are also suffering from depression. Canlas added that migraine sufferers might take pain relievers although there are now available prophylaxis or preventive medications in the local market.
Headache experts, she added, are pushing for the inclusion of anti-migraine medication in the National Drug Formulary so this can be covered by the Philippines Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth.
With additional reports from Mayen Jaymalin, The Philippine Star
Image Sources:
https://www.mydr.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/migraine_self_care.jpg?w=750&h=500&crop=1
https://www.cabotcheese.coop/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/chocoandcheese-6-of-13.jpg
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/content//images/articles/323/323913/person-in-bed-waking-up-with-their-hand-on-their-face.jpg
