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Nikki Hawkes

Medical Herbalist, specialist in Gut & Thyroid health

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prevent migraines

Migraine and nausea

December 16, 2019 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

image representing spreading of migraine headache

Migraine headaches are very common and affect around 14% of people. With recurrent, moderate to severe headaches that last between 4 to 72 hours each time this health problem can have a devastating effect on quality of life. But it is not just the headache that disrupts day to day life. Migraineurs often have to deal with other symptoms as well as the headache, especially digestive problems. There is certainly a connection between migraine and nausea, but migraineurs also often have diarrhoea or constipation. The nausea and vomiting that are common symptoms for many with these types of headaches can be a major cause of distress.

But why does migraine cause nausea?

The connection between the gut and brain begins with the developing embryo. The cells that become the gut and those that become the brain develop almost simultaneously. The brain or central nervous system remains linked to the gut and it’s enteric nervous system or “second brain” via the vagal nerve for life. [Read more…] about Migraine and nausea

Filed Under: Headaches and migraine Tagged With: herbal medicine, herbs, migraine, prevent migraines

How to prevent migraines during pregnancy

June 25, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

image of pregnant woman with migraine

The good news is that more than half of women report improvements in their migraines during pregnancy. Unfortunately, you won’t know if you are one of the lucky ones until you’re pregnant. Since migraine medication can be harmful to an unborn child, ideally it should be avoided in pregnancy. Yet, being without your migraine medications might be a scary prospect. Thank goodness there are several safe, non-pharmaceutical options that help prevent migraines during pregnancy.

Many migraine medications are most dangerous in the first trimester, a time when a woman can be pregnant without knowing. So, if you suffer from migraines and you’re planning to have a baby, you might also want to consider tapering off your migraine preventers before your pregnancy begins.

Non-drug treatment options are considered safer during pregnancy and can be started before the pregnancy. It is a good idea to get started early since some may take a few weeks or months to establish their benefits. [Read more…] about How to prevent migraines during pregnancy

Filed Under: Headaches and migraine, Women's health and hormones Tagged With: acupuncture, diet, migraine, prevent migraines

Probiotics and migraine prevention

May 28, 2018 by nikki hawkes Leave a Comment

migraine prevention with probiotics

Migraine headaches are a common, often chronic and recurring condition. Though I have only ever had one migraine headache myself, I remember how bad it felt and so I can understand how devastating recurring migraine headaches could be. In my post Can a leaky gut cause migraines? I discuss a possible link between gut health and the occurrence of migraine headaches. Here I discuss the findings of a recently published literature review that supports this link. As well as the potential use of probiotics in migraine prevention.

The review explains that people that have migraine headaches are also more likely to have digestive disorders, such as, but not limited to, inflammatory bowel disease and coeliac disease. They go on to suggest there may also be a link between having colic as a baby and suffering with migraines in later life. [Read more…] about Probiotics and migraine prevention

Filed Under: Gut health and digestion, Headaches and migraine Tagged With: microbiome, prevent migraines, probiotic

How to prevent menstrual migraines naturally

July 24, 2017 by nikki hawkes 2 Comments

image of woman with menstrual migraine

An equal number of boys and girls suffer with migraine headaches. This changes after puberty. With the ratio of women to men migraineurs increasing with age. So that in her 40s a woman is more than three times as likely to suffer with migraines. It seems a woman’s complex hormonal fluctuations may be an additional cause of migraines. What’s more, these menstrual migraines are difficult to treat with conventional medicine. So, what does natural medicine have to offer?

What is a menstrual migraine?

Some women have true menstrual migraines. With headaches only occurring with menses or just before.

While others have migraines throughout their cycle. Yet, half of them report migraines occur more often during menses. [Read more…] about How to prevent menstrual migraines naturally

Filed Under: Headaches and migraine, Women's health and hormones Tagged With: headaches, herbs, hormones, prevent migraines

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