The Self-Treatment Guide

Sorry I’ve been so long between posts. I’m afraid I’ve been neglecting this blog of late as I’ve been busy working on some other projects. One of these days, I hope to get to working on this one a bit more.

I want to share something about headaches with you, but first I’ve got to point out that I’m no expert on the subject. I’m not a doctor and I really don’t know any more about it than you do.

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Garden Variety Headaches

Everyone gets the occasional headache and the usual OTC treatments are normally all that’s required to make it go away. A couple of aspirin or ibuprofen a year aren’t going to harm your health as long as you aren’t allergic or otherwise have adverse reactions to them.

I almost never take anything for anything… I always look for a natural cure first… but I no longer buy into the alternative health idea that medicines are toxic or bad for you.

Used in moderation, they are perfectly safe. They’re eliminated from your body quite rapidly and don’t hang around “poisoning your system” as some would have you believe.

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Unusual Headaches

If you’re suffering from frequent headaches, especially ones so severe that they require large doses of medication to manage, the only real solution is to discover the underlying cause and correct it. (Something I hope you and your doctor are already working on.)

Some possible causes of headaches (by no means all inclusive):
1. dehydration (64 oz of water/day is ideal)
2. constipation (see below)
3. stress
4. skipping meals
5. neck problems (sleeping wrong, muscle strain, pinched nerves)
6. vision problems (eyestrain)
7. neurological problems (including brain tumor)
8. various illnesses
9. getting hit on the head (obviously)

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Alternative Headache Treatments

As far as alternatives, I have heard that Peppermint can relieve headaches. I’ve never had occasion to try this myself, and it could just be “altie-woo,” but it is a harmless (and inexpensive) herbal treatment that would be interesting to look into. I believe all that’s involved is sucking on a Peppermint candy (providing it’s made from the real thing and not just artificial flavoring). I promise to do more research on this treatment time permitting.

I doubt that Peppermint would be strong enough to work on headaches that require large doses of medication, however.

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An Anecdotal Story

I had a friend that complained of severe migraine headaches that plagued her for months and months. (She was a bit of a hypochondriac and was convinced she had a brain tumor.) Took her to a neurologist (her idea). Nothing wrong.

Neurologist sent her to get glasses. Helped her vision, not the headaches.

Finally, one day she was complaining of severe abdominal pain… took her to the ER… found out that she had an impacted colon. She never mentioned the fact that she often went for days without a normal bowel movement. (A bit indelicate for polite conversation.)

Long story short; one enema cured her brain tumor.

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Now, I don’t advocate “colon cleansing” like some of the nut-jobs out there who are trying to convince you that you’re packed full of rotting debris, but an impacted colon is not a healthy situation and can cause migraine headaches.

Before you embark on any treatment program, see a real medical doctor (not a Naturopath) and find out if you have the condition you’re going to be treating.

If you suspect you need colon cleansing, a simple colonoscopy can tell you for sure. (Besides, it’s a highly recommended cancer screening that everyone over age 40 should get anyway.)

You will be able to see the inside of your colon on TV while they perform the test. If it’s packed full of rotting debris, you’ll be able to see it.

– Dean

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