Losing Weight Can Decrease Migraines

You're ready to go out for a special event with your family and all of a sudden it hits-that blinding throbbing headache known as migraines. Thousands of people each year suffer from migraines.

With the intense pain you are most often forced to stop your activities. Those suffering the pain of migraine take medications to ease the pain and often retreat to the quiet of their bedroom to sleep away the pain.

For those of us who don't have migraines it is difficult to understand the pain, nausea and visual problems that come with migraines.

The Types Of Migraines
There are several types of migraine the two basic kinds are the common migraine and the classic migraine.

The common migraine has intense pain often lasting several days. The intensity of the pain is so severe the person having the migraine often wants no more than to retreat to a quiet dark place. The desire is to just be alone and quiet.

The classic migraine is the type most often talked about starting with characteristic aura. An aura is when people describe seeing flashing or colored lights or spots before their eyes. The aura is the early warning sign of the soon to appear migraine.

Difference Between Common And Classic Migraine?
The length of the headache and severity of the pain are two of the differences between the common and the classic migraine. The duration of the classic migraine is generally shorter than the common migraine. With a classic migraine the pain is usually more severe than that of the common migraine. With the difficult incapacitating pain people with migraines and their family and friends often look for ways to rid themselves of these horrible headaches. Medications are often minimally effective in controlling the pain.

Can Belly Fat Increase Migraines?
A recent study has shown the way people's body fat distribution can affect their risk of migraine attacks. The study included people 20-55 years of age. Women in the study with a larger waistline had an 8% increase in reported migraine headaches. Men with an increased waistline had a 4% increase in reported migraines. Women over the age of 55 with increased belly fat actually showed lower numbers of migraines.

The study author Dr. B. Lee Peterlin, of Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, said, ....it "suggests losing weight in the stomach area may be beneficial for younger people".. "especially for women." "For some diseases, including heart disease and diabetes, excess fat around the waistline appears to be a stronger risk factor than total body obesity."

What Does This Mean If You Or A Loved One Suffers From Migraines?
Setting up a plan to decrease belly fat can help decrease the pain and suffering of migraines and decrease the risk of excess fat around the belly.

A fat belly is linked to repeated stress and a high-fat, high-sugar diet.

To decrease the fat being deposited in the belly area a first step is to minimize the stress in a person's life. Meditation and exercise such as simple walking can often dramatically decrease the effect of stress.

Changing one's eating habits can also help decrease and even eliminate the fat on a person's belly. The Mediterranean diet is lower in saturated fats but still has much of the taste and variety people associate with a high fat, high sugar diet. The Mediterranean diet has been shown to decrease fat deposits on the belly.

If you or a loved one ages 20-55 has a large waistline and suffers from migraines then decreasing or eliminating belly fat can be a step towards getting rid of many of the painful migraines in your life. By losing the belly fat, you may also get rid of the migraine.