By quitting gum, more than two-thirds of migraine sufferers can effectively prevent or decrease migraine headaches, according to the latest research on teen chronic headaches.
Out of hundreds of migraine triggers, who would’ve thought that chewing gum could be a culprit behind constant headaches? Scientists at Tel Aviv University did, and they proved it in this study on teen migraines.
Gum, migraine trigger
Chewing bubblegum can be relaxing and fun, but if you suffer from migraine headaches, then you’re better off leaving that gum wad on the bedpost. According to a study conducted by Israeli researchers, smacking your jaws on a stick of Dentyne for long periods of time can increase your chances of suffering from painful excruciating headaches.
The study, led by Dr. Nathan Watemberg of Tel Aviv University, took place at the Meir Medical Center.
It began when he noticed that the bulk of his migraine patients at the clinic’s child neurology department liked to chew gum- a lot. He wanted to see if cutting out the gum habit would have any effect on their headache frequency.
- To test his hypothesis, he put together a panel of thirty patients between the ages of six and nineteen.
- All suffered from either chronic migraines or chronic tension headaches.
- All were frequent gum chewers, about one to six hours per day.
- The test participants agreed to stop chewing gum for one month.
- Nineteen out of thirty patients stopped getting headaches completely by the end of the month.
- Seven patients saw a significant decrease in headache frequency and severity.
Doctors hope to use the results to help reduce the instances of pediatric migraines and tension headaches in school-aged children.
Natural migraine prevention
Avoiding migraine triggers is one of the best ways to prevent or dramatically reduce migraine headaches naturally, without the need for prescription medications. By following a migraine-friendly diet, your chances of finding true freedom from migraines are that much greater.
But knowing what to cut out of your diet isn’t enough. To really maximize on natural preventive care, it’s important to take the right nutrients that further improve your neurological health, a crucial aspect of migraine management.
For optimal results, doctors recommend using clinically-approved natural supplements containing magnesium, riboflavin, butterbur, and CoQ10 daily, several times per day, or as advised by your headache specialist.
Also read:
Testing Migraine Drugs for Pediatric Migraines- What’s the Holdup?
Not all Migraine Triggers Cause Headaches- New Research
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