Headaches and Lightheadedness - Nemechek Autonomic Medicine
Autonomic Nervous System, Common Medical Maladies, Insulin Resistance
Many patients as well as healthcare providers will haphazardly use the phrase ‘migraine headache’ when what they really mean to say is “a very painful headache’. The phrase migraine headache should be reserved for a specific cause of headache that is caused by abnormal blood vessel function within the skull and is treated with very specific medication.
I don’t blame patients for the misuse of the phrase ‘migraine headache’ but I do blame physicians and nurse practitioners for throwing the phrase around without any precision. Its my experience that many healthcare providers don’t even seem to understand the difference between the different symptom patterns associated with the different causes of headaches.
Secondly, patients frequently report that the primary healthcare provider or neurologist haven’t even asked questions about the patient’s allergies, symptoms of lightheadedness, arthritis or muscular tension; clues as to the possible alternative diagnosis of their headaches.
The Most Common Things Happen Most Commonly
As the title of this subsection suggests, the most common medical conditions happen most commonly. This may sound simple and commonsensical but believe me, this adage is lost on many healthcare providers. It’s quite simply the key starting point to solving many of life’s puzzles.
Muscle tension headaches are extremely common and often cause pain in the lower, back portion of the skull called the occiput. This is where the muscles from the back and neck attach to the skull. It is also where the muscles that run from the forehead, across of the skull and finally attach to the back portion of the skull.
As I have discussed in previous posts (here and here), orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common condition associated with poor perfusion of the brain. OH is associated with occasional lightheadedness, intermittent or chronic fatigue, poor concentration and mild to severe headaches.
OH headaches are more likely to improve when lying down than other forms of headaches. This because laying flat lessens the pull of gravity that contributes to the low brain blood perfusion. Laying flat makes it easier for your body to pump adequate amounts of blood to your brain; better blood flow means less headache pain.
So the big hints for OH as a cause of headaches is maybe occasional lightheadedness or “woozy” spells just after standing up, fatigue after meals, occasional fatigue or poor confusion and especially the association of intense neck muscle pain.
OH can get substantially better after increasing the amount of salt and decreasing the carbohydrate intake in your diet. Salt increases your blood volume and makes it easier to maintain adequate blood flow o the brain. The reduced carbohydrates seems to allow your autonomic nervous system to repair itself.
Think about your headache pain. Does occur more in one time of the year over another (Fall vs. Spring)? Do you seem to get sinus infections more commonly than your friends or family? Does the pain start in the back of the head or at the temples? Or do you also wrestle with chronic fatigue, have intermittent lightheadedness or intense neck muscle pain?
If you answered yes to any of these, you may need to rethink your diagnosis of “migraine headaches”. It may be your suffering from something else much more common.
Remember, the most common things happen most commonly.
carbs and sugar have been giving me a bad headache lately.
Read my article on headaches and fatigue. You can make them go away completely.
I googled carbs causing headaches in diabetics and got this article. I hadn’t made that correlation before, esp with the lightheadedness I suffer from occasionally. Stopped and had a bagel today for breakfast…and that sure seems to be the culprit this morning of the monster headache I am now experiencing. Thanks for the insight! 🙂
I’m glad you found the info useful. Headaches from autonomic dysfunction is extremely common among patients with Diabees.
Read this article (www.nemechekconsultativemedicine.com/?page_id=1314) for tips on how to reduce the fatigue and headaches without making them seem worse. Chicken broth for a few weeks is a magical thing.
Hi Dr. Nemechek-
I googled headache/lightheadedness, and found your site. And to my supprise, within your article; I seem to have found the culprit for my problem…sugar! So I will cut ((way back)), and see how things go, ’cause these headaches are getting to be too much. If not, I’ll check in with the Doctor.
You may not even recieve this, since your article is an old one. But thanks for your site anyway.
Glad you found the article useful. You should read the recent blog post about Pickles and Ice Cream as well. It will probably give you some additional insight into the carb situation as well.