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Symptom guide

Headache and Migraine

Headaches and migraines are common complaints that can significantly affect a person's quality of life. While conventional medicine often treats these conditions with medication, functional medicine adopts a holistic approach to identify and address the underlying causes of these ailments. In this article, we will explore the causes, symptoms, and treatments of headaches and migraines from a functional medical perspective.

Headache and Migraine

Symptoms

  • Pain or pressure in the head or neck
  • Throbbing or pulsating pain
  • Sensitivity to light and sound
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Dizziness or a feeling of lightheadedness
  • Blurred vision or seeing spots
  • Aura (a visual disturbance that occurs before a migraine in some individuals)

Causes

  • Food Sensitivities: Certain foods, such as dairy, gluten, and artificial sweeteners, can trigger headaches and migraines in some people
  • Environmental Toxins: Exposure to environmental toxins like pesticides, heavy metals, and pollutants can cause inflammation and trigger headaches and migraines
  • Hormonal Imbalances: Fluctuations in hormones, especially estrogen and progesterone, can trigger migraines in women
  • Stress: Both emotional and physical stress can trigger headaches and migraines
  • Neurotransmitter Imbalances: An imbalance in neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, can lead to headaches and migraines

Treatments

  • Dietary Changes: Eliminating trigger foods from your diet, such as gluten, dairy, and artificial sweeteners, can help reduce the frequency and severity of headaches and migraines
  • Supplements: Supplements like magnesium, vitamin B2, and CoQ10 can help prevent and treat headaches and migraines
  • Stress Reduction Techniques: Meditation, deep breathing, yoga, and other stress-reduction techniques can help prevent and manage headaches and migraines
  • Hormonal Support: Hormonal imbalances can be treated with natural hormone replacement therapy or herbs such as chasteberry (Vitex) and dong quai
  • Detoxification: Detoxifying the body from environmental toxins can help reduce inflammation and prevent headaches and migraines

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When to see a doctor

At-home testing is a screening tool, not a diagnosis. If symptoms are severe, sudden, or worsening, contact a healthcare provider.

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Accredited labs

Processed in ISO 15189 / 17025 facilities.

Validated assays

Performance-tested against clinical references.

500,000+ customers

Trusted across the UK, EU and US.

At-home collection

Simple kits with step-by-step instructions.

Discreet shipping

Plain packaging, tracked end-to-end.

Expert laboratory analysis

Samples analysed using validated methods by experienced laboratory teams.

Privacy protected

Strict data protection and confidentiality throughout the testing process.

Retest promise

Sample issue? We make it right.

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