WD 61EASY LISTENING
Pain-safe foods
Spotify has launched Daily
Wellness, a health and wellbeing
hub to keep the pep in your step
all day long.
The app creates a personalised
playlist tailored to you, so you
can find uplifting podcasts
you’ll love listening to, guided
meditations to feel zen and
mood-boosting music.
Our current favourite podcasts
are Crappy To Happy, a three-
minute mindfulness podcast and
Wake Up Wind Down, which helps
you wake up in the morning and
wind down at night.
The Daily Wellness playlist
is available for free or premium
members on the Spotify mobile
app, desktop program and website.Tune into Spotify’s
new wellness hubChangingyourdietcould
improveyourmigrainestrigger a migraine,” says
Dr Alexander.
Remember to also manage
stress, get enough sleep and
avoid certain foods that
aggravate your migraine,
she adds.
TREATMENT
It’s best to discuss options with
your GP, as your treatment will
depend on what you’ve tried
in the past and the severity
of your migraines.
“For some, taking a dose
of aspirin (or other over-the-
counter analgesia) can work
very well, whereas others
require prescribed medications
to get headaches under
control,” says Dr Alexander.
“There are several new
emerging therapies for
migraines such as CGRP
inhibitors, which work on
a protein that is particularly
active in people who suffer
from migraines.”
A treatment option gaining
popularity for chronic migraines
is Botox injections. It was a
chance discovery in the early
2000s: many women using
Botox cosmetically noticed a
reduction in their headaches.
Botox for chronic migraines
is covered under the PBS,
however, it is not available
to everyone. Patients are
only eligible if they have
experienced an average of 15
or more headache days a
month, with at least eight days
of migraine, over a period
of at least six months before
treatment. Always consult your
GP first if concerned.POSSIBLE TRIGGERS Specific foods can trigger
migraines in some people, however it can be
tricky to pinpoint exactly which ones cause
a migraine attack. Research by the American
Migraine Foundation found that the most
commonly reported foods to trigger migraines
are alcohol (33 per cent) and chocolate (22 per
cent). Other common trigger foods include:
✦ Cheese
✦ Caffeine
✦ Processed meat
✦ Additives (like MSG)
✦ Artificial sweetenersPOSSIBLE PREVENTION Since migraines can
be caused by a combination of factors, there’s
no single way to prevent them. However, a 2014
study in the US found that a low-fat, plant-
based diet containing the following foods
is unlikely to contribute to migraine pain:
✦ Rice
✦ Cooked green, orange
and yellow vegetables
✦ Cooked or dried non-citrus fruits