the role of chemicals in food. Food has never been subjected to so much chemical manipulation
as in the past 30 years or so. As far as headaches are concerned, they can be very much affected
by chemicals in food. For example, it is well known that monosodium glutamate (found in
Chinese restaurant food) can cause headaches. The possibility of a sensitivity to certain
chemicals should therefore always be kept in mind when investigating the aetiology of
headaches.
Finally, certain of the foods we consume are not found in a Chinese diet at all and for this reason
are not even mentioned in books on diet. Cocoa (and chocolate) and coffee are cases in point.
Both of these can aggravate headaches or precipitate a migraine attack. In particular, an
excessive consumption of coffee is a frequent cause of chronic headaches in our society and, in
my experience, any chronic-headache sufferer always benefits greatly from not drinking coffee
at all.2(55)
Accidents
Severe accidents and falls which affect the head can cause stasis of Blood in a particular area of
the head. This is a frequent cause of chronic headache. Whenever the headaches a patient suffers
always occur in the same part of the head and usually in a small area, then the possibility of an
old trauma to the head should be considered. The patient may not be aware of or remember an
old fall or accident and not relate it to the headaches. A single, large purple spot near the tip of
the tongue may indicate an old trauma in the head region.
In particular, a trauma to the head may not cause headaches immediately after it, but these can
stary years later when a new cause of disease intervenes. For example, a child may fall on the
head and be mildly concussed. Many years later, he or she may experience emotional problems
related to anger or frustration which cause Liver-Yang to rise. In such a case, the headache from
Liver-Yang rising will settle in the area of the head where the old trauma occurred and will
always affect such an area.
Childbirth
Too many childbirths too close together seriously weaken Liver, Kidneys, and the Directing
Vessel in a woman. A deficiency of Liver and Kidneys can give rise to Empty-type headaches
from Kidney-Essence not reaching the head; the deficiency of Liver and Kidneys may also
induce Liver-Yang to rise and therefore cause headaches of this type.
It is important to remember that miscarriages also count as "childbirth" as far as causes of
disease are concerned. A miscarriage is as depleting as childbirth: in fact, some Chinese doctors
even say that miscarriages are more depleting than childbirth. This is because, first of all, there
may be more blood loss in a miscarriage than in childbirth; secondly, after a miscarriage there is
an abrupt alteration of the hormone levels; thirdly, a miscarriage (especially a late one) is