Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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The past month or so I've been getting headaches on a nearly daily basis. The headaches make my entire head hurt, almost as if I'm congested even though I can breathe freely.

I can handle my entire head hurting, but when i get a minor headache, they tend to cause tension headaches (yes, my headaches cause headaches) and they also mess with my vision and make me dizzy.

I have always had headaches, but their frequency/intensity seemed to diminish when I started Paleo, about 6 months ago. Before then, I used to eat Advil like candy and a few of the more recent headaches have made me reach for the good ol' Advil bottle again. I'd love to avoid this "addiction" if possible.

Because of the congested feeling, I'm thinking the current round of headaches may be caused by the changes in weather, pressure, and other seasonal differences. Everything is starting to come back to life (I'm in Florida; it's trying to warm up).

Does anyone notice any negative physical effects during a season change? Headaches or anything else? Have you found anything to relieve these unwanted effects?

flag	asked Feb 14 2011 at 16:40 Ali 2,802●5●15

I used to get sinus headaches all the time, but then years ago they spontaneously stopped and I don't get them anymore, although I can't say why. I know it wasn't diet related, though, because they stopped long before I changed my diet. – Helen Feb 14 2011 at 16:53

Where in Florida do you live? – Dr. B Feb 14 2011 at 16:59

Helen, I thought Paleo was my miracle cure since the headaches all but went away once I dropped processed/boxed foods and grains. I'm hoping mine will disappear as yours did. 8) – Ali Feb 14 2011 at 17:00

Dr. B, I'm in Jacksonville – Ali Feb 14 2011 at 17:01

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Ali, me too! Nice to know there is someone else here from Jax! – paleoprimal Feb 14 2011 at 17:23

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Eva · Accepted Answer · 2011-02-15 05:15:47Z UTC

You will have to think about what changes during that time of year. Are the barometric pressure changes unique to that time of year? I don't know enough about climate to say, but you might want to simply track headache intensity against any suspected other data and see if you can find a more clear correlation. If it's not barometric pressure then it might be something else you could do more about. For instance, vitamin D status may change or water consumption. Diff foods are available perhaps? Or it might be temperature related. Or maybe even exercise related? There could be changes at some jobs according to the season that might contribute to increases in stress. For instance, after xmas is very slow for retail.

Goose · Answer 2 · 2011-02-16 00:53:58Z UTC

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The women in my family often complain about head and somatic pain when the weather shifts. As for me, I do get a vague pain in one of my legs when it starts to get cold.

I would guess that changes in air pressure affect the body's electricity. This is something I would like to research more in the future.

answered Feb 16 2011 at 0:53

Goose
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Goose, the weather warmed up over the weekend and all signs of rain disappeared. My headaches also went away. Your theory about air pressure affecting the body sounds like a great direction to focus your research on. 8) – Ali Feb 22 2011 at 18:50

RobbyD · Answer 3 · 2011-02-14 17:17:44Z UTC

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Do you consume any dairy? Dairy, even heavy cream, gives me sinus trouble.

answered Feb 14 2011 at 17:17

RobbyD
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Yes, I consume dairy: mostly cheese and butter. Occasionally I have some milk, sour cream, or heavy cream. This was true even when my headaches initially diminished, so I'm not sure I can blame the recent comeback on dairy; however, it might be worthwhile to cut it out for a few weeks and see what happens. Thanks! – Ali Feb 14 2011 at 17:30

ScottMGS · Answer 4 · 2011-02-15 05:45:38Z UTC

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...they also mess with my vision and make me dizzy.

I'd see a doctor.

answered Feb 15 2011 at 5:45

ScottMGS
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I already know a doctor would hand me pills, tell me to keep a journal, and have no real answers for me. I should clarify that I often have issues with dizziness (some kind of inner ear thing, plus a BP thing), so that's really not out of the ordinary. – Ali Feb 16 2011 at 22:06

Rachel · Answer 5 · 2011-03-26 11:48:29Z UTC

White Flower Oil (http://embrocation.50webs.com) was introduced to me by my mother. During one of my headaches, she gave me this tiny bottle of oil and told me to massage it on my temples and forehead. Amazingly, it worked! Somehow the oil penetrates into the affected area and relieves the pain.

Seasonal Headaches

5 Answers