Many people suffer with chronic headaches, and they often start at a very young age.   Dr. Brian Woodruff, a pediatric neurologist at the Bronson Neuroscience Center, says re-occurring headaches affect 10-30% of kids.

Dr. Woodruff says there are five foods to avoid that can cause headaches:

  1. Processed meats that have nitrates in them.  (Bologna, sausage, etc).
  2. Mono sodium Glutamate (MSG)
  3. Artificial Sweeteners
  4. Aged cheeses
  5. Alcohol and wine (in adults).

And he says smoking can cause headaches, as various chemicals in cigarettes cause changes in brain circulation.

Young teenage women, aged 11-15 often have a roller-coaster effect with headaches as they undergo hormonal changes.

Dr. Woodruff says there are five things that a person can do to minimize the occurrence of headaches.

  1. Get adequate sleep
  2. Proper hydration-drink lots of water
  3. Exercise
  4. Nutrition
  5. Stress Reduction

Learning a person’s recent and family history are important in helping someone overcome headaches.  A pediatric neurologist will ask a lot of questions when a new patient comes to them.

After all that is gathered, Dr. Woodruff says that most of the time, doctors can help migraine patients.  He says the problem is seldom out-grown and can come back after several “headache-free” years, but that by sticking to a routine, the headaches can be minimized and managed.

You can hear Doctor Woodruff’s interview Monday December 11th at 8:50am with Tim Collins on the 95.3 WBCK Morning Show.

 

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