Diet For Ocular Migraine
Diet plays a huge role in the daily life of people suffering from ocular migraine. Some foods help in avoiding ocular migraine from happening, others can trigger ocular migraine. Foods that can trigger migraines vary from person to person. That is why the doctors advise patients to keep a record of the food they eat in order to avoid an ocular migraine.
Foods to eat:
Having foods that can help in avoiding migraine is good for health. These foods include fresh vegetables because they have very less preservatives and additives.
- Vitamins
Vitamins should be an essential part of your diet. Consuming supplements can help a great deal in boosting eye health. Consuming supplements containing vitamin D, vitamin B2 and vitamin A can help in avoiding ocular migraine. Vitamin D can play a huge role in reducing inflammation and boosting nerve health, whereas Vitamin B2 helps in increasing metabolism and acts as an antioxidant reducing the frequency and severity of ocular migraine.
- Vegetables
Vegetables are the best source for natural nutrients and antioxidants. Vegetables rich in calcium, magnesium, carbohydrates are good for people suffering from ocular migraine. Consuming vegetables in salads and sandwiches can improve ocular migraine symptoms. Vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli and kale can prevent ocular migraine
- Whole wheat
Plain bread, sourdough, pumpernickel and zucchini bread are good to avoid an ocular migraine. Whole wheat is a good source of magnesium, which is an essential nutrient in order to avoid ocular migraine. A cup of whole wheat consists of 160 mg of magnesium which makes wheat one of the prime sources of magnesium.
- Pumpkin and Chia seeds
Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of magnesium whereas Chia seeds are rich in calcium and omega-3 fatty acids. The magnesium in pumpkin seed prevents ocular migraine and Chia seed eases the symptoms.
Foods to avoid:
Chocolate
The excess of anything is bad. Chocolate has a lot of benefits, but only when it is consumed under moderate levels. Eating high amounts of chocolate can give rise to vasodilation. Moreover, chocolate also increases the serotonin levels in the blood, which may induce an ocular migraine episode.
Smoked foods
Smoke foods such as steak, fish and even vegetables can trigger ocular migraines minutes after consuming them. This is because these foods have become a rich source of nitrogen oxide and nitrates. Increased levels of nitrates in the blood can cause vasodilation ultimately resulting in ocular migraine.
Coffee
Drinking coffee can trigger ocular migraines in many ways. Drinking a lot of espresso can lead to dehydration resulting in ocular migraine. Coffee also regulates the brain’s electrical signals. Moreover, it also promotes vasospasm and vasodilation changing the rate of blood flow.
Cheese
Fermented dairy products such as cheese are rich in tyramines. Moreover, cheese that is stored for the purpose of ripening over time contains higher levels of tyramine. Tyramines are byproducts of proteins which contract the blood vessels, which as a result increases the blood pressure which is then followed by auras.