A TikToker shared a simple household cotton swab that helped him get rid of his migraines in seconds.
Cass Cavanaugh, 21, from Missouri, who is non-binary, posted a video last month that showed them eating a whole raw lemon. They had been testing foods that would help with migraines when they discovered that lemon helped relieve the pain.
One night, they were “desperate and terrified” by intense pain and took a lemon.
The text of the video, which has almost 16 million views, says: “Fun fact I learned because I was doing research and discovered: if you eat a whole raw lemon, it will stop migraines.”
The search term “lemon to stop migraine” now has over 42 million views. However, doctors have said there is no evidence that acidic or acidic foods relieve migraine pain.
Cass Cavanaugh, 21, from Missouri, who is non-binary, posted a video last month that showed them eating a whole raw lemon. They had been testing foods to help with their migraines when they discovered that lemon helped relieve the pain.
“When you get desperate enough with migraines, you try anything,” Cavanaugh told NeedToKnowUK.
‘I have medications and other methods: sitting in the dark, cold compresses, etc., but (on this occasion) none of them worked.
“So one night, I bit into a lemon hoping it would help me, and it did.”
“I like to call it lemon lobotomy.”
However, doctors aren’t sure if this fruit can really make migraines a thing of the past.
Vascular surgeon Dr. Mahyar Maddahali posted a comment on Ms. Cavanaugh’s video and said that lemons can actually cause headaches and migraines.
“We don’t have enough evidence to confirm it,” he said. ‘Plus, lemon is full of tyramine. Tyramine can cause nerve cells to release norepinephrine. It can suddenly increase blood pressure and cause more headaches.’
Cavanaugh had previously used sour candy for anxiety and thought similar flavors might work for migraines. Psychologists previously told DailyMail.com that foods with intense flavors, such as sour or spicy snacks, can distract the brain from everything going on around it. That could explain how the acidic taste of lemons relieved Cavanaugh’s headache.
Cavanaugh doesn’t eat lemons for every migraine and has made it clear that this is only a temporary solution.
“If you suffer from severe migraines, see a doctor,” they said. “Lemons are a temporary solution.”
“I am not a licensed medical professional in any way.”
They also urged viewers to stay away from lemons if they have stomach problems, as they found that eating lemons gives them stomach pain.
Cavanaugh doesn’t eat lemons for every migraine and has made it clear that this is only a temporary solution. “If you suffer from severe migraines, see a doctor,” they said. ‘Lemons are a temporary solution. I am not a licensed medical professional in any way.’
A migraine is a type of headache that causes severe, stabbing, or throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head. These can last for hours or even days.
The American Migraine Foundation estimates that one in 10 Americans, 39 million, live with migraines.
Around 28 million are women and girls, with women being at least three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men.
Some research suggests that decreased estrogen, which typically occurs when a woman has her period, could be to blame.
Symptoms vary, but migraines are usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and light.
There are four stages of migraine, although not everyone goes through each: prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome.
The prodrome occurs a day or two before a migraine attack and its signs are easy to miss. Subtle symptoms include constipation, mood swings, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased urination, fluid retention and frequent yawning, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Some people with migraines have warning symptoms, such as an aura, which could be visual disturbances such as flashes of light, tingling on one side, or difficulty speaking.
The aura usually appears minutes to hours before a migraine. They mostly involve visual disturbances such as bright spots or flashes of light, but may also include weakness or numbness in the face or one side of the body, as well as difficulty speaking.
A migraine attack itself lasts between four hours and three days. For some, they occur occasionally, but for others, they can appear several times a month. Afterwards, you may experience a postdrome, which will leave you feeling exhausted or confused for up to a day.
It’s still unclear what causes migraines, but some triggers include menstruation, drinking alcohol or coffee, stress, not getting enough sleep, weather changes, certain foods, and medications.
More than 20,000 TikTok users commented on Cavanaugh’s video, particularly those who suffer from migraines.
One person said: “Us migraine sufferers come up with the strangest home remedies.”
One user named Nicole wrote: “Trying that is a migraine.”
Bronwyn commented: “Anyone who wonders why on earth they would do that to stop a migraine has never had a migraine.”
“I’ll try this next time I have a migraine,” Nebra said.
