DR HILARY...DR HILARY...DR HILARY...DR HILARY...

DR HILARY'S DIAGNOSIS

Amazingly, five in 10 childhood headaches are migraines, causing a lot of missed school days.

Junior paracetamol is the usual remedy, but because Sammy’s migraines were so troublesome, it was a pity she was never prescribed a preventative such as propranolol or pizotifen, which are used more today.

For girls, migraine often gets worse before periods, in pregnancy, or when taking the pill.

Acupuncture can be beneficial as Sammy found out, and so can hypnotherapy and massage.

The herb butterbur from health food stores is also regarded as a useful preventative remedy.

Sammy’s food intolerance of wheat and dairy products backs up research that confirms links between migraine and diet.

Migraleve combines pain relief with an anti-sickness remedy, and is effective early on in the attack.

But if Sammy gets a really severe migraine again, ‘triptan’ medication such as Imigran — in tablet, nasal spray or injection form — can be very effective too.

'How can I stop my migraine attacks'

EVERY WEEK A CELEB ASKS OUR FABULOUS DOCTOR FOR DIAGNOSIS. THIS WEEK IT’S EMMERDALE'S SAMMY WINWARD, 22

From the age of five, I had really bad headaches almost every week.

They’d last for hours, and some days they were so painful I’d be in tears and couldn’t make it into school.

My mum took me to see the doctor, who said I was suffering from migraines but that, unfortunately, there wasn’t much I could do other than take painkillers.

Over the years I suffered regularly with migraines, but when I was 10 someone told my mum acupuncture might help.

It worked instantly and, for the first time in as long as I could remember, I wasn’t plagued by headaches.

But as I got older and life became busier, I stopped having acupuncture and the migraines came back.

The pain was terrible – a throbbing in my forehead and around my eyes and nose, sometimes lasting up to two days.

The migraines were especially bad at certain times of the month.

I thought they were probably hormone related, but I also wondered whether particular foods were making them worse.

So a year ago I went to see an allergy specialist.

I had some tests and was shocked to discover I was intolerant of wheat and dairy products.

I was advised to cut them out of my diet and I’ve managed to do it.

It’s hard work as it means I can’t have pasta or even put milk on my cereal – but it has made a big difference.

I still get a migraine occasionally, so I take Migraleve and lie down in a dark room.

Is there anything else I can do?”

Emmerdale is on Monday to Friday, 7pm, ITV1.

Photography: www.CelebrityPictures.co.uk

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