An attack of migraine differs significantly from regular headaches in that its duration and intensity may last much longer.
Many individuals can reduce their migraine attacks by identifying and avoiding triggers, and taking preventative steps such as getting enough restful sleep and staying hydrated with water.
1. Avoid Triggers
Start combatting migraines by identifying and avoiding potential triggers. These could include specific foods (like aged cheeses and processed meats), alcohol beverages, caffeine withdrawal symptoms, skipped meals and weather changes as possible triggers.
Sleep can also play an integral part in mitigating migraine symptoms. Try going to bed at around the same time each night and rising at approximately the same time each morning, while also limiting screen time before bed and decreasing your usage of pain relievers which could increase migraine frequency.
Stress levels can also be an unwelcome trigger, so try practicing relaxing techniques such as biofeedback or meditation. Exercise, diaphragmatic breathing techniques and regular yoga practice are also effective tools for stress management.
2. Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep is often an essential element of combatting migraines, but finding restful slumber when your head pounding and the room spinning can be challenging.
Keep a consistent bedtime to increase the chance of restful slumber. Try to avoid daytime naps and aim to get at least seven-eight hours’ restful rest every night.
Sleep deprivation can diminish your body’s pain threshold and heighten migraine attacks, decreasing effectiveness of medications like Imitrex. To maximize restful slumber in a dark and quiet room without electronic distractions such as smartphones or tablets before bed, relaxation techniques like deep abdominal breathing or using apps such as Calm can be helpful.
3. Avoid Caffeine
Migraines do not yet have a cure, but medication can help alleviate their pain when they occur and manage stress levels through healthy lifestyle choices such as keeping hydrated and sleeping enough.
Migraine is a complex disorder affecting nerve signals, chemicals and blood vessels, often occurring as the result of missing meals and low blood sugar, alcohol, hormonal fluctuations (such as those seen during menstruation or pregnancy) or lack of sleep. Migraines may be caused by several different triggers; including skipping meals or low blood sugar levels as well as hormonal shifts that occur with menstruation and pregnancy or poor sleeping patterns.
During an attack, it’s best to stay in a dark room and avoid light and sound sources. Ice packs may help soothe pain by altering blood flow or numbing an affected area. Caffeine may exacerbate headaches; discuss safe methods with your physician for gradually cutting back caffeine consumption or reduce consumption altogether.
4. Eat a Healthy Diet
Migraine pain may be made worse by certain foods, so avoiding these is often recommended. A headache journal can help identify food triggers. Consult with a healthcare provider about a nutrition plan tailored specifically for you.
Try following a low-amine diet which eliminates foods high in amines (like cheese and caffeine) to see if this helps your migraines. Be sure to consult a medical provider beforehand, however, in order to prevent nutrient deficiencies.
Stress reduction techniques such as deep breathing, acupuncture, massage therapy and biofeedback may also help lower your migraine frequency. Dimming lights and relaxing in a dark and quiet room may also provide some relief; keeping a cold pack or hot water bottle handy could come in handy too.
5. Exercise
As you start exercising regularly, gradually building up your workouts will be an invaluable way of mitigating migraine symptoms. When working out, remember to fuel up with nutritious food and drink plenty of water as dehydration is often linked with headaches.
Avoid diving headfirst into intense exercise, which could quickly raise both your heart rate and blood pressure. Instead, warm-ups and cool-down sessions before and after each workout session could prove more beneficial.
Maintaining a diary of both your migraines and exercise activities can provide valuable insight into their impact, while alerting you of any sudden shifts that require immediate medical intervention.
