Simple changes can help manage migraine symptoms and decrease headaches. By becoming familiar with your triggers and working closely with your physician, a plan can be devised that will enhance how you feel overall.
Keep a regular eating pattern throughout the day to avoid skipping meals that could trigger migraines, and be sure to drink enough water in order to stay hydrated.
Avoid Triggers
Recognizing your personal migraine triggers is the key to successfully managing them and avoiding future attacks. Common triggers include aged cheese, chocolate, caffeine and alcohol; hormones may also trigger attacks during menstruation cycles.
Other triggers of migraines can be found in your environment, including bright lights, strong scents or noises. To protect yourself against migraines and to minimise environmental triggers from appearing again in future episodes, carrying noise-canceling headphones or carrying earplugs with you and requesting that coworkers don’t wear perfume or strong scents could help.
Maintaining a food journal and adhering to a regular sleep schedule can also be helpful for managing migraines. Do not skip meals as this can trigger migraine attacks. Drink plenty of water and consider supplementing with riboflavin, magnesium, feverfew or butterbur.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Studies have demonstrated the power of eating well to alleviate headache symptoms, with foods and supplements known to support migraine prevention being particularly effective. A diet low in sodium and fat may provide assistance. Omega-3 polyunsaturates are thought to play an integral part in protecting against migraine, while some studies indicate magnesium-rich diets could also provide relief.
As with any change to diet, working with a healthcare professional when making changes is important when trying an elimination diet for migraine triggers. This is particularly crucial if you have existing health conditions like celiac disease or other autoimmune conditions which could be affected by your food choices. An ideal dietary plan would include fresh produce such as vegetables and fruit alongside whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes as its foundation.
Exercise
Regular exercise is essential to overall health and also an effective migraine-prevention strategy. Many individuals who experience migraine find that low-impact exercises such as walking, yoga and resistance training significantly decrease both frequency and intensity of migraine episodes.
As you start a new exercise regimen, it is crucial that you carefully observe both symptoms and environmental triggers. People living with migraine may find gym environments not ideal as they can be bright, noisy and contain scents known to trigger migraine.
While exercising, it is also crucial to consume adequate quantities of water in order to prevent dehydration, as this could trigger migraine attacks.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is important for everyone, but especially important for migraine sufferers. Dehydration is one of the leading causes of migraine attacks and proper hydration can prevent its occurrence.
Avoid caffeine and sugary beverages that cause dehydration; water should always be your first option, though sports drinks or Pedialyte could provide electrolytes and glucose for rehydrating purposes.
Keep your meals and sleep schedule consistent to increase the likelihood of attacks and mitigate symptoms if they do occur. Eat nutritious snacks between each meal to help manage blood sugar levels more easily.
Relax
When migraines strike, the goal is to minimize episodes and alleviate their severity as quickly as possible. Medication may help in this regard; however, relieving stress and maintaining good sleeping habits are also effective strategies in avoiding migraines altogether.
Keep a diary to track symptoms that suggest predrome, like nausea, fatigue or an increase in appetite. Eat regular meals and strive to go to bed and wake up on a consistent schedule every day; your migraine brain may respond more favorably if there are no sudden shifts.
Under stress, people can neglect migraine hygiene and end up skipping meals, dehydrating themselves or forgetting to take their migraine medications. Meditation, exercise and paced breathing can all be effective tools in relieving headache pain while decreasing levels of stress.
