Migraines can be avoided using various approaches, from avoiding known migraine triggers to using natural remedies like feverfew, butterbur and magnesium supplements.
Some people also turn to acupuncture and endurance sports as additional ways of managing migraines, while others may take daily migraine medicine for prevention.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Diet plays an essential role in mitigating migraine attacks. A food diary can help identify triggers and enable you to experiment with eliminating certain foods or beverages from your diet.
Avoid processed meats (which may contain nitrates and nitrites), aged cheese that’s high in tyramine, caffeine consumption (which has been known to trigger migraines in some individuals), and overdoing your coffee intake by more than three cups or four or five glasses of cola per day.
An elimination diet such as tyramine-free or low-sodium may help identify possible migraine triggers; however, these diets should be monitored carefully to avoid malnutrition resulting in nutritional deficiencies or malnourishment. Before beginning an elimination diet of any sort, always consult your healthcare provider first.
Exercise
Exercise may seem daunting when faced with migraine symptoms; but, with proper planning and execution, exercise can become an invaluable asset in fighting recurrent headaches.
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise as a method to lower migraine frequency and duration, such as jogging, running, cycling or walking.
Attaining optimal fitness requires gradually building and pacing yourself during exercise. Overdoing it may result in exercise-induced headaches (also referred to as exertional headaches) that could trigger an attack, most commonly in the head, neck, or shoulders and caused by strenuous exercise, lifting heavy objects, contact sports, hot weather fatigue and high altitudes.
Dim the Lights
Some individuals can be affected by light, making their headache worse during an attack. This symptom is known as photophobia. To minimise discomfort during an attack it is recommended that lighting levels in both home and work environments are kept as dimly as possible.
Researchers have recently found that certain wavelengths of light can trigger migraine attacks and increase pain during an attack, specifically blue-green light which seems to activate pain-sensing cells within the eye and lead to an intense response resulting in migraine attacks. Migraine glasses that filter these wavelengths may provide some relief.
Consider installing dimmable smart bulbs that provide soft, warm lighting in your home, along with darkened computer monitor screens or anti-glare screens for tablets and phones, anti-glare screen protectors on phones or even blackout curtains to block out bright sunlight.
Keep a Diary
Headaches are disruptive to life and make it hard to enjoy time with family and friends. Pinpointing the source can be tricky; keeping a diary may help both you and your doctor determine which factors might be causing migraine attacks.
Your diary should detail every migraine attack, from its timing and cause to what was eaten during it and sleep patterns. Many people find certain foods such as processed meats, soy products, aged cheeses or red wine to be migraine triggers.
Your migraine diary should also include information on how often and for how long you take an over-the-counter pain reliever for migraines each month. As too much medication may cause analgesic rebound or dependency issues, taking too much should be limited as much as possible.
Talk to Your Doctor
August is “Talk to Your Doctor” month, an opportunity to emphasize that open communication between patient and physician helps avoid medical errors and leads to better treatment results. Before your next appointment, think through what questions and issues you need addressed by your provider and write them down in advance.
Migraines can often be triggered by bright lights, loud noises or strong scents; therefore avoiding these triggers is one of the best ways to reduce or avoid migraine symptoms.
Preventive medications like antiseizure drugs (Topiramate, Valproate) and CGRP monoclonal antibodies (erenumab-aooe, Aimovig, Fremanezumab-vfrm and Emgality) can also help decrease headache frequency and intensity, so be sure to speak to your physician regarding these prescriptions. Acupuncture and mindfulness meditation may also offer relief; such practices involve focused deep breathing techniques as well as body poses often employed during stress relieving activities like yoga.
