Chronic migraine sufferers can reduce the number of days with headaches with preventive therapy, including medication to stop an attack such as dihydroergotamine (DHE), the new CGRP monoclonal antibody nasal spray called Zavegepant, or Botulinum toxin type A injections.
Modifying one’s lifestyle by making changes in diet, sleep and stress management may also provide relief. Acupuncture and cognitive behavioral therapy have both proven their efficacy.
Medications
If migraines are an ongoing problem for you, medication can be helpful in lessening their impact. These include pain-relief drugs to ease symptoms during an attack and preventive ones to limit future attacks from happening.
Medication that may help include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen, as well as acetaminophen and acetylsalicylic acid – available over-the-counter as generics as well as brands like Advil, Motrin and Aleve – and triptans which quickly stop migraine headaches when taken as needed; two examples being sumatriptan (Imitrex(r) and Onzetra(r).
Migraine triggers vary between individuals, but may include things such as insufficient sleep, caffeine and artificial sweetener aspartame consumption, certain foods or beverages containing these items (especially caffeine and aspartame), stressful situations, bright lights, strong scents, weather changes and low barometric pressure. Antisickness medications like Domperidone or Prochlorperazine should be used either pill form or buccal (dissolved between gum and cheek) during an attack to relieve nausea or vomitiness.
Lifestyle Changes
Sleep, diet and regular exercise can all help to significantly decrease migraine pain and frequency. Furthermore, keeping a diary to identify migraine triggers may prove invaluable in managing their symptoms more effectively.
Migraine triggers can include certain foods, beverages and weather conditions such as barometric pressure. Your diary will enable you to identify which triggers are more or less successful for treating migraine attacks in accordance with your treatment plan.
As soon as a migraine attack hits, take steps to keep it under control by lying in a dark and quiet environment and keeping all lights dimmed or off altogether. If pain becomes unbearable, apply either cold or hot compresses on your neck and head; this should numb nerves, relax tense muscles and possibly help reduce pain. Alternatively, sipping caffeine has been proven an effective way of alleviating early stage migraine attacks by amplifying their pain-relieving properties through increasing their effects of acetaminophen and aspirin medications.
Stress Management
Migraine headaches are frequently brought on by stress. This is because our nervous systems are highly reactive to external and internal changes such as an approaching storm, barometric pressure increases, hormone fluctuations or not getting enough restful sleep.
Deliberately managing stress is crucial to chronic migraine solutions. This may involve recognizing potential stressors in your life and taking measures to address those within your control, or it could mean finding ways to lessen or avoid certain triggers like noise, lights or caffeine that contribute to anxiety.
Physical activity is an excellent way to combat built-up tension, particularly when combined with mindfulness or meditation. Sleep is also essential; make sure you get at least seven to nine hours each night on a consistent schedule; additionally try eating at the same time each day and drinking plenty of water!
Sleep
Migraine is a neurological condition characterized by painful, pulsating headaches on either side of the head that often cause nausea, vomiting and photo- or phonophobia (sensitivity to light or sound). Additionally, these headaches are sometimes accompanied by symptoms like photosensitivity, photophonophobia and photopsophobephobia – sensitivities related to light or sound that appear as visual distortions or sounds sensitivity.
Researchers have discovered a correlation between migraine headache frequency and poor sleeping habits and poor outcomes of migraine headaches. Regular bedtimes with no caffeine intake during late afternoon or evening hours have proven successful in improving restful slumber, thus decreasing migraine episodes.
Maintaining a journal of triggers like food, drinks, stress levels and medications is extremely helpful in tracking their impact on health. Some may use smartphone apps for this purpose. Common triggers may include lack of sleep, stress levels, certain foods/drinks/bright lights/strong scents/medications – keeping a journal can help identify which are likely to have the biggest impact for each person.
