If a migraine strikes, its pain, light and sound sensitivity and nausea can be debilitating. But treatments exist that could provide some relief.
Migraine medications range from over-the-counter pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or acetaminophen (Tylenol) to prescription triptans that prevent migraine headaches from occurring altogether by blocking pain pathways within the brain.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pain Relievers
As many individuals suffering from episodic migraine use over-the-counter (OTC) medications to soothe their symptoms, taking too many pills could result in medication overuse headaches.
At the first sign of migraine symptoms, taking an over-the-counter pain reliever like aspirin, acetaminophen or caffeine can help alleviate them quickly. Some effective OTC options for migraine include aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine.
This combination of ingredients effectively manages pain and nausea. These medications include Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) as well as new oral calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibitors called Gepants such as Ubrelvy or Nurtec ODT that block off painful nerve signals to relieve your discomfort.
Caffeine
Caffeine may help ease headache pain, but it can also trigger migraine attacks for some people due to its dual excitatory and vasoconstrictive properties on the central nervous system.
Caffeine intake during the prodromal stage (2 to 48 h before migraine attacks), can trigger symptoms like neck stiffness, dizziness, mood changes and yawning. Once migraine attacks hit they can bring with it nausea as well as light/sound sensitivity which are all common.
At its optimal, caffeine should either be avoided altogether or consumed in moderation, with experts suggesting beginning at lower doses and tapering off gradually. One study demonstrated that complete caffeine withdrawal led to improved response to acute migraine medication when compared with continued use.
Light Therapy
Light therapy may provide a natural and non-drug way of managing migraine pain. By exposing people to narrow-band green light, studies have demonstrated its efficacy at decreasing both frequency and severity of migraine episodes in clinical trials.
Photophobia can be debilitating during an attack of migraine. Recently, Harvard Medical School researchers discovered that while blue, amber, and red lights exacerbated migraine headaches among blind participants more severely during attacks, green light did not.
Green light may help to decrease inflammation associated with migraine pain. Furthermore, its ability to increase brain melatonin levels could aid sleep and relaxation.
Temperature Therapy
Heat and cold are cost-effective and simple ways to treat migraines, offering inexpensive relief without side effects. Heat relaxes tight muscles that may be contributing to pain while cold causes blood vessels to constrict.
When an attack strikes, use a warm compress on your neck and forehead. For even faster relief, create your own homemade hot water bottle using uncooked rice in a clean sock heated in the microwave for 90 to 120 seconds – avoid excessively high temperatures to prevent burns or frostbite.
Hot foot soaks have recently become a trendy solution to migraine relief, purportedly drawing blood away from the head to relieve discomfort. But some argue that this method may actually serve more as a psychological or distraction relief mechanism than having any direct impact on headache pain itself.
Deep Breathing
Breathing control and relaxation techniques may help mitigate stress responses, which contribute to migraine symptoms. Such techniques may include 4-7-8 breathing (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds and exhale for 8), yoga or meditation.
Breathing practices that stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system can help lower heart rate and blood pressure while relieving tension in shoulders and neck areas, which may be triggers for migraines.
Visualisation can alter how a patient perceives pain, helping reduce not only its intensity but also frequency and duration of migraine symptoms. One technique could include visualizing boxes full of pain being sent floating out to sea by imagination.
Journaling
A headache diary (sometimes called a migraine journal) is a great way to identify triggers and collaborate with healthcare providers on effective management. By recording when, where, why and for how long migraine attacks happen as well as writing down what foods affect you most effectively.
Migraine triggers often include lack of sleep, poor eating habits, food additives such as MSG and processed or cured foods such as hot dogs and pepperoni, stress factors and more. By tracking these symptoms in a journal you can help your doctor diagnose and select an effective treatment plan tailored specifically to you.
