Migraines are complex neurological conditions. While lifestyle changes may help, everyone’s triggers differ. Many can find relief through over-the-counter painkillers or other treatments to decrease migraine frequency and severity.
Maintaining a nutritious diet is crucial for anyone, but those suffering from migraines should especially try to identify foods known to trigger attacks through keeping a food diary. This way, they can avoid anything which can potentially bring on migraine attacks.
Eat Healthy
Although the exact relationship between diet and migraines remains untangled, certain foods have been discovered to trigger headaches. Therefore, those living with migraines should make healthy food choices to combat their condition.
Avoid foods containing monosodium glutamate (MSG), commonly found in packaged and frozen meals, lunch meats and some sauces. Check labels to identify brands which do not contain MSG.
MSG may trigger headaches by releasing nitrates into your body, which expand blood vessels and lead to inflammation. Avoiding preservatives that contain nitrates may help lessen migraine episodes in frequency and severity.
Eating regularly throughout the day is crucial in order to avoid hunger-related headaches, which can trigger migraines in some individuals. A well-balanced diet will ensure you receive adequate amounts of key nutrients such as magnesium and riboflavin; for optimal results consult your doctor or registered dietitian before initiating an elimination diet.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Stressful situations are known to drain a migraine sufferer’s energy, leaving them feeling depleted. Find ways to relax every day: exercise, taking a bath or reading can all provide great ways to do just that.
Consistency is key when it comes to sleep hygiene and migraine prevention. Avoid skipping meals or eating at irregular times as this could trigger migraine attacks, instead try eating smaller meals throughout the day to maintain an even blood sugar level and prevent migraine attacks.
Sleep is especially essential for people suffering from migraines, as not getting enough rest increases their likelihood of headaches. Studies have demonstrated that insufficient rest reduces pain threshold levels in the body and makes one more prone to migraine and tension headaches.
Encourage your patients to develop healthy sleeping habits and spend a week gradually increasing their water consumption in order to reach recommended amounts. This is one of the easiest lifestyle changes they can make and many patients quickly see positive results from this change.
Exercise
Sleep, diet and physical exercise can all play an integral part in helping reduce migraine attacks. Migraine care specialists suggest including these lifestyle changes into your treatment plan for maximum efficacy against current migraine episodes as well as future ones.
Studies have revealed that regular aerobic exercise can improve sleep regulation, mood and cardiovascular fitness in those living with migraine. Furthermore, regular aerobic activity may help lessen migraine headache intensity and frequency as well as help prevent future attacks.
Starting an exercise program requires gradual increments. This helps avoid sudden shifts in blood pressure that could trigger migraines. Furthermore, eating at least an hour before exercising will help avoid low blood sugar triggers that could occur when beginning physical activity.
Aerobic exercise can release endorphins, natural painkillers produced in our bodies that reduce anxiety. Migraine patients can incorporate regular aerobic exercise into their schedule by including short moderate intensity workouts like 30-minute aerobic sessions or twice weekly stretching sessions into their routine.
Manage Stress
Migraines can be caused by many things, including stress and change. To manage them, it is recommended to create a regular schedule which minimizes changes to sleep, eating and exercise schedules. Furthermore, learning relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga as well as having an activity such as knitting reading gardening or knitting is also helpful in managing migraine attacks.
Stress doesn’t necessarily have to be negative; rather, it is your body’s reaction to situations requiring your attention and effort. Relaxation techniques include deep breathing and focusing on senses (see patient handout available on Ctrl M Health). Incorporating lifestyle changes alongside medication therapies has been shown to be effective at managing migraine headaches effectively; not only for prevention purposes, but also symptom reduction when they do arise. Incorporating both approaches together provides the optimal approach in terms of managing migraine headaches effectively.
