Many healthy lifestyle modifications can help prevent or decrease migraine attacks, such as getting enough rest, eating nutritiously and staying hydrated.
Maintain a diary to record what causes and triggers migraine attacks, including processed foods, aged cheese and caffeine that could trigger migraine attacks. Once identified, try to avoid such triggers as much as possible.
1. Get enough sleep
Migraine headaches may result from disruptions of the brain’s sleep-wake cycle. Sleep quality plays an essential role in maintaining our 24-hour circadian rhythm; too little or too much rest may trigger migraine attacks in those already susceptible.
Studies have demonstrated that lifestyle modifications can help to control migraines. These measures include getting enough restful sleep each night, eating nutritious food and engaging in regular physical exercise.
Foods known to cause migraines should also be avoided, including aged cheese, caffeine, chocolate and cured meats. Stress management techniques may also help, including taking up meditation or yoga as stress relief practices or finding other relaxing hobbies.
2. Eat a healthy diet
Diet can help decrease both the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Common triggers include alcohol, processed meats, aged cheese, caffeine, skipping meals or fasting. A low-fat, high-protein diet featuring various food groups should be consumed; registered dietitians can assist you in devising a personalized eating plan tailored specifically to your symptoms and blood work can be done to ensure there are no nutritional deficiencies causing migraine attacks.
Primary care physicians can assist their patients in changing their lifestyle through SEEDS counseling (sleep, exercise, eat diary and stress), which includes standard sleep hygiene recommendations as well as balanced nutrition, adequate hydration and regular physical activity. Making even small adjustments such as this may significantly lower migraine attacks and their severity.
3. Exercise regularly
Though migraines aren’t considered lifestyle diseases, certain activities such as getting enough rest and eating a nutritious diet can help decrease their frequency and severity. Furthermore, physical activity such as yoga can also be useful in mitigating episodes.
Primary care providers can educate patients with migraine about lifestyle modification through counseling using the acronym SEEDS (sleep, exercise, eat diary and stress). This involves helping the patient modify their triggers by encouraging good headache hygiene practices.
Exercise is an integral component of leading a healthy lifestyle and has been found to reduce migraine frequency and intensity. However, high-impact exercises such as running or jumping may cause pain for some individuals; for optimum results gentle activities like brisk walking, cycling, swimming and yoga may be more suitable options.
4. Stay hydrated
Migraine sufferers can become dehydrated quickly, which can worsen their headaches. Studies demonstrate how proper hydration plays a pivotal role in mitigating migraine symptoms because of its impact on brain chemistry and electrolyte balance.
To stay hydrated, it is best to drink water on a consistent schedule, ideally as soon as you wake up, using a reusable bottle, and pay attention to thirst and urine color cues as reminders that optimal levels are being reached throughout your day.
Migraine Drops offer another effective solution to dehydration by being free from common migraine triggers such as sugar and artificial sweeteners, providing your water with a subtle yet refreshing taste while helping prevent migraine attacks.
5. Reduce stress
Stress can be a major trigger of migraine attacks, making it hard to pinpoint and avoid them. Making lifestyle adjustments like getting enough restful sleep and following a healthy diet may help mitigate migraine symptoms and alleviate their symptoms.
Stress relief should also include finding ways to create calm in both body and mind, such as creating a personal mantra to center yourself, connecting with like-minded communities or keeping a journal describing feelings.
Acceptance is also key, as worrying only adds more stress. Cognitive behavior therapy or meditation are great ways of doing this, while regular exercise releases chemicals into your brain that block pain signals.
