Migraines can be debilitating and painful, interrupting daily life and leading to physical limitations. But there are strategies you can employ to manage migraine pain and prevent future attacks.
Sleep and eating healthily are crucial components of managing migraines effectively, while regular exercise and drinking enough water should also help.
Avoiding triggers
Migraines tend to run in families, increasing risk for some individuals if a first-degree biological relative suffers from migraines. Triggers include food (aged cheese, chocolate and alcohol) nitrates histamine and MSG levels can trigger migraines as can bright lights or strong odors. Migraines tend to run in families; those at greater risk if an immediate family member already has this condition may also be at greater risk of having migraines themselves.
Keep a headache diary to help identify potential migraine triggers. A smartphone app specifically designed for this task may prove helpful in keeping track of not only symptoms but also when they occurred and what was eaten prior to an episode of migraine.
Consistency with your eating and sleep schedule is also key in combatting migraine attacks, since changes to either can increase the risk. Furthermore, certain medications contain caffeine or stimulants which could act as migraine triggers; consult your physician about this matter as taking over-the-counter pain relievers too often can trigger medication overuse headaches – something which should never happen!
Getting plenty of sleep
Sleep is one of the cornerstones of migraine management. Sleep helps the brain maintain normal circadian rhythms and set an internal alarm clock which may reduce migraine attacks while simultaneously increasing medication efficacy.
Sleep deprivation can exasperate migraine pain, making it harder to think clearly and retain information. Furthermore, lack of restful sleep may increase anxiety or stress levels in a teen and make it harder to perform well on tests or in school.
If your teenager suffers from migraine, you should encourage them to create and stick to a consistent sleep schedule. They should aim to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day–even weekends–avoid caffeine-laden beverages like coffee and tea before bedtime; avoid excessive napping; limit the number of naps they take per day and keep a diary detailing potential triggers of their migraine attacks.
Avoiding over-the-counter pain relievers
Migraines are an intense type of headache that affects people of all ages, often at any time of day or night, characterized by intense pain, nausea and an intolerable sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine is a neurological condition caused by numerous factors including stress, sleep disruptions, food additives and other triggers; up to 80% of migraine sufferers have first-degree biological relatives with migraine.
An effective migraine diary can help you pinpoint and avoid triggers of migraine attacks, including caffeine, alcohol and foods containing nitrates or monosodium glutamate (MSG). It’s wise to avoid such triggers since they could make migraine symptoms even worse.
Neurologists who specialize in headache treatments can effectively diagnose migraines based on your medical history and symptoms, as well as through using an MRI scan for more in-depth imaging of the brain – helping diagnose tumors, infections, injuries or any other problems which might cause headaches.
Keeping a migraine diary
Maintaining a migraine diary can help identify triggers and determine the frequency of headache episodes, giving insight into whether they’re episodic or chronic – and can guide treatment decisions regarding whether preventive medication should be used or as-needed medication is taken as needed.
No matter if it’s paper or electronic, consistency is key in keeping a diary or journal. Following the same format each time will make analyzing data much simpler and make life simpler overall. When choosing your journal of choice – be it tangible like a notebook, or digital with instant access anywhere at anytime – select something portable so it will remain accessible at all times.
Your health care provider can benefit greatly from a migraine diary, as they will be able to identify your specific triggers and tailor a tailored treatment plan specifically tailored for you. They might suggest that certain foods or beverages be avoided if identified as migraine triggers.
