Doctors can help manage symptoms by identifying the triggers and suggesting solutions. Strategies may include keeping a migraine diary, eating at consistent times every day and drinking plenty of water.
Prevention may help decrease migraine frequency or severity; however, results will vary. A slow increase of medication should be used along with keeping a headache diary to monitor its efficacy and side effects.
Avoiding Triggers
A migraine trigger is defined as any event, change or action that increases your likelihood of experiencing migraine headaches. To properly understand and identify your own individual triggers – this might include specific foods like aged cheeses, chocolate and citrus fruits; aged meats; caffeine or alcohol intake; high humidity weather patterns or colder temperatures as potential culprits – it is crucial to pinpoint them all and manage them effectively.
Sometimes medications can act as triggers. A migraine diary or journal can be helpful in identifying these triggers; just note when and why an attack occurred and write down when and for how long. This will give insight into what causes migraine attacks so you can better avoid them in future attacks. Keeping such a record may also allow you to track patterns such as how frequently your attacks happen when missing breakfast and during changes in sleep patterns, so working with your physician to alter diet, caffeine intake, and sleep patterns might reduce attacks.
Stress Management
Migraine triggers and symptoms may be made worse by stress, so managing your emotions effectively is critical to successful migraine management. Implementing various strategies could prove effective.
Beginning by tracking and recognizing your migraine and anxiety triggers with a diary is helpful, while you can learn relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises and meditation using popular apps such as Calm or Headspace to practice these techniques from anywhere with or without professional guidance.
Consider seeing a behavioural therapist, who can offer you an opportunity to discuss stressful situations that cause anxiety and find better ways to cope with them. Cognitive-behavioral therapy may change negative thought patterns while teaching you new coping mechanisms that could prevent headaches and anxiety altogether.
Join a migraine community to connect with others who understand your struggle, exchange tips and find support – find one in your local area or online!
Medications
Medication can help manage migraines effectively, yet they may have side effects. It’s essential that you talk with your physician about which medicines are being taken and their possible impacts, particularly pain relievers like ibuprofen and aspirin which could potentially cause headaches when taken in excess.
If your symptoms don’t respond to OTC medications, seek advice from your physician regarding prescription medication. A physician can help determine the most effective prescription treatment based on factors like your frequency of headaches, severity, nausea/vomiting episodes and medical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease or depression.
Antidepressant medications like Amitriptyline or Nortriptyline may help in the prevention of migraines, while they’re also effective for treating ailments that exacerbate headaches, like anxiety and depression. Serotonin/norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs), such as Duloxetine or Venlafaxine are good choices because they tend to have less side effects than traditional SSRIs.
Lifestyle Changes
Lifestyle changes may help relieve stress and alleviate its triggers, like dieting and exercise. A good plan may also prove effective.
Diets that include plenty of nutrient-rich foods while avoiding known migraine triggers, like aged cheeses, caffeine, chocolate and alcohol can significantly decrease migraine headaches. A food diary may reveal hidden triggers while consulting a dietitian could be beneficial in devising specific techniques like elimination diets.
Regular physical activity is vitally important, particularly for those living with migraines. Research suggests that moderate to intense cardiorespiratory exercises done three or five times weekly can significantly decrease both frequency and intensity of migraine headaches.
Sleep is essential both to overall wellness and migraine sufferers alike; as one of its primary triggers. A good night’s rest can significantly lower migraine intensity; additionally, diagnosing and treating sleep apnea with tools such as CPAP can also help improve migraine-related insomnia.
