Migraines can be devastatingly debilitating, but there are ways you can reduce their severity. Track your triggers, get enough restful sleep and use over-the-counter pain relievers.
Keep a migraine journal as an effective way of identifying triggers. A journal will enable you to track symptoms and their prodromal phase prior to an attack, and taking certain herbs such as riboflavin, magnesium or feverfew may provide relief.
Avoiding triggers
If you suffer from migraines, it’s essential to identify and avoid potential triggers – this might include sleep patterns, certain foods or weather changes – so as to reduce or even eliminate them completely. A migraine diary can be invaluable in this regard – keeping one can help identify triggers more accurately so you can work with your physician to reduce or remove them altogether.
If your attacks tend to start in the late morning or afternoon, consider altering your mealtimes accordingly. Furthermore, try eating small meals throughout the day in order to reduce sudden spikes and drops in blood sugar levels.
Biofeedback or relaxation exercises can also help manage stress. Furthermore, caffeine can intensify migraine symptoms; too much caffeine consumption could increase both its severity and frequency. Furthermore, you should also refrain from eating foods containing histamines such as cured meats.
Getting plenty of sleep
Many people who suffer from migraines also struggle with sleeping issues. This could be caused by either the pain itself preventing them from sleeping well or by side effects associated with migraine medications; one study conducted by UNC researchers concluded that improving sleeping patterns may help decrease migraine pain and frequency for some patients.
For the best sleep possible, aim to keep a regular schedule. Avoid eating or drinking beverages containing caffeine within eight hours before going to sleep and keep any watches or clocks out of sight so as not to keep yourself awake while trying to fall asleep. Magnesium supplements at night may also aid restful restful slumber – in fact studies have demonstrated this benefits migraine sufferers by helping reduce headaches more effectively than those who don’t take magnesium daily!
Avoiding foods that trigger migraines
Migraines can cause severe, long-lasting headaches. Certain foods can trigger or worsen migraines; to minimize pain relief it’s essential to refrain from these foods and take medication as needed.
Maintaining a migraine diary can be helpful for identifying food or beverage triggers. Be sure to note all foods and beverages consumed every day, as well as any symptoms related to migraine attacks such as their duration or severity.
Some migraine-inducing foods can be easily excluded from your diet, such as processed meats, MSG and artificial sweeteners. Instead, focus on including more whole foods – fruits like figs can provide valuable potassium-rich sources that may reduce fatigue and alleviate muscle cramping.
Taking over-the-counter pain relievers
Six out of ten people who suffer migraines find relief through over-the-counter pain medications such as Aspirin, Ibuprofen and Naproxen. These medicines can relieve headache and migraine pain effectively when taken immediately when first symptoms of migraine appear; nausea relief may also occur as an outcome; however it’s best to adhere to recommended dosage; taking more acetaminophen can lead to liver damage.
If you find yourself taking pain relievers multiple times each week, speak to your physician. He or she may prescribe preventive medication for migraines. They may also suggest getting an MRI scan done of the head and neck area to help diagnose migraines more precisely. Some herbal remedies, vitamins, and minerals like feverfew and butterbur can also help ease migraine symptoms.
Keeping a migraine journal
Migraines can be an immensely disruptive part of your daily life and interfere with school, work and social activities. A migraine journal or headache diary can be invaluable when trying to identify triggers or determine whether an abortive medication is working; such a journal should contain details of when, why and for how long your headaches occur along with information such as symptoms they cause and duration; diet records as well as any medications taken should also be included in its pages.
Your symptoms can be tracked with either a paper migraine journal or one of two apps available for iPhone and Android phones, Migraine Buddy or iHeadache. Keeping a detailed diary will allow you to identify patterns and potential triggers more easily.
