Migraine headaches are incredibly uncomfortable and often disabling. Their moderate to severe throbbing pain makes you sensitive to light and sound and last from hours up to days – sometimes more.
Prevent migraine attacks by identifying things that trigger migraine attacks and avoiding those things altogether. Keep a migraine diary to identify potential triggers. Preventive medication may also be available.
Avoiding triggers
Migraine headaches can be debilitating and limit one’s ability to work and take part in other activities due to the pain. Migraines typically throb and are sensitive to light, sound and smell; nausea and vomiting often accompany migraine attacks. Although there are abortive treatments available, preventive medication is more likely to provide long-term relief.
Healthcare providers may recommend keeping a migraine diary to help identify triggers. A diary can reveal patterns such as connections between certain foods and migraines or your menstrual cycle and migraine attacks, or between menstruation cycle cycles and attacks. If you suffer from chronic migraine attacks, it is important to avoid all foods or drinks which trigger attacks, including aged cheeses, caffeine, skipping meals, nitrates (found in some lunch meats) or monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Some women report that hormonal fluctuations can trigger migraines, particularly before or during menstruation and pregnancy. Flickering lights and glare may make migraines worse for some individuals, so it is advisable to carry sunglasses when outside for optimal migraine protection.
Getting plenty of sleep
Sleep is an integral component of migraine prevention. A migraine is characterized by a severe, throbbing headache on one side of the head that often includes nausea, sensitivity to light, sounds and smells as well as inability to think clearly – it typically lasts anywhere from hours to days, during which time it is important to get plenty of rest while avoiding activities which might trigger an attack.
Migraine symptoms vary for each individual and typically begin a day or two prior to experiencing headache symptoms. They may include feelings of unwellness, food cravings and an appetite loss, stiff neck or shoulders, constipation, mood changes, fatigue, increased thirst and urination, frequent yawning and frequent yawning – these are among the many possible migraine indicators.
Preventive migraine medicines can help decrease both frequency and severity of attacks while increasing responsiveness to acute treatments when they’re necessary. Your doctor will assess your needs – taking into account any health conditions you may have or past treatments that have proven successful – before providing a recommendation of medications to take.
Keeping a migraine diary
Maintaining a migraine diary can be an invaluable way for patients to track their symptoms. It allows them to pinpoint where and when their migraines strike while helping medical practitioners identify potential triggers. There are various ways this can be accomplished from paper journals to smartphone apps; what’s important is being consistent and accurate in using it.
Migraine headaches can cause excruciatingly intense discomfort that lasts several hours or days, interfering with daily tasks and making life with loved ones difficult. Migraines may lead to nausea and an intolerable light sensitivity. Migraine triggers include food additives (nitrates/MSG/processed foods/bright lights).
Your doctor may suggest preventive medication to decrease the number of migraine headaches you are experiencing; however, its effects may take several weeks or months before becoming apparent.
Taking medication
If you experience migraine symptoms, seek medical help immediately from a primary care physician (PCP). He or she can diagnose your condition and recommend preventive medication, while also possibly referring you to a headache specialist or neurologist if necessary.
Avoid triggers of migraines by identifying their triggers – bright lights and loud noises being two. A diary will also help identify patterns in your attacks such as whether certain foods cause them. Avoid aged cheeses, chocolate and alcohol products and aim to eat at regular times each day.
Preventive medicines can help to decrease both migraine attacks and their severity, as well as nausea and vomiting, but should only be used according to your physician’s prescription. Common examples include pain relievers like aspirin and ibuprofen as well as anti-sickness remedies like riboflavin (vitamin B2), magnesium, feverfew butterbur or co-enzyme Q10 which have also been proven effective against sickness. You could also try natural supplements which reduce migraine frequency such as feverfew butterbur or co-enzyme Q10
