If you suffer from migraines, taking too much medicine too frequently may lead to medication overuse headache. If you find yourself using over-the-counter pain relievers more than several times each week, reach out to your healthcare provider immediately.
Maintaining a migraine diary can help identify triggers like perfume, food scents and bright lights as well as preventive treatments like acupuncture, vitamin supplements or Riboflavin (Vitamin B2). These may all provide additional help.
Be careful with over-the-counter pain relievers
Un sudden migraine attack can disrupt your daily plans, and while most can find relief with painkillers and migraine medication, prevention is always better than cure.
Over-the-counter medicines may provide relief during an attack, but taking too many could increase your risk of medication overuse headache. Speak to your healthcare provider about finding an appropriate preventive strategy for you.
Few medications have been FDA-approved to prevent migraine, such as beta-blockers (metoprolol, propranolol and atenolol); CGRP monoclonal antibodies such as ergotamine, rimastigmine and gabapentin; as well as gepants – which contains molecules that attach themselves directly to CGRP receptors in order to stop migraine episodes – as well as gepants – a small molecule found within this family that locks them up tight enough for effective prevention. These medicines should only be prescribed by headache specialists or consultant neurologists; alternative approaches such as acupuncture or certain supplements may work.
Keep a migraine journal
A migraine diary (sometimes known as a headache journal) is an invaluable resource for tracking symptoms over time and helping identify their source – such as diet or stressors – so as to create an individualized treatment plan.
Diary entry allows you to keep a detailed record of your symptoms and attacks, such as time, duration and severity of migraine attacks. Furthermore, this diary allows you to identify triggers – anything which causes a migraine such as light sensitivity, food allergies, changes in sleep schedule or medications – that lead to attacks.
Migraine Buddy and N1-Headache offer headache apps that allow users to keep a digital diary. These applications offer detailed reports that are simple for healthcare providers to interpret.
Be careful with exercise
Migraine is a neurological condition characterized by severe, often throbbing headaches that occur on one side of the head and may also include nausea, light or sound sensitivity, arm or facial numbness and an inability to sleep. Migraines occur when nerves send pain signals directly to your brain causing blood vessels to widen and inflammation to occur resulting in these headaches.
Preventive migraine treatments include avoiding triggers, keeping a diary and exercising regularly. Other interventions may include acupuncture, taking supplements such as magnesium, feverfew or butterbur, as well as prevention devices like transcutaneous supraorbital nerve stimulation (t-SNS). Your doctor may suggest combining medication and behavioral measures – known as polytherapy.
Get regular shut-eye
Quality sleep is vital in order to avoid migraines. Avoid stimulants like caffeine and ensure you wake up and go to bed at the same time each day. Naps should only last an hour or less as this could prevent nighttime restfulness.
Migraine sufferers can usually decrease the frequency of headaches by taking medication as soon as an attack begins, as well as by avoiding triggers like aged cheeses, red wine and certain additives like nitrates (found in some lunchmeats); hormonal fluctuations during menstruation; and changes to your lifestyle such as stress. Acupuncture, endurance sports or relaxation techniques may also be beneficial. While preventive medicines exist that could help, these should only be taken under medical advice as some can lead to serious side effects including sedation or seizures.
Avoid stress
No one knows why some people suffer migraine headaches, though it often runs in families. Migraine tends to affect adult females more than adult males and may be associated with hormonal fluctuations during menstruation, pregnancy or birth control use; food such as aged cheeses, alcohol and caffeine as well as additives like nitrates (found in hot dogs and lunchmeat) and monosodium glutamate can aggravate symptoms as can bright lights, noise or strong scents as well as changes in weather (barometric pressure changes can also trigger migraine headaches).
Medication combined with self-help measures and lifestyle choices may be effective at treating or alleviating migraine symptoms, including preventative treatments such as beta blockers (e.g. metoprolol, propranolol and timolol) as well as anti-CGRP therapies (anti-CGRP therapies).
