Migraines can be debilitating and disabling headaches that cause extreme discomfort, with symptoms including light, noise, and smell sensitivity. Furthermore, these disorders tend to run in families; up to 80% of those diagnosed have at least one close biological relative suffering from migraine.
Sleep, food restrictions, and regular exercise can help to decrease migraine attacks, while medications like angiotensin II receptor blockers and monoclonal antibody-based injection treatments (erenumab and fremanezumab) may prevent future migraines from arising.
Avoiding Triggers
Many migraine sufferers can identify certain triggers as aggravators of their headaches, including food, bright lights (particularly flickering or glaring ones) and even certain odors. Weather changes also tend to trigger migraine attacks so it is essential that we remain cool and hydrated whenever possible.
Maintaining a headache diary is an invaluable way to identify potential triggers. Take note when your migraine symptoms first start and what was going on prior to its onset – such as what foods were eaten, sleep quality levels or stressful events or changes to daily activities. Even if no pattern emerges, a journal will help identify premonitory symptoms so you can distinguish them from actual migraine triggers.
Migraines can be caused by foods, additives and odors in food products, caffeine consumption, stress levels, cured meats or simply yawning. Sleep and hydration may help avoid migraines as well.
Getting Plenty of Sleep
Sleep can help ease the symptoms of migraines and lower their severity, as stress-induced attacks may trigger migraines. Aim for a regular schedule; napping may disrupt it.
Migraine brains don’t like change, and an unexpected shift in your sleep or wake-up times may trigger migraine attacks. Establishing a consistent routine could help, or you could consider participating in a sleep study where medical staff monitor breathing and heart rates throughout the night.
Start a bedtime ritual that includes a warm bath, comfortable pajamas, caffeine-free tea or another beverage, turning off devices, relaxation techniques such as deep diaphragmatic breathing to aid sleep, and avoid any smells which might trigger migraines by wearing sunglasses or using lamps with green lighting (which have proven not to trigger migraines). If none of these strategies work for you, consult your physician about additional solutions.
Keeping a Journal
Keep a headache journal to identify any underlying triggers affecting the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Track food allergies or sensitivities, sleep patterns, exercise routines and stress factors as part of this effort. Furthermore, keeping track of any medications prescribed or their effect can provide valuable insight.
Diaries can help you recognize patterns and work with healthcare providers to devise a plan to prevent or decrease migraine attacks. For example, if your migraines flare up when flying or driving, take migraine medication before traveling – CEFALY provides non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation therapy which may prevent and relieve migraine pain.
Neurologists can assess your headache history and develop a personalized treatment plan tailored specifically to you to help with migraine management. To get more information, reach out to one of Banner Health’s providers nearby.
Taking Medications
Migraine medications can be used both acutely (acute treatments), as well as preventatively, to address migraine attacks when they strike (preventive treatments). There are both over-the-counter and prescription painkillers that may be helpful; often taking one at the very beginning of an attack’s prodrome when symptoms can be easily identified is best. Some common treatments include acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), triptans and antiemetics – among many others!
Nebivolol, bisoprolol, pindolol, carbamazepine, valsartan, lamotrigine dihydroergotamine and other medications with demonstrated effectiveness against migraine have all shown promising results as abortive medications for migraine prevention.
Preventive therapies can reduce migraine frequency and severity while complementing abortive therapies. Although often available by prescription only, people living with migraine should work closely with their healthcare provider to create a tailored treatment plan tailored specifically for themselves based on identifying triggers that lead to headaches before making adjustments to their daily lives that reduce these.
