Migraines can be anywhere from mildly bothersome headaches to extremely debilitating ones that interferes with an individual’s activities of daily living. These are the headaches that exhibit pain or throbbing sensation on one or both sides of the head that are triggered or exacerbated by light, sound, or even normal movements such as bending or climbing. Some people even experience an aura that serves as a warning sign that a migraine is about to come up.
In a world as busy as ours today, you must agree with me when I say that we all have no spare time to endlessly deal with migraines. People who have been experiencing migraines of all sorts and types have different ways of coping with them. Some people find over-the-counter painkillers helpful in combating migraines even before they become full blown while some people prefer more conservative measures like dietary and lifestyle changes.
It is important to remember that each individual responds differently to various kinds of treatments, which is why both holistic practitioners and traditional doctors suggest making a diary for migraine attacks. This greatly helps in determining the causes and triggers so you can carefully avoid them in the future.
To help you deal better with your migraine, here are some great tips you should know and start practicing:
- Consider lifestyle changes.
Formulate a better sleeping pattern along with a healthier lifestyle. It has been proven that poor quality of sleep and an inconsistent sleep pattern tend to result to more migraine attacks.
- Keep it low.
Light and sound are two of the most common triggers for migraine headaches. Never sleep in a room with too much light and full blast sounds. Dim the lights as much as possible and listen to soft music especially when you are about to relax.
- Watch what you eat.
Avoid nicotine and do not consume too much caffeine. Besides, you would not need coffee to perk your day up most especially after a good night’s sleep. However, some studies showed that having a little caffeine can ease migraine pains up a bit but too much of it can make it worse.
Another important thing to remember is to never skip meals. You might have noticed how headaches seem to attack whenever you are hungry so be sure to at least eat small meals throughout the day.
- Take over-the-counter medications minimally.
The most effective ones are Tylenol and ibuprofen. However, you have to take these on a full stomach to avoid stomach ulcers.
- Relax whenever possible.
Whether it is a short trip to the spa, walking around the park, or trying out acupuncture, do whatever it is you need to relax.
Migraine headaches are terrible but there are a lot of ways to help yourself when it attacks. Knowing yourself, watching the food you eat, and living a healthier lifestyle are just some of the few steps to make you tolerate migraine headaches better.