Five Suggestions to Help Your Migraines

Dealing with migraine headaches can be discouraging at times. Some people have tried all the medications and alternative treatments and still have trouble tackling these debilitating headaches because what works for one person may not necessarily work for another. There are, however, a few tips that may help the treatments to work more effectively. With this in mind, here are five suggestions that may help you manage your migraines.

Keep a Regimen

Excitement seems to affect migraine headaches. One way to keep your migraines in check is to stay away from excitement or stressful situations. Be boring says one neurologist. Keep a regular schedule. Make sure you go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time in the morning. Get an adequate amount of sleep, but don’t oversleep. Eat your meals on a regular schedule.

Although you may not be able to do this all the time, try to compensate when you cannot. If your flight means that you will have jet lag, wake up earlier than normal or go to sleep earlier than normal to compensate for the jet lag to keep your migraine monster at bay.

Don’t Forget to Eat

Dehydration and skipped meals are major migraine triggers. Always keep a bottle of water and a snack handy: Peanut butter and an apple, or mild cheese and crackers, are good protein-carb combos. If you have to run unexpectedly, keep a snack and a water bottle in a cooler in your vehicle. You will be surprised how handy that comes in when on the go.

Watch What You Eat

Although many doctors disagree on migraine dietary triggers, probably half of one specialist’s migraine patients can identify foods that bring on their migraines. The most common ones are, unfortunately, many foods we love, starting with chocolate and it is dose dependent. The more you eat of a food trigger, the more likely the migraine.

Many foods that have been linked with migraine contain a chemical called tyramine, which occurs naturally in food as it ages. This includes aged, smoked, and cured meats, and many aged cheeses. If you find that cheese provokes migraines, try sticking with white and blander cheeses, like provolone, mozzarella, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.

Other common dietary migraine triggers include aspartame and artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and alcohol. Therefore, try to stay away from processed and packaged foods as these are jam packed with artificial everything. Choose a mixed drink rather than beer and wine as these seem to cause more migraines because these beverages are aged and fermented, plus they contain sulfites, so they appear to be more likely to cause migraine than liquor in general.

Exercise

The amount of research on the benefits of exercise for all kinds of ailments is mounting. It seems like yoga, in particular, is beneficial for migraine sufferers. However, since exercise can also be a trigger if it is done with too much exertion, done too quickly, or without water, be sure to use moderation when exercising and rehydrate before and after a workout. If you are not active now, you may want to check in with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

Reduce Stress

Stress seems to be one of the biggest lifestyle factors associated with migraine. Of course, you can’t get rid of all stress but you can learn to control how you react to situations. Stress-reducing techniques are imperative for those who deal with migraines on a regular basis but these techniques can be helpful for anyone going through stressful situations. Managing strategies like biofeedback, meditation, and cognitive behavioral strategies will help reduce the stress and your reaction to stressful events.

Keeping a journal is the best way to figure out which lifestyle factors may play a role in your migraines. Every day, write down what you ate and drank and when; when and if you exercised; when you went to bed and got up; any big stresses you experienced, and when you get migraines. After several weeks you can start to look for patterns in your journal. You may discover certain links between your migraines and foods, activities, smells, or other lifestyle factors. However, a lot of people will find that none of the identified triggers apply to them and some triggers you can’t do anything about. For example, strong odors trigger migraine for many people, and there’s only so much you can do about your coworker’s stinky perfume. On the other hand, if you can identify lifestyle factors that trigger migraines that are modifiable, such as when you’re eating and how much you’re sleeping, you may be able to find some relief.

Migraines may be managed if patients apply some lifestyle changes into practice. Try to maintain regimen into your daily life, stay hydrated, keep regular meals, identify migraine triggers by keeping a journal, exercise moderately, and reduce your stress. These suggestions may help ward off the migraine monster.

Tags: Chronic migraine, migraine, migraine attack, migraine headaches, migraine relief, Migraines