Migraine Risk Factors And Practical Tips

There are a lot of great doctors out there and they can be very friendly at times or not so much but that shouldn’t reflect on their potential to practice medicine well. Now one thing most doctors have in common is that they love to rely on prescription medication to do the job of fixing the patient and this is many times the case with migraine headaches. Since there is no cure discovered and little info in known about migraines as compared to other conditions, many physicians will recommend a blood pressure medication or an anti-convulsant to help stop the migraine from occurring and progressing forward. Now even though the meds may help it is true for a while, the ramifications of long term use needs to be looked at so that you can make the best decision when choosing between prescriptions drugs or a more holistic, natural method of migraine treatment. The top two drugs recommended by most doctors for the prophylaxis of migraine are Triptans or Ergots. Research them and then decide what will be best for you.

Several Migraine Risk Dynamics

Chronic migraine attacks have a similar response to the body. As the migraine begins to formulate, the body begins to react. The body reaction to a developing migraine differs between migraine patients but they all end with the same conclusion – intense head pain. So to help you in minimizing the head pain that may be there, I am going to list several risk factors for migraine headaches. If you check more than two risk factors off, then you might want to be proactive and speak with your primary care physician as soon as possible.

• Age – Your age can be a risk factor; you are still in an age group where migraine headaches can be common occurrences, if you are between the ages of 15 and 55. During childhood, migraines are less frequent to not nonexistent. Research has shown that children who suffer from migraines typically will grow out of them as they age, unless other factors are involved. So be sure to know what factor increase the chances of having migraine so your child won’t have to suffer as you do.
• Gender – Out of the millions of people that suffer with migraines 18% of the migraine sufferers are women. This statistic is not limited to the United States only but relevant to women across the globe. During childhood or adolescents, the frequencies of migraines between sexes were not that different but a drastic increase in migraine headaches in females become apparent as they neared puberty. The reason being that as a female enters puberty her hormone levels, especially her estrogen levels. It is common for women to complain of migraines during her monthly menstrual, these headaches are often referred to as menstrual migraines. And because of these hormones changes and that men don’t have them, migraine are more prevalent in men than women.

Tips For Daily Migraine Health

Men and women who suffer from moderate to intense migraine pain need to take a few practical steps to help reduce their migraine occurrences. By simply making a few changes to their normal routine, men and women will notice fewer migraine attacks during a single month. Some simple steps to reducing migraine headaches are:

• Refrain from overuse of caffeine do not consume more than two caffeinated beverages in a given day.
• A set scheduled time for going to bed and waking each morning.
• Avoid skipping meals and long bouts of fasting.
• Having a daily exercise regime – exercise has proven to help improve quality of life for individuals suffering from various conditions from diabetes to migraine headaches. Individuals who are not physically fit are more prone to migraine attacks.
• Bright and flashing lights are often associated with migraines therefore keep protective eyewear on hand and avoid places with flashing lights.
• Avoid stress (if possible) – exercise can help release negative endorphins and research has proven that daily exercise can help improve mood and improve clarity of thought.

If only treating a migraine attack was as simple as the above changes seem to be; the truth is not every migraine attack can be easily pacified by changing a few areas of one’s life. There are those migraine sufferers that require more intense long term treatments like massage therapy or acupuncture.

Tags: age, genetics, medical history, migraine attacks, migraine headaches, migraine sufferer, Migraines, Risk Factors, treatment