Migraines are severe throbbing headaches that affect millions of Americans annually, according to the National Headache Foundation. Light, smells, sounds, and physical activity can exacerbates pain. The MayoClinic.com indicates that migraines typically last up to 72 hours; thus migraines often disrupt a sufferer’s typical way of life.
Step 1
Keep a headache journal. Keeping a detailed journal will help you to recognize your migraine triggers and allow you to better establish a routine that avoids most of the common triggers. Your journal should include any major activity up to 12 hours before an attack. The date and time the attack began, the location of the headache, symptoms before and after the migraine, any food or drink consumed before the attack, your sleep pattern the night before the attack, all physical activity and medications taken before and during the headache, and any relevant change in hormones, such as a menstrual cycle for adolescent females, should be recorded.
Step 2
Receive a psychological evaluation. The National Headache Foundation indicates a sense of stress, anxiety or depression can exacerbate migraine symptoms. Being evaluated for these common migraine problems by a psychologist will allow you to learn early warning techniques to reduce overall stress and subsequently blood pressure before and during a migraine. These techniques can reduce the occurrence and limit the severity of an attack.
Step 3
Manage your environment. Wearing polarized sunglasses will help minimize sun-induced migraines. During an attack, you should relax in a quiet, dark room to encourage yourself to fall asleep. Sleep is often the most useful treatment for migraines since sleep is synonymous with relaxation. Applying a cool cloth to the forehead and back of the neck should help slow blood flow to the head and therefore lower the level of pain.
Step 4
Control your diet. Many possible migraine triggers exist in a common diet. The MayoClinic.com suggests that you should avoid or limit several types of food. For example, MSG or monosodium glutamate, a typical Chinese food additive, should be avoided as well as extraneous caffeine. Many fruits, although important for development and health, could be possible migraine triggers. Observe the foods you have eaten before an attack to determine if special dietary guidelines are necessary.
Step 5
Minimize caffeine consumption. Since caffeine is a common headache trigger, according to the American Migraine Foundation, eliminating caffeine will help lower overall blood pressure. Since many over-the-counter medications contain caffeine, which can trigger rebound migraines in people of all ages, it is even more important to control the amount of extraneous caffeine consumed in your diet.
Things You'll Need
- Polarized sunglasses
- Headache journal
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