Migraines typically begin between childhood and early adulthood, and affect two to three times as many women as men, according to Mama's Health.com. This may be due to the fluctuation in hormones they experience during their menstrual cycles and menopause. The main cause of migraines is a rapid widening and narrowing of the blood vessel walls in the brain, resulting in an irritation of the blood vessel wall. While a normal headache can be painful, a migraine can be absolutely excruciating, lasting as long as 72 hours, according to Healthcommunities.com.
Step 1
Place your feet in a bucket of water. Fill a bucket with hot water and place your feet in them while wrapping a cold compress around your neck. Healthcommunities.com explains that this treatment draws blood from the brain, relieving pain during the treatment. This is a naturopathic treatment, therefore it should not take the place of any treatment your doctor has suggested.
Step 2
Get a prescription from your doctor. Two types of medication exist for the treatment of migraines; Pain-relieving and preventative. Pain-relieving medications should be taken the moment you feel symptoms of a migraine begin, reducing the risk of experiencing the migraine for a long period of time. These include medications such as ibuprofen, or medications that combine aspirin, acetaminophen and caffeine. If you experience more severe migraines, medication exists to help reduce sensitivity to light and sound, as well as relieve nausea. Preventative medications can reduce the frequency, length and severity of a migraine. You may be a candidate if you experience two or more debilitating episodes a month, according to MayoClinic.com.
Step 3
Go to sleep in a dark room. Sleeping in a dark room void of noise and unusual or unpleasant odors can help relieve your migraine pain, as these are all triggers for migraines. This is most effective when you first feel the migraine beginning, and MayoClinic.com suggests placing an ice pack on the back of your neck while applying a gently pressure to the painful areas of your scalp.
Step 4
Keep a migraine journal to enable you to determine what triggers your migraines and what treatments are most effective for you. Purchase a small notebook and write the date and time of each migraine down, along with any incident or person involved. Over time, you may have the ability to control your pain and reduce the number of incidents more effectively.
Step 5
Get enough rest. The amount of hours you sleep plays a large role in the number of migraines you experience, as MayoClinic.com points out. The site states that the average adult requires between six and eight hours of sleep each night. To gain better control over your migraines, you should set a specific sleep and wake time.
