Migraines are chronic headaches that cause severe pain lasting for several hours or several days, according to MayoClinic.com. You may experience a warning sign prior to a migraine, such as a flash of light or tingling sensation in the arms or legs. Often, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound accompany a migraine. No cure exists for migraines, but you can take various medications and use different techniques to relieve the symptoms and pain.
Step 1
Avoid triggers, including alcohol, red wine, and caffeine.
Step 2
Draw the blood from the head to the feet. Healthcommunities.com recommends placing your feet in a bucket of extremely hot water while applying an ice pack to the back of your neck to accomplish this. The longer you do this, the greater the reduction of pain.
Step 3
Lie down in a dark, quiet room with a cold compress on your head.
Step 4
Take an analgesic pain reliever as recommended by your physician. Analgesics include pain medications such as ibuprofen and tylenol. These are most effective for infrequent headaches, which Healthcommunities.com defines as less than three per month, and should be taken when you first experience any sign of a migraine.
Step 5
Take triptan medications as prescribed by a physician. Drugs in this family of medications work when you suffer from severe migraines. They are effective for pain relief, as well as nausea and light sensitivity.
Things You'll Need
- Bucket of hot water
- Ice pack
- Pain medications
