Medication is one of the most effective ways to treat and avoid migraines. Medication, on the other hand, is just part of the story. It’s also important to look after yourself and know how to deal with migraine pain when it occurs.

In addition to that, the same lifestyle decisions that improve good health will also help you minimize the frequency and severity of your migraines. You can still get migraines even though you stop your causes and follow healthy behaviors.

What is Migraine?

Migraines are characterized by a severe pounding headache that can last for hours or even days. The pulsing or beating pain typically starts in the forehead, side of the head, or around the eyes. The headache worsens over time. Every kind of movement, action, bright light, or noisy noise tends to aggravate the pain. During a migraine, nausea and vomiting are common.

Furthermore, a migraine headache can be excruciatingly painful. It has the power to hinder your everyday activities. Also, the intensity of migraines differs for each person. Here are a few things you can do if your migraine attacks.

Apply Ice Pack

You can do when you are experiencing migraine attacks to apply an ice pack on your forehead or wherever you feel the most pain. A cold compress or ice pack applied to the head or neck is thought to have a numbing effect, reducing pain. Cold therapy has been identified as the most commonly used self-administered pain-relieving measure by migraine sufferers.

Search For a Quiet and Dark Room

When your migraine attacks, it would be best to go to a place in your house far from the noise and is quite dark because many people who suffer from migraines tend to be sensitive to noise and light. A dark and quiet room may help you calm yourself. You may sleep if you can. If not, then relax. 

Drink Plenty of Water

Staying hydrated while experiencing migraines is essential. We all know what it does in our bodies. It’s not only good for migraines but a person’s overall health. Also, for people who experience migraine attacks, and has a history for migraine, it is best to consume a glass of water every two hours. 

Furthermore, avoid dehydration. Dehydration is a leading cause of headaches and may also induce migraines. It’s a danger at any time of year, but particularly during the summer months.

Caffeine

You can find it in coffee and various other foods and beverages, and it can provide some mild relief. Caffeine may alleviate migraine pain in the early stages or improve the pain-relieving effects of acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) and aspirin when taken in small doses.

However, be cautious. Caffeine withdrawal headaches can occur if you drink too much caffeine too regularly. Caffeine intake late in the day will interrupt sleep, which can worsen migraine symptoms.

Massaging your Temple

Massage will help you relax your muscles. It can also help to alleviate muscle tension and headache pain. Use your fingertips to gently massage your temples, scalp, ears, and shoulders, or stretch your neck. 

However, whether or not this is beneficial to you is a matter of personal choice. Some migraine sufferers are susceptible to touch, and a massage can make them feel much worse. Others find that rubbing their temples helps them relax by enhancing circulation.

Exercise

Aerobic exercise, such as fast walking, or lower-intensity activities that promote relaxation, such as yoga, can relieve or remove migraine symptoms.

When you’re not in pain, though, exercise can help avoid migraines by minimizing stress, which is a common migraine cause. Exercising also triggers the release of endorphins and enkephalins, which function as “natural painkillers and antidepressants” throughout the body.

Medication

If the pain you’re suffering is killing you, then maybe it’s time for you to take some prescription drugs for migraines. As we all know, there are two types of treatment for migraines, namely abortive and preventive medication.

How does it differ from each other? Abortive medication is administered during the early signs of migraines. Although the pain is still mild, take them. Abortive drugs help avoid or mitigate migraine symptoms, including pain, nausea, light sensitivity, and so on, by potentially stopping the headache process. 

While preventive medications are used when you experience severe migraines more than three times every month and are seriously interfering with your daily activities, these drugs lessen headaches’ severity and frequency. 

Lifestyle Changes

In some people, making a few lifestyle changes can help them avoid migraines. For instance, people may notice things that raise their risk of having a headache.

Caffeine withdrawal or alcohol consumption can cause migraines in some people. Although doctors believed that food causes played a significant role in migraine headaches, there is no solid evidence to back this up.

Furthermore, you may be able to minimize the risk of migraine by consuming regular meals and maintaining other healthy behaviors such as having enough sleep and controlling stress, in addition to recognizing possible headache causes. However, even the most conscientious lifestyle efforts can not be enough to avoid all migraines.

Try Eating Small Meals Frequently

If you haven’t eaten in a while, the aching or blurry feeling you’re having may be the product of low blood sugar. In this situation, instantly eating something will help to relieve the nagging feeling. According to some studies, food high in magnesium, such as spinach, tofu, olive oil, sunflower, or pumpkin seeds, may be particularly beneficial.

Acupressure

Pain can be relieved by applying pressure to the hand between the thumb and index finger. Use the opposite hand’s thumb and index finger to pinch the indentation between the two digits and rub in a circular motion for five minutes, then switch hands.

Furthermore, it’s a risk-free experiment, and at the very least, it’s a pleasant diversion from the discomfort. Acupuncture is another choice. Long needles are inserted into the skin to activate trigger points in the body, and the procedure has been shown to help avoid migraines and chronic stress headaches.

Takeaway

Migraine headaches can be excruciating, crippling, and inconvenient. There are several treatment choices available, so take your time to find the one or combination of treatments suitable for you. Preventing migraines is often the first step in treating them. To recognize migraine causes, keep track of your headaches and symptoms.