If you have been living with migraine, you have probably become very aware of the popular home remedies to reduce the symptoms of a migraine attack. These mainly include staying in bed while keeping your room dark, painkillers, as well as a cold towel. While those are indeed effective ways to reduce migraine symptoms, wouldn’t it be simply fantastic if we could reduce the symptoms just as the initial signs of a migraine attack kick in? Recognizing these signs would help us to become aware of our patterns, hence, our personal triggers.
Well, the first thing on your to-do list is to track your migraine symptoms in a diary, in which you take notes of what you were doing when the initial symptoms started to happen. Be specific and write down details related to what you ate, whether you had enough sleep if you experienced anything stressful, and the like. While each person has different triggers, there are several common ones that affect most people who suffer from migraines. Here are some of those common triggers and helpful tips that you can implement to prevent a full-blown migraine attack.
1. Manage your stress
The American Migraine Foundation stated that stress is a trigger for almost 70% of people with migraine. Furthermore, they explained that a study has shown that 50-70% of people had a strong connection between their daily stress level and the migraine attacks that they experience.
Coping with the said situation, it is important to acknowledge the things that cause you excessive stress and tension, and consciously try reducing these stressors in your daily life. Practice routines that allow you to relax, such as meditation, exercise, or other forms of relaxation therapies which can help you in adjusting your body’s physiological responses to the stress itself. This way, it becomes less likely for your stress level to trigger a migraine.
2. Stay hydrated!
You might not have noticed the direct connection between dehydration and your migraine attacks, but trust us, staying hydrated goes a long way for people with migraines. The American Migraine Foundation explained that about 33% of people who suffer from migraines admitted that dehydration is indeed a trigger. Therefore, make sure you always carry a bottle of water with you when you’re out and that your water intake reaches at least 2 liters per day.
3. Eat well and don’t skip meals!
An article published by The Migraine Trust explained that fasting, eating high-sugar foods, severely limited diets, skipping meals, as well as irregular meals, are all known to be triggers for headache and migraine. The headache or migraine normally happens as your blood-glucose levels fall too low. Knowing how excruciating a migraine attack can be, we can all try to become a bit more self-disciplined with our eating habits!
4. Stick to a regular sleep schedule
In an online article published by Everyday Health, Noah Rosen, MD, an expert in neurology and psychiatry based in New York, explained that poor sleep is a common migraine trigger. When your sleep habit gets disrupted, the possibility of experiencing a migraine attack increases. The same goes for when you’re exhausted. Given that the close connection between migraine and sleep hygiene, it is crucial that you keep a regular sleep schedule that allows you to get a minimum of 7-8 hours of sleep.
While recognizing your triggers and dealing with them appropriately may prevent you from experiencing full-blown migraine attacks, it is indeed different for every person. Make sure to see a doctor if you have three or more migraines per week, persistent headaches, or headaches that require you to take pain relievers (almost) every day. We’re here if you need us!
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