Migraine: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, And Prevention

What Helps A Migraine:

what helps a migraine

You may also have pain around your eyes or temple, and sometimes, around your face, sinuses, jaw or neck. Too little — or too much — can trigger headaches and lower your threshold for pain. Aim for 7 to 8 hours each night, and try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Keeping a journal of when your migraine attacks occur can help you identify your personal triggers. Additionally, in cases in which medications aren’t yielding results, Botox (OnabotulinumtoxinA) injections can be considered. In this therapy, doctors target specific areas in your forehead, temples, sides, and back of the head and neck.

It will be crucial to have access to reliable resources on migraine as you work to manage this disease. The American Migraine Foundation offers extensive resources to help you explore your symptoms and treatment options. This Diagnosis & Treatment page walks you through next steps after a diagnosis.

Practicing yoga is an excellent way to relieve stress, increase flexibility, decrease pain, and improve your overall quality of life (48). However, caffeine withdrawal has also been shown to cause headaches if a person regularly consumes large amounts of caffeine and suddenly stops. Caffeine improves mood, increases alertness, and constricts blood vessels, all of which can have a positive effect on headache symptoms (43).

You may be limited in what you’re able to do while dealing with migraine pain, and support from others is a powerful coping tool. You may need you could try this out to experiment to decide what feels best for you. Some people find that an ice pack applied to the head offers soothing, numbing relief.

A prodrome is a warning sign that a migraine is developing. Treating your symptoms in the early stages is your best chance at avoiding a more severe migraine. Regular meditation and stress-reduction visit the website strategies can also help prevent migraine from developing in the first place. People with migraine who use caffeine more than 3 days per week may develop a dependency.

These can include over-the-counter pain relievers and more targeted prescription therapies. A 2020 review of studies published in the journal Phytotherapy Research examined the ability of various herbal treatments, including lavender therapy for migraine. The authors found mixed or limited evidence to support the use of butterbur and feverfew for treating migraine but didn’t note that current research supports the use of lavender. To figure out which foods and beverages trigger migraine attacks for you, keep a daily food journal. Record everything you eat and note how you feel afterward.

A 2015 study found yoga may relieve the frequency, duration, and intensity of migraine attacks. It’s thought to improve anxiety, release tension in migraine-trigger areas, and improve vascular health. Your rescue meds won’t start working the second you take them’and you might feel desperate for relief until they do, Dr. Preston says. As SELF has previously reported, cold therapy’like sliding one of those TikTok-famous ice caps over your head’can sometimes help. Relaxing in a dark room, using a cold compress, smelling some peppermint or lavender essential oils, drinking some caffeine, and avoiding loud noises may also help reduce headache severity.

what helps a migraine

So it makes sense that drinking fluids can help prevent a migraine and can help alleviate them when they do occur. The most simple way to prevent a migraine is to avoid what triggers them. However, that article source means identifying the trigger, which can be challenging. Cold therapy reduces inflammation and also slows nerve transmission of pain messaging so that your brain registers coldness instead of pain.

Your parents can even pass down migraine triggers like fatigue, bright lights, or weather changes. Most migraine headaches last about 4 hours, but severe ones can go for more than 3 days. Some people may get migraine headaches every few days, while others get them once or twice a year. Yoga uses breathing, meditation, and body postures to promote health and well-being.

Here are some frequently asked questions about migraine. However, the authors note that more high quality trials are necessary. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health also points out that study results have been mixed. Magnesium plays an important role in electrical signals that pass between neurons, which may explain why low magnesium levels make migraine more likely.

A 2021 review found that vitamin B2 at 400 mg daily for 3 months had significant effect on number of days, duration, frequency, and pain score of migraine episodes. Migraine headaches can interrupt your life, but there are a number of things you can do to manage them so that they interfere less. A trip to the doctor can help you work out the right plan for a specific attack with medication and rest.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top