There is nothing like a migraine headache to ruin your day. These painful headaches are brought on by a variety of triggers. Knowing which triggers you are most susceptible to can help you keep them at bay. Catching a migraine before it has a chance to take hold is the best way to eliminate or minimize the pain and duration of these nasty headaches. Here are a few tips on how you can keep them from ruining your day.
Know Your Triggers
Prevention is an important component of managing migraine headaches. Food, stress, activity levels, lack of sleep and alcohol are among the most common things that can trigger a migraine attack. Discovering your triggers and avoiding them will help keep migraine pain from bringing you down.
Some triggers may be difficult to avoid. For example, odd or strong smells can be triggers. You can keep these odors out of your personal environment, but if you are out and about and you encounter a smell that you cannot get away from you may not have any choice but to endure.
Other triggers are completely within your control. For example, alcohol causes headaches for some people. Avoiding it, even in social situations eliminates having a headache. There are plenty of nonalcoholic beverages in which you can partake. At the same time, be aware that certain foods and food additives may cause headaches also.
Even though you avoid the alcoholic beverages, opting for a nonalcoholic choice that contains red dye may still cause problems if you are sensitive to it.
Stay Cool
An ice pack helps keep the pain from becoming unmanageable if the headache has already taken hold. Use it on your forehead, scalp or the back of your neck to relieve the pain. If you don’t have access to an ice pack, a frozen gel pack or cold washcloth may help. The reduction of blood flow may be the reason this remedy is helpful.
Caffeine May Control Migraine Pain
Many people advocate sipping a caffeinated beverage at the onset of a migraine headache. When you notice the aura that often signals the start of an attack, sipping on a cola or any caffeinated drink may help. Some people have also found dark chocolate with a 65% or more cocoa content to be effective. Don’t overdo it though. Too much caffeine can cause these types of headaches.
Take Care of Your Body
While exercise is good for the body, if it is one of your triggers then you need to tone it down. There are a variety of exercises that can keep you in shape without triggering headaches. Try Pilates or yoga as an alternative work out. The peaceful moves may help keep the headaches away as your mind de-stresses.
Getting enough rest is also important. The body needs a certain amount of rest daily in order to keep functioning well. Lack of sleep can be a trigger for migraine headaches. Schedule your time so you get the optimum rest for your body.
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