Migraines are painful, recurring headaches that affect one side of the head. They typically last 4-72 hours and can be accompanied by various symptoms, including visual disturbances (known as aura) and tingling sensations in the face or arms.
Identifying your personal triggers can help reduce migraine attacks and make them less severe. Common causes include stress, certain foods and beverages, skipping meals, dehydration, changes in weather conditions and hormone fluctuations during puberty or menstruation.
1. Change Your Diet
Migraine headaches are not cured, but you can reduce their frequency and severity with lifestyle changes. Tracking your attacks in a diary can help you figure out what triggers them.
Foods that contain the chemical tyramine can trigger migraines in some people, especially aged cheeses and processed foods that use nitrates (like hot dogs or bacon). Also, skipping meals is linked to headaches. Try to eat small, regular meals. This will prevent hunger-related headaches and keep your blood sugar on an even keel. Also, drink lots of water to stay hydrated.
2. Exercise Regularly
While intense exercise can trigger migraine, moderate, regular exercise may help reduce the frequency of episodes over time. This is because exercising balances triggering hormones and can help build up a tolerance to them.
Exercise also releases endorphins, which are the body’s natural painkillers and mood boosters. It also helps to reduce stress, improve sleep quality and manage health issues like high blood pressure and depression that are linked to migraine.
A consistent routine of aerobic exercises, plus two days of muscle-strengthening workouts each week can significantly lower the frequency and intensity of your migraines.
3. Take Tramadol
Migraine medications help many people control their symptoms, from pain to nausea. Some prevent migraines, while others treat them once they occur.
If you need quick relief from migraines and stress, tramadol is a good option. You can order tramadol online for fast relief, and it's best to purchase it from reputable online pharmacies
4. Get Plenty of Sleep
Many people with migraine report trouble sleeping due to pain, medication side effects or the disease itself. Symptoms include throbbing or pounding pain that can be mild, moderate or severe. They may also feel sensitivity to lights and sound and a tingling sensation in their head or neck.
Getting plenty of sleep (seven to nine hours) can help reduce the frequency of headache attacks. Other triggers include diet, including foods like aged cheeses, alcohol and caffeine; hormone changes such as during puberty, before or during a woman’s period or during pregnancy; and weather changes.
5. Stay Hydrated
Dehydration can be a trigger for migraines, so it's important to drink plenty of fluids. Try drinking a glass of water with each meal and having a cup of low-sugar caffeine-free drink, such as coffee or tea, each day.
Avoiding stress also can help reduce the number of headaches you experience. If possible, try to sleep and eat on a regular schedule and consider stress-management techniques like biofeedback or relaxation training.
6. Reduce Stress
Stress is a frequent trigger for migraines, and chronic migraine pain can raise your stress levels. Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce your stress levels, like exercise and getting enough sleep.
You can also try a relaxing herb like butterbur (but make sure to take only the pyrrolizidine alkaloid-free kind). The plant may help ease migraine pain by blocking some of the chemicals that cause inflammation and lowering hormones.
Learn to identify your stress triggers and address them before they lead to a headache. It helps to keep a headache diary so you can notice patterns and changes.
7. Avoid Foods That Trigger Migraines
Some foods can trigger migraines, especially those containing yeast, such as bread and donuts. Artificial sweeteners, like those found in Diet Coke and other calorie-free drinks, are also known triggers, as is the amino acid tyramine.
Avoiding food and drink that cause headaches is vital to reducing them. It is a good idea to keep a diary, so you can identify triggers. Some common triggers include aged cheeses, alcohol and additives such as monosodium glutamate and nitrates (found in hot dogs and lunch meats). Other triggers can be hormonal changes (like those during menstrual cycles) and sensory stimulation, including bright lights, glare, strong smells and loud noises.
8. Take a Nap
A migraine is a severe pain that usually occurs on one side of the head. It's often triggered by foods like aged cheese and alcohol, and can be made worse by light, noise, and odors. It can also be caused by a change in hormone levels, especially during menstruation.
Some people find relief by taking a nap. It may help to keep a headache diary to identify what triggers your migraine. Avoiding caffeine, which can affect blood vessel dilation, is another option. Try replacing your regular coffee with decaffeinated options.
9. Apply Cold or Warm Compresses
Migraine pain is a debilitating condition that causes a pounding headache that can last for several hours or even days. It also causes nausea and sensitivity to light, smells or sound.
If you suffer from migraines, try to make lifestyle and behavioral changes like getting enough sleep, exercising regularly and avoiding foods that trigger them. Taking a magnesium supplement may help, but be sure to speak with your doctor before trying it.
Some people find relief from migraine symptoms by applying a cold or warm compress. Soak a washcloth in cold water, wring it out and place it on your head or neck.
10. Turn Off the Lights
Many people who suffer from migraines have a strong aversion to brightness, and light can make their pain worse during an attack. Try applying a cold compress to your head or neck, which can help numb the pain and relax tense muscles.
You can also reduce your exposure to bright lights by installing fluorescent lighting diffusers. These are available online and at your local hardware store, and they’re designed to change the wavelength of light that reaches your eyes. This is especially helpful if you’re sensitive to blue light.
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