Dealing with Migraine (for the MS Community and beyond)
If you’ve ever experienced a migraine headache, you know all too well how important it is to treat this painful condition aggressively. Learning to identify what triggers your migraines can go a long way toward helping you manage the migraine.
Migraines can be chronic (happening more than 6 times a month for more than 6 months) and greatly affect your daily activities. Just about anything can cause a migraine, including weather changes, strong odors, stress, loss of sleep, fluctuations in estrogen levels, and certain foods and drinks.
Lifestyle Tips For Managing Migraine
The first step many people think about when it comes to pain management for migraines is through the use of medication. But we also know that this should only be part of the equation.
Avoiding known triggers can also help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. The same lifestyle choices that promote overall good health also offers a way to manage migraines. And a combination of both medication or procedures and lifestyle changes is often the most effective way to relieve migraines. There’s a lot to this, so let’s dig into some of the best lifestyle tips we can offer on how to manage migraines.
Get Enough Sleep
A healthy amount of quality sleep helps manage migraines. This means not sleeping too little but also not sleeping too much, as that can also trigger a migraine. Many migraine sufferers find that maintaining strict consistency when it comes to scheduling sleep is a key component in managing migraines.
Track Your Eating and Drinking Habit
Avoid foods that contain chemicals such as MSG and artificial sweeteners. You should generally avoid both red and white wine, too, as this can trigger migraines because it contains sulfites and preservatives. If you love drinking wine, look for organic white wine which has fewer chemicals and drink it in moderation.
Skipping meals and fasting are also both common migraine triggers. If you know that going too long between meals trigger your migraines, always keep a few healthy snacks on-hand such as almonds, roasted chickpeas, veggie slices, and fruit.
Bring Sunglasses With You
Most of the migraine sufferers are sensitive to light. Precision tinted lenses can help reduce the discomfort experienced by some migraine sufferers.
Moderate Exercise
Working out with a pounding migraines doesn’t exactly sound ideal, but during the times you’re migraine-free, regular exercise is a good way to help reduce migraine attacks. Experts aren’t exactly sure why exercise reduces migraines, but they do know that it helps keep your weight in check, which is another way to manage migraines. Workouts also contribute to better sleep at the end of the day.
Keep Calm and Avoid Conflicts
Strong sudden emotions like stress or rage or even excitement can trigger a migraine. So try to stay calm and relaxed as much as possible. Avoid fighting or yelling. Learn to stay away from drama and focus on the good stuff.
It is recommended to take frequent breaks during stressful situations and relaxing with something you enjoy, It can be yoga, meditation, a hobby of some sort or whatever you find to be calming and takes your mind off. Some people even try doing charitable work on a regular basis. When migraines come, focusing on the good they’ve done for other people can somehow lessen the severity of the migraines.
Less Alcohol Intake
For some people, alcohol is a major trigger for migraines. After all, they can cause hangovers. Alcohol also causes dehydration, and a quite number of people get migraines whenever they are dehydrated or forget to drink enough water in a day. So drink less frequently, and limit your intake when you drink.
Have Sex
The study had shown that orgasms can help reduce the pain of a migraine and that regular orgasms may also prevent migraines. A small percentage of the population can have an increase in pain with orgasm, so be sure to evaluate if orgasms help you.
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