Simple Steps to Prevent a Migraine Headache

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Simple Steps to Prevent a Migraine Headache
March 11, 2024 by admin

Migraine is a type of headache wherein you experience a pulsing sensation or severe throbbing pain, typically on one side of your head. Often, it is accompanied by vomiting, nausea, and extreme sensitivity to sound and light. A migraine attack lasts for hours or even days. Furthermore, the pain can impact your daily activities.

Some people experience an aura – a warning symptom – before or along with the headache. It may include visual disturbances like blind spots and flashes of light or other symptoms such as tingling in a leg, an arm, or on one side of the face and difficulty speaking.

Today, medicines are available for both treating and preventing migraines. However, medicine is only one part of the story. The other part is making use of self-help remedies and making lifestyle changes. However, those living in Chennai must consult with the best neurologist doctor in Chennai if they experience migraine attacks more frequently.

Causes Of Migraine

Researchers and scientists have not fully decoded the reasons for the cause of migraines. However, environmental factors and genetics seem to have a role to play. Brainstem changes and their interactions via the major pain pathway, the trigeminal nerve, and imbalances in brain chemicals such as serotonin, which regulates pain in the nervous system, might be some of the reasons. However, there are a number of factors that trigger a migraine attack, including:

  • Changes in oestrogen levels in women prior to or during menstrual periods, menopause, and pregnancy
  • Use of hormone medications (some women may experience fewer migraines when taking these medications).
  • Consumption of alcoholic beverages, especially wine, and too much caffeine
  • Stress at home or work
  • Sensory stimuli such as flashing or bright lights, loud sounds, strong smells of perfume, secondhand smoke, paint thinner, etc.
  • Changes in sleep cycles (missing sleep or sleeping too much)
  • Physical factors (e.g., intense physical exertion)
  • Changes in weather conditions
  • Use of medications such as vasodilators and oral contraceptives
  • Eating foods such as aged cheeses and processed foods that have high salt content or skipping meals
  • Consumption of food additives such as aspartame sweetener and MSG

If your children in their early teens are experiencing migraine headaches, it is highly recommended that you visit one of the best pediatricians in Chennai at the earliest possible date.

Ways To Prevent Migraine Attacks

The prevention of migraine attacks involves the identification and avoidance of specific triggers. This helps minimize the chances of a migraine attack.

1: Avoid Bright Lights And Loud Noises

Sensory stimuli such as flashing lights (e.g., strobe lights) and loud noises are common migraine triggers. It may be difficult to avoid these stimuli totally. However, you can definitely reduce your exposure to such stimuli by avoiding certain environments and situations.

2: Pay Attention To Your Food Choices

Some of the foods and drinks that can potentially initiate headaches are chocolate, processed meats, red wine, sweeteners, and cheese. Try to understand which foods and additives can trigger a headache for you and limit their consumption during the day or totally avoid them if required.

3: Maintain A Headache Journal

Recording the instances of occurrence of headaches helps you to identify your migraine triggers easily. Some of the aspects you should record are:

  • The foods and beverages you consume
  • The exercise routine you follow
  • Weather conditions
  • Your feelings and emotions
  • Medications you have and their side effects
  • Times and severity of headaches

4: Beware Of Hormonal Changes

Hormonal changes that women experience just before or during their menstrual cycles are known to trigger migraine headaches for many of them. Therefore, following an appropriate diet and exercise habits, especially during those time, helps to ease symptoms even before they begin.

5: Take Supplements

It may be possible to treat migraines with or without medications. However, you must ensure adequate nutrient intake. This is because the onset of migraine headaches is known to be caused by magnesium deficiency. Therefore, taking a supplement containing daily recommended allowances of vitamins and minerals may help reduce the occurrence of migraines.

6: Pay Attention To Changes In Weather Conditions

Changes in weather conditions have an impact on migraine patterns. High temperatures and humidity can stimulate headaches. Rainy days may also trigger headaches. Never stay outdoors if the weather conditions are uncomfortable for you. You may not be able to avoid it all the time, but you can strive to minimize your exposure to unfavourable weather conditions.

7: Follow A Regular Eating And Sleeping Schedule

Fasting or skipping meals, hunger, and dehydration may trigger migraine headaches. Therefore, you should eat at regular intervals. Moreover, you should ensure that you are keeping yourself sufficiently hydrated. As lack of sleep tends to aggravate symptoms, you should ensure that you are getting seven to eight hours of sleep every day.

8: Avoid Stress

Although it may not always be possible to avoid stressful situations, we can definitely manage our reactions to such situations. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and biofeedback are helpful in reducing stress levels.

9: Exercise Regularly

Exercising regularly is absolutely essential to lead a healthy life. However, you should avoid high-intensity exercises, as they can trigger headaches. Besides, pay attention to the response of your body to certain activities. Engage in exercises that help reduce stress levels.

In conclusion, learning how to avoid specific triggers and having a clear plan are essential parts of preventing the occurrence of migraine headaches.

Sugam Hospital

Sugam Hospital is one of the best neurology hospital in Chennai and is well-equipped with the most modern facilities for treating patients suffering from various neurological problems. The neurology department at Sugam has a team of experienced and expert neurologists who leverage the power of technology, innovation, and professional skills to provide appropriate treatments. Expert neurologists and neurosurgeons at Sugam are adept at treating all types of migraine headaches and acute emergencies such as strokes, brain haemorrhages, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, epilepsy, brain infections, etc. Additionally, we have one of the top diagnostic labs in Chennai to help our neurology specialists quickly diagnose various conditions.