The treatment of migraine symptoms focuses on avoiding triggers, controlling symptoms, and taking medicine.
Lifestyle Changes
The first way to treat a migraine is making some lifestyle alterations.
Most of us are so stressed! We forget to eat, we are rushing from one thing to another, and when we get some time we spend it on a screen! Quite a number of our migraines are a result of how we live, we refuse to value and take care of ourselves.
Making some changes in how you live can treat your migraine or reduce the frequency of migraines. If you can care for others, you can make some time to care for yourself too. Here are the most basic ways to care for yourself.
- Getting enough sleep – 8 Hours
- Regular physical exercise – Physical exercise increases endorphins in your brain and reduces the cortisol stress.
- Manage stress – Stress is part of life, it’s upon you to manage it. Make a habit to embrace the good stress that elicits positive hormones like dopamine and endorphins. When you have bad stress, high levels of cortisol, go for a 25-30 minute walk, see what happens to your brain and body!
- Drinking plenty of water. Your body lose 2-3 litres of water every day, through normal body processes. If we consider the alcohol we drink (that dehydrates us), nyama chomaand other sodium high foods, and running around trying to make deadlines…we are probably losing more than 3 litres because of how we live. Get a water bottle and constantly fill it with water. Try to at least drink 2 litres of water every day.
- Eating the right foods for migraines. Firstly, don’t skip a meal, especially Breakfast! You may have to avoid caffeine and alcohol for a while. Not because they are bad, they are just bad for people with migraines.
If changing your lifestyle fails to relieve the symptoms or frequency of migraines, you can consider seeking further treatment .
Drugs that treat nausea and other migraine drugs
Some people who experience migraines will need to take medications that treat the accompanying symptoms. Usually, these drugs can only be prescribed by a doctor, and should never be bought over the counter! You could be treating a brain tumor with painkillers!
Medications
Migraines often respond to medications.. There are many different types of migraine medications. Over-the-counter (OTC) medications are effective for treating migraines, however, their potential side effects could be serious, and you need to contact your doctor before using any.
Surgery
The last decade has seen the development of new approaches to the treatment of migraines, as a rule, surgical treatment is employed if change of lifestyle and medication fail to manage a migraine. Consult your doctor for more information about that. Your doctor will decide with you which treatment method is best for you.
How Can You Prevent a Migraine?
- Migraine prevention begins with avoiding triggers. The main goals of preventive therapies are to reduce the frequency, pain level, and duration of migraine headaches and increase the effectiveness of other therapies.
- Create a consistent daily schedule. Establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals.
- Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces tension and can help prevent migraines.
- There are several medications and supplements that help prevent migraine attacks. We’ve listed two options below.
- Herbal extracts, and green veggies e.g. Petasites hybridus (properly processed plant extracts since the leaves are potentially carcinogenic)
- Vitamin B-complex in both foods and supplements
