Self-Care for Migraine Attacks – You Don’t Have to Suffer

Migraine triggers

There are many possible triggers for migraine attacks, and it can be hard to pinpoint what causes them. One common trigger for women is changes in their hormone levels, which is why some women find relief once they enter menopause. “It has a lot to do with hormones,” said Rashmi B. Halker Singh, M.D., a neurologist and member of HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council. “About a third of women will have migraine onset around the time of puberty. The common thing is that the migraines remain present throughout the childbearing years and that has a lot to do with the estrogen fluctuations.”

Other common migraine triggers include:

• Stress
• Bright lights
• Strong smells
• Too little or too much sleep
• Certain food or drinks
• Weather changes

Self-care for migraines

Not all migraine attacks are preventable, and there are medications that can help prevent or treat migraines once they occur. Self-care is also crucial when you recognize a trigger. Learning to avoid triggers in the first place is another important step for migraine self-care.

Avoid triggers. If your migraine attacks are caused by common triggers like lack of sleep, getting too hungry or being stressed, there are steps you can take that might reduce the number of attacks you experience. Maybe you can keep healthy snacks with you to ensure you always have something to eat if you need it. It may not be easy, but try to sleep on a regular schedule and identify methods to help manage stress, like practicing meditation or seeing a mental health professional.

Start early. If you get an aura (a warning that a migraine attack is on the way), try to start your self-care right away. If you don’t have any warning, start at the first sign of the migraine attack. Depending on what works for you, that could mean going into a dark room and resting, turning off any screens, applying hot or cold compresses to your head or neck, taking a warm shower, eating something, or hydrating yourself.

Eat a healthy diet. Eating a healthy diet reduces your risk of all kinds of diseases, and migraine is one of them. Following a healthy diet can also help minimize the number of migraine attacks you get or how bad they are when you get them. Avoiding known food triggers is important, too.

Exercise regularly. Getting regular exercise is always a good idea for your physical, mental and brain health. Exercise can reduce stress, which can help improve migraine attacks. But there’s another reason, too. There’s evidence that aerobic exercise can help reduce how often you have a migraine attack, how long it will last and how severe it will be.