How To Cope With Migraines

Migraines are more common than people realise. About 10% of the world’s population is believed to be susceptible to migraines. It is more common in men than women - in a US study, 17.1% of women reported experiencing migraines, while only 5.6% of men reported experiencing a migraine.
While understanding what triggers migraines you can often learn to prevent them. There are also measures you can take to treat a migraine while it is occurring. This post explains more.

What is a migraine?

A migraine is an incredibly painful headache - often experienced on one side of the head. The pain is so intense that most people cannot continue daily activities (unlike a regular headache), often having to lie down until it passes. Vision loss, hallucinations and nausea can also be symptoms.

Migraines come on gradually and can last for long periods. For most people, a migraine lasts about 2 to 4 hours. However, for some people, migraines can last as long as 3 days.

The exact cause of migraines is unknown. Many scientists believe that it is the result of changes of blood flow in the brain and changes in hormone levels which then cause our nerves to feel pain. This process is usually kickstarted by a specific trigger such as a certain food, a certain smell, bright lights or stress.

Migraines typically do not have any useful reason to happen, and so are most likely a sensory malfunction - much like allergic reactions or intolerances. For some unknown reason, the brain sees a normally harmless trigger as a threat and responds with pain. 

Susceptibility to migraines is largely genetic - you are more likely to experience migraines if you have family members who have experienced migraines. That said, some people without a family history of migraines have still developed this health condition.

What are some common migraine triggers?

Migraines are usually triggered by something specific. Common migraine triggers include:

• Stress
  
• Changes in sleep patterns
  
• Skipping meals
  
• Weather changes
  
• Caffeine withdrawal
  
• Bright lights
  

Many foods and ingredients are known to be triggers including:

• Gluten
  
• Alcohol
  
• Nitrates (most commonly found in bacon and hot dogs)
  
• High yeast bread (different from gluten)
  
• Aged cheeses
  
• Chocolate
  
• Coffee (while withdrawal is a common trigger, others are triggered by coffee)
  
• Bananas
  
• MSG (most commonly found in Chinese food)
  
• Cold foods like ice cream
  

Certain smells can also trigger migraines in certain people including:

• Certain perfumes
  
• Cigarette smoke
  
• Gasoline
  
• Nail polish
  
• Bleach
  
• Paint 
  
• Asphalt
  

Generally speaking, only one of these triggers will cause a migraine. However, it is possible for someone to have multiple triggers. By making a record of your migraines, you can attempt to pick up on possible triggers by spotting trends (Were you eating a certain food? Were you stressed? Did you change your morning routine?).

How can you treat a migraine?

Once a migraine takes hold, there is often nothing you can do but ride it out. Most people find that it helps to lay in a dark quiet room until it passes.  A hot bath or hot shower may also help. Continuing to go about your everyday activities is not advised as it may just cause it to last longer or get worse.
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Painkillers can help to reduce the pain, but usually aren’t enough to completely numb it unless you’re taking something very strong (which of course should only ever be prescribed by a doctor). Talk to your doctor if you think you could benefit from migraine-specific painkillers.

Other measures like IV treatment for migraines are known to be quite effective. If you know of a local IV clinic and typically have long-lasting migraines, it could be worth checking if you can get a last minute appointment, 
You have a better chance of treating a migraine by catching it early. While caffeine can be a trigger, it has been found to be a simple miracle cure for some migraine sufferers - drinking some coffee in the early stages of a migraine may cause it to disappear before it becomes intense. Ginger may have a similar effect on some people. 

How can I prevent migraines?

The best treatment for migraines is prevention. If you know what your triggers are, you can take steps to avoid them. As already mentioned, making a record of your migraines and your activities before each episode is the best way to identify triggers. Keeping a diary may help. 

Some triggers are easier to avoid than others. Once identified, food triggers can usually be avoided by looking carefully at ingredients on packaging or asking at restaurants. When it comes to certain smells, you may be able to avoid using certain products to prevent exposure.

Changes in routine as a trigger can be trickier to manage. If changes in sleep patterns are an issue, you may have to give up lie-ins at the weekend. If skipping meals is a trigger or coffee withdrawal, you may have to start religious eating or having coffee at a certain time.

Stress is a common trigger that can only be managed by reducing stress in your life - which is easier said than done. Finding ways to de-stress may help to prevent migraines developing. This could include taking five minutes out to meditate, doing some exercise, listening to music, taking a long hot bath or learning to laugh it off. Otherwise, if you live a stressful life, it could become quite debilitating. 
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Weather-related migraines are some of the hardest to manage, because the weather is out of our control. There have been varying theories as to why people experience these migraines - from changes in temperature to changes in barometric pressure. In most cases, the best thing that you can do is work out what type of weather changes affect you and then plan for them by looking at weather forecasts. If heat waves seem to trigger migraines, consider finding ways to stay cool such as staying indoors with the air con on during the hottest period of the day. This may help to ward off a migraine.

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