Migraine Mayhem
Try some of these natural remedies for migraine and see if you can tame the storm.
Severe headaches lasting for several hours or days are known as migraine headaches. Migraines are three times more common in woman than in men.
Migraines cause severe pain on one or both sides of the head. Additional effects include nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.
According to the Mayo Clinic, some people feel premonitions several hours before a migraine strikes. A person may see light auras, crave sweets, experience increased energy or feel depressed, reports the clinic.
Step 1
Keep a food diary to check if there are any food triggers for your migraine. Suffers often find that eliminating all processed foods from their diet and stepping up the intake of fresh fruits and vegetables can help.
Coffee, cheese and chocolate are all know migraine triggers in many suffers.
If you start to notice a pattern between what you are eating and when a migraine starts, try removing the offending food from your diet. If the incident of migraine is reduced you may be on to a good thing.
If you think there may be several triggers in your diet try eliminating them all at first then reintroduce the foods one at a time and monitor whether the reintroduction triggers a migraine or not.
Step 2
Try adding some food supplements to your daily routine. Enzyme CoQ10, Vitamin B2 and Magnesium have all been shown (On Channel 4's 'The Foods Hospital') to reduce the incident of migraines in some suffers.
Take them as instructed on the product and see if you notice a difference after 3 months.
Step 3
Follow a regular sleep schedule, including at weekends and on holidays. Getting the right amount of sleep may decrease a migraine onset. Try to get the same amount of sleep every night--not too much and not too little. Do not try to catch up on extra sleep on the weekend.
An unbalanced sleep cycle can cause a migraine attack.
Step 4
Begin an exercise program to decrease stress, which is often related to the onset of migraines. Focus on getting between 30 and 40 minutes of physical activity three or more times a week
Some people may suffer migraines during exercise. To help prevent exercise-induced migraines, The National Headache Foundation suggests that you warm up, stretch muscles and hydrate the body. The foundation also suggests avoiding jarring activity such as jogging or running and opt for yoga or other similar exercise programs.
Step 5
Deal appropriately with emotions and stress which may trigger an attack. Listening to relaxing music, spending time outdoors or meditating can all help to reduce stress and relax the body.
Learn to manage emotions by writing in a journal or participating in creative endeavors such as painting or sketching.
Step 6
Try visiting a massage therapist and receiving regular massage.
According to the Mayo Clinic, massage may decrease and prevent migraine attacks. This is partly through the improved sleep quality that results from regular massages according to the clinic.
References
Mayo Clinic: Migraine
National Headache Foundation
Channel 4 The Food Hospital