Migraines are lifelong, causing incredible headaches that can last from a few hours to a few days. Some of the common migraine symptoms are debilitating headaches, blurry vision, and nausea. Chronic migraine symptoms could include sweating, feeling flushed or shivering, dizziness, and numbness or tingling sensations in the hands (fingertips) and feet (toes and soles). The causes of migraines are varied, with the broader spectrum being menstruation, menopause, tiredness and fatigue, stress, and certain foods, drinks, and smells.
The best solution for migraines is medication like Sumatriptan tablets. These tablets help narrow blood vessels present in the head, thereby reducing or nullifying pain signals sent to the brain. Sumatriptan is an active ingredient of Imigran and belongs to the 5HT family of receptor agonists.
What Are The Best Ways To Tackle Migraines?
There are several medical and natural remedies to reduce the pain caused by migraine headaches. Medication is always the first step. Additionally, you can get help from a professional chiropractor — in fact, they assist patients with different types of headache, including migraine. Learn more about the ways you can benefit from attending a chiropractic.
You would also have to do the following with the medicine to find pain relief.
Calm Environment:
- Reduce Lighting: migraines tend to increase sensitivity to lights. Bright lights like lamps, headlights, glare from smartphones and TVs, and other lights may cause headaches to increase. It is best to reduce the lighting in the room to a dim glow and opt for concealed lighting wherever possible. Any direct sources of light on the eyes should be avoided. Shutting your eyes or putting a few wet cotton pads on the closed eyes can also help with some relief.
- Caffeine Therapy: When consumed in small amounts, caffeine can help reduce the pain from migraine headaches (especially in the early stages of an oncoming attack). Caffeine can also enhance the effect of Tylenol (acetaminophen) and aspirin. Consumption of caffeine should be controlled since excess can lead to withdrawal headaches once the result has worn off. If your aim is to get good sleep, avoid caffeinated drinks altogether. Drinks like cola and coffee can interfere with the sleep pattern when consumed too late in the day.
- Temperature Therapy: Ice packs are known to have a numbing effect. Using ice packs could help dull the pain-like sensation and give temporary relief. If the surrounding muscles in the nape and shoulders are tense and bunched up, heat therapy from heating pads and hot compresses can help muscular relief. If neither is available, a hot shower or a warm bath can help loosen muscles and relieve the pain.
Sleep Restfully:
Migraine headaches could prevent you from getting restful sleep. This could be due to several reasons, the largest being constant pain. Others could be muscular aches, nausea, or dizziness. However, not getting adequate sleep may result in a prolonged migraine over days.
- Minimise Distractions: Reading, watching TV, or constantly using your phone when in bed could cause huge distractions and deter you from getting a good night’s sleep. Once in bed, avoid keeping the lights on and instead opt for earplugs to muffle out sounds. If you can’t sleep, using a small fan to help with fresh air can also help.
- Establish Regular Sleep Cycles: More often than not, irregular sleep cycles are a massive cause of migraines. It is best to keep regular sleep cycles (even during the weekends) to prevent a weekly occurrence of migraines. Not getting enough sleep over the weekends can hamper your first day of the week.
Regular Exercise:
Chronic obesity, unnatural weight gain, PCOS (PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome), and too many hours in front of a computer or mobile screen can also cause migraines. Regular exercise as a form of a break will help control the headaches from occurring too often.
Walking, jogging, cycling, or swimming can help release chemicals that reduce or block the pain signals to your head. Apart from migraine relief, these chemicals also help in anxiety and depression alleviation. Before choosing a daily activity, it is best to consult your physician for expert advice.
Manage Stress:
Stress is another significant reason for migraines. While it is impossible to avoid stress altogether, it is possible to find methods to cope with it so it does not trigger debilitating migraines.
- Stretch: Take several short breaks throughout the day. Slow stretches, nape and shoulder rotations, and side to side twists will help relieve cramped muscles.
- Breathing Exercise: Whenever you feel you are in a stressful situation, you should take five deep breaths and slowly count to ten. While counting, focus on your inhalations and exhalations.
- Organise: Organise your day with a diary or a to-do list. Keeping a schedule and managing your time wisely will help reduce stress and will help avoid migraines.
