By Puja Aggarwal, MD, as told to Kara Mayer Robinson
As a board-licensed neurologist who treats migraines — and someone who gets migraine headaches usually — I actually feel your anguish.
About 2-Thrice a month, I receive a plump-blown migraine at the aid of my head. It also comes with photophobia, or light sensitivity, and floaters in my vision. When I receive a migraine, it might presumably dangle on for six-8 hours.
Between my have migraines and these I treat in my observe in Orlando, FL, I’ve change into adept at managing them.
But correct because determined things support me doesn’t point out they’ll present relief to. Varied of us secure assorted styles of migraine headaches, and that impacts what works and what doesn’t.
First, Know Your Triggers
Everybody’s triggers are assorted. It’s key with a goal to pinpoint your non-public triggers and steer clear of them.
Mine contain stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, skipping meals, and having a pitcher of red wine. (Yep, correct one is all it takes.)
Yours might presumably also very well be assorted. Frequent triggers contain:
- Some smells
- Obvious styles of sunshine
- Chocolate
- Ingesting too grand
- Meals components
- Jet mosey
- Loud sounds
- Rain
- Stress
- Sunlight
- Your menstrual cycle
When you realize your triggers, that you just might presumably presumably also attain your greatest to steer certain of them. This also can lower how on the total you receive migraines, how sinful they’re, or even ward them off before they delivery.
The draw to Arrange Triggers
To care for it up high of my migraines, I continuously strive to protect hydrated, exercise usually, and steer clear of skipping meals.
Dehydration can trigger a migraine. It might perhaps presumably also furthermore assemble migraines last longer. To withhold your water shops up, strive to drink as a minimal 64 oz. of water a day.
If starvation is a trigger for you, strive to secure three put meals a day.
Lack of sleep might presumably also furthermore care for it up migraines and assemble them last longer. I order my migraine sufferers to receive as a minimal 7 hours of sleep an night time.
I also take 400 milligrams (mg) of magnesium each day. Magnesium oxide is greatest for migraines and can lower how frequent and severe they’re. It helps me, however it doesn’t support every person. Must that you just might presumably presumably also secure frequent or severe migraines, magnesium might presumably also no longer be just best for you.
Editor’s order: Focus on over with your doctor before you delivery taking supplements, to guarantee it’s an exact preference for you.
When a Migraine Strikes
As soon as a migraine comes on, one of the important first things I attain is drink fluids and devour one thing.
I also take drugs. I on the total take 400 mg of ibuprofen, which helps reduce my anguish. You are going to also furthermore strive over-the-counter medications like Excedrin Migraine or Tylenol.
But be cautious. Taking too grand drugs to your migraine can after all assemble it worse.
Too grand acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen, or assorted anguish medications can result in drugs overuse. This appears to be like to be like a continual, each day headache or migraine. It might perhaps presumably also happen must you take this kind of medications 2-3 days a week for several weeks.
All over again, take into memoir that determined treatments work for some of us however no longer others. There are many alternatives, so check with your doctor to procure what’s superb for you.
Your doctor might presumably also counsel determined medications that might presumably also stop severe migraines must you take them at the muse of a migraine. They contain:
- Almotriptan malate (Axert)
- Eletriptan hydrobromide (Relpax)
- Frovatriptan (Frova)
- lasmiditan (Reyvow)
- Naratriptan (Amerge)
- Rizatriptan benzoate (Maxalt)
- Sumatriptan succinate (Imitrex)
- Zolmitriptan (Zomig)
They’re going to also furthermore point out drugs to support stop migraines, like:
- Galcanezumab (Emgality)
- Rimegepant (Nurtec)
- Sodium valproate (Depakote)
- Topiramate (Topamax)
- Ubrogepant (Ubrelvy)
Varied Things to Strive
Must that you just might presumably presumably also secure frequent migraines, Botox shots might presumably also support. Botox is a drug that blocks neurotransmitters carrying anguish indicators out of your brain.
Botox works to ease migraine anguish for some of us however no longer for others.
I haven’t tried it because my migraines aren’t frequent adequate. It’s greatest for of us with continual migraines, or 15 headaches a month.
You are going to also furthermore strive different treatments such as these:
- Yoga and meditation can aid with stress and lower migraines.
- A scalp or facial rubdown can aid relief anguish.
- Acupuncture might presumably also support reduce the quantity of migraines you receive or support them be milder while you attain receive one.
Light Sensitivity
When a migraine makes it depressed for me to be around light, it on the total lasts about 20-30 minutes. I will sit down in a room with the lights off, and it clears up.
I’m lucky — it’s rapid for me. But it undoubtedly differs from particular person to particular person.
Must that you just might presumably presumably also secure light sensitivity while you receive a migraine, strive staying in a groovy, sad room. You are going to also must wear a watch conceal, too.
One final thing: Dash to your doctor relating to the form, severity, and frequency of your migraines. They are able to tailor your medication to your non-public wishes.
