Migraines cause excruciating pain and often incapacitate the person experiencing it. They’re often accompanied by extreme nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and more. In short, they’re downright unpleasant. Unfortunately, almost 12% of Americans suffer from migraine headaches regularly, which is why we at IV Revival wanted to help you learn how to ease your migraine pain.
What are Migraines?
Migraine headaches are so much more than a severe headache. Migraines are part of a neurological condition and often have other symptoms, including:
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nausea
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vomiting
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tingling or numbness in the hands or feet
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visual changes
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sensitivity to sound, light, or smell
Migraines are typically chronic. Thankfully, there are medications that can help prevent and treat migraines, but they often do not ease all of the symptoms. There are a few natural remedies you can try on top of your medication that help ease the symptoms and pain associated with migraines.
Manage Your Stress
Stress is the most common cause for migraines. Stress can either cause a migraine, or worsen one, so it’s best to find a stress management routine that works for you. This can be exercising, journaling, meditation, taking a warm bath, or something creative like painting or knitting. You can also find a stress management class to explore other healthy avenues of stress relief.
A popular stress relief activity is yoga.
Stress Management Through Yoga
Yoga helps calm the mind and body through improving blood flow and reducing muscle tension. It’s most commonly thought of a series of stretches that are intended to strengthen your core and ease tension in your body.
For migraines, it can make a huge difference. A comprehensive 2014 study compared conventional migraine treatment with and without the addition of regular yoga practice. The researchers found that the group who participated in a yoga program had greater relief than the group who joined in conventional treatment alone.
Alter Your Diet
One of the most common triggers for migraines is caused by your diet. It varies from person to person, but food plays a critical role in triggering migraine pain. For example, excessive sugar or caffeine (or lack of caffeine) can cause one.
Other common food triggers for migraines include:
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processed foods
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red wine
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alcohol
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chocolate
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caffeinated beverages
Be aware of how your body reacts to certain foods and make a list of things that cause your head to hurt. Bring this list to your next doctor appointment to see if you’re allergic to the food or if they are a trigger. Avoiding food on that list all together and help prevent migraines in the future.
Take More Magnesium
Magnesium deficiency, which is common in many Americans, may trigger a visual disturbance known as a migraine aura or a menstrual-migraine headache. Not everyone who gets migraines will experience a migraine aura.
Research has found that supplementation of magnesium can be useful in reducing the frequency of migraines in some individuals. People should speak with their doctor before starting to take magnesium, particularly if they have other health conditions.
Take B Vitamins
Researchers believe that taking B vitamins has an impact on reducing migraine pain as they play a critical role in regulating your brain’s neurotransmitters.
Trials are being done to establish how useful B vitamins are in helping to alleviate the occupational stress that people experience from their jobs.
B vitamins are generally safe to consume and are flushed out of your body naturally.
Stay Hydrated
Not drinking enough water is a well-known migraine and headache trigger.
People can try to drink more water each day to avoid dehydration. Drinking water throughout the day, and maintaining a healthful diet is usually enough to stay sufficiently hydrated.
Find a Calm Environment
At the first sign of a migraine, the best thing you can do is turn off your electronics and find a calm, cool, and quiet room. Turn off all of the lights, lay down, and cover your head if you can.
If you have an ice pack or a heated pad, you can try temperature therapy to either numb the pain or help relax the tension in your muscles.
If your migraines are not triggered by caffeine, try drinking a small amount. In the early stages of a migraine, caffeine helps enhance the pain-reducing effects of acetaminophen and can relieve some migraine pain.
And what calmer place is there than your own home? At IV Revival, we know how painful a migraine can be. That’s why our nurses come to your home and administer treatment from the comfort of your couch or bedroom. Our IV treatments are designed to help optimize your health and get you back on your feet. We offer magnesium and B vitamins in our hydrating therapy to help ease your migraine pain.
You can request an appointment or call for more information to learn more about stopping your migraine pain in its tracks.