Migraines are possibly one of the very few problems that makes taking a hammer to your own skull seem an appropriate solution. They are uncomfortable, painful and can feel debilitating if the headaches are intense enough.
There are many guides available online and offline about preventing migraines holistically and leading a healthy, balanced and wholesome lifestyle. While all these guides are beneficial, when you have a severe migraine headache, the first thing you will want is for the pain to go away.
Preventing Severe Migraine Headaches
The first method to get rid of a migraine is to use medicine. It is a technique because it works. Sometimes the pain can be so bad that all you can think about is the pain. Forget the yoga mat. What you need is immediate medication to get the pain under control.
So, consult your doctor and get medication. He or she will most probably prescribe you beta blockers, anti-depressants or nasal sprays. The beta blockers will keep the blood vessels dilated while the anti-depressants will regulate the serotonin levels in the brain. The other methods also work to shut down the pain receptors in the brain. This will alleviate your misery considerably.
Now that we’ve looked at medication, it’s time for the other 4 methods. All these 5 techniques are aimed at preventing migraines. Prevention is better than cure. Just by adhering to the 5 tips, you will reduce your chances of getting migraine headaches considerably.
The second method will be to use lavender oil that has been shown to be very calming and beneficial for people suffering from headaches and migraines. You may choose to inhale the vapors oil by diluting a few drops of oil in boiling water or you may apply the oil topically. Do NOT consume lavender oil orally.
The third tip is to clean up your diet. You want to reduce or totally avoid food that is high in caffeine, refined sugars, additives, etc. Processed foods and junk food are triggers for migraines and a host of other health problems. The cleaner your diet, the healthier you will be and the less migraine headaches you will have.
The forth tip is to learn to relax. Practice meditation techniques or yoga to quiet the mind. We live in a rat race, fast paced world. Everything seems to rush by and this can be overwhelming to our senses and is stressful.
Studies have shown that relaxation techniques have reduced the number of migraines and the severity of the episodes too. The serotonin levels in the brain are higher and this prevents painful headaches from occurring.
The fifth method is to monitor your lifestyle closely. Very often, before you get a migraine headache, there will be preceding symptoms. These symptoms are often triggered by something else. While to a certain extent it could be due to genetic reasons, in many cases, there are other factors too.
Write down what you do daily from the food you eat to the duration and quality of sleep you got. Are you happy, sad or stressed out. Write them all down so that when you get a migraine headache, you can look back and see if it was something you did that may have caused it.
Over time, you may notice a pattern and actually see that there is indeed a trigger. For example, when you do not sleep enough, you may be getting migraines more frequently. Then, you will just need to get more sleep.
