May 16, 2022

5 Tips To Help You Manage Migraines

Migraines are a common and often debilitating condition that affects millions of people worldwide. For those who suffer from migraines, the pain and discomfort can be overwhelming and can significantly impact their daily lives.

Managing migraines can be a challenging task, but with the right strategies and techniques, it is possible to reduce the frequency and severity of these episodes. In this article, we will explore some tips and tricks for managing migraines and living a happier, healthier life. Whether you are a long-time sufferer or have just recently begun experiencing migraines, these tips may help relieve your symptoms and improve your overall quality of life.

1. Talking To Your Doctor

doctor and patient consultation in medical office

As you read through this article, you will find various findings from different studies that suggest a particular action will reduce your migraines.

However, when it comes to any condition, the best course of action is to consult your doctor first. No matter how much research you find on the web, it cannot substitute the knowledge and expertise of a highly qualified medical professional. After all, our physical needs and circumstances are unique, so there's no one-size-fits-all treatment for migraines.

Again, if you are struggling with migraines and need help, please book an appointment with your physician. They can provide you with better advice and suggestions than any online article, including this one.

2. Keeping a Diary

woman reclining and writing in her diary

Migraines are an incredibly diverse medical issue. Different people may have different triggers along with varying effects. But taking some time to jot down triggers, duration, the location of the pain, and even relief measures can go a long way.

A study conducted in 2005 found that 72% of participants who kept a migraine diary found it easier to communicate with their doctors about migraines.

70% were also either more or much more satisfied with the quality of medical care they received from their doctor after keeping a diary.

If you're looking for a logbook specifically designed for recording migraines, then you can check out this one that includes:

Diagrams of pain location
Triggers
Relief measures
Day/time

3. Cooling Your Neck

Woman Using Cold Gel pack to Alleviate Neck Pain at Home. Girl complaining about upper back soreness looking for quick fix

Cold therapy is one of the oldest and most well-known means of relief for people dealing with migraines. However, the exact reason why this works has long remained elusive.

So in 2013, a group of researchers set out to uncover this mystery. In a randomized, controlled trial, they provided participants with a wrap containing ice packs that targeted carotid arteries in the neck. Carotid arteries are blood vessels located on both sides of the neck responsible for delivering blood to the brain and the rest of the head.

The study confirmed that applying the neck wrap at the start of a migraine helped reduce the record pain of participants. The hypothesized reason for this decreased pain was trifold, with effects on the vascular, neurologic, and endocrine systems considered. "With respect to the vascular system, it is possible that the blood passing through the carotid arteries was cooled sufficiently to induce a physiologic decrease in the release of local inflammatory mediators from the walls of the intracranial vessels with an associated decrease in vascular permeability and a decrease in local nociceptive stimulation (including that due to plasma extravasation). Also, there may have been a contribution of cold-induced local physiologic vasoconstriction similar to that observed with triptan-type medications, albeit through a different mechanism. Of note, the role of vasoconstriction in the treatment of migraine remains unclear. In regards to the neurologic system, a minimal contribution of analgesia associated with the small diameter myelinated fibers located around the cranial vessels is proposed. And as for the endocrine system, there may be a minimal contribution of decreased metabolic activity in locally cooled areas."

Whatever the reason may be, any method that may help relieve migraines is a good investment and worth the try. Here is one frozen neck wrap that you can get right away.

4. Green Light Exposure

You've probably heard of blue light and its detrimental effects on health, but did you know that there is such a thing as green light? This type of light actually offers beneficial properties, including potential migraine relief.

In the fall of 2020, a study of the effects of green light on migraines was published. Researchers had taken 29 patients who had episodic migraines and 22 patients who suffered from chronic migraines.

In their experiment, subjects were exposed to diodes emitting white light for 1 to 2 hours per day for 10 weeks. Then, after a two-week break period, they received 1 to 2 hours of green light-emitting diodes for 10 weeks.

They found that exposure to green light-emitting diodes reduced the number of days with a headache in both groups. Thus, "green light emitting diodes significantly improved multiple secondary outcome measures including quality of life and intensity and duration of the headache attacks. As no adverse events were reported, green light-emitting diodes may provide a treatment option for those patients who prefer non-pharmacological therapies or may be considered in complementing other treatment strategies."

You can find sunglasses designed explicitly for migraines and light sensitivity that only allow for green wavelengths to pass through.

5. Managing Caffeine Intake

Did you know that the culprit behind a lot of headaches (and migraines) is coffee? To be more accurate, the lack thereof...as in caffeine withdrawal.

For years, many have seen caffeine as both a trigger and a source of relief when it comes to migraines, and for good reason.

Researchers in 2020 synthesized different studies on the relationship between caffeine and migraines, underscoring this theme:

17 studies found that caffeine and caffeine withdrawal can be a migraine trigger in a small percentage of participants
All treatment studies found caffeine to be a safe method of acute migraine treatment, especially when used with analgesics.

They found that overuse of caffeine may lead to the chronification of migraines. However, withdrawal may trigger attacks.

If you're a coffee lover and want to cut down on your caffeine intake, you might want to look into "half-caff" coffee blends.

Conclusion

Ultimately, migraines have no cure, but there are numerous methods of relief available for those who deal with them. Please keep in mind, however, that we are not medical professionals, and the best advice you'll ever get on this subject will come from talking to your doctor.

And again, our products are not FDA-approved, and they are not meant to treat, cure, diagnose, or prevent any disease.

We are also not affiliated with any of the brands linked to or featured in this post, so we cannot claim to stand behind any claims they may or may not make.

Until next time, happy exploring, and mind your mind.

FDA Disclaimer: The statements made regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. All information presented here is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. Please consult your healthcare professional about potential interactions or other possible complications before using any product. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act requires this notice.