It’s Migraine Awareness Month.
People who experience migraine often have migraine attacks where their brain over-reacts to too much stimulation.
These migraine attacks are different for each person but can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to different stimuli such as light and sound.
Although migraine is genetic, there are many different things that can trigger a migraine attack. These can include stress, specific foods and changes in hormones.
Tips for Managing Migraine Attacks
- Sleeping is important to let your body rest and reduces exposure to lights and sounds that you may be sensitive to during an attack.
- Apply an ice pack on the back of your neck, on your forehead or near your eyes.
- Some people also like the use of heat packs and warm baths to open their blood vessels and reduce the throbbing pressure in the vessels, and to relax sore muscles.
- Drink a cold or frozen coke! Ice, sugar, hydration and caffeine are helpful to manage a migraine attack. Also, drinking a sports drink or Hydralyte can help to replace the fluids and sugars you lose during a migraine attack.
- Turn all the lights off, close the curtains and reduce the noise. Making the room dark and quite helps to reduce the stimulation in your brain.
- Drink lots of very cold water at the beginning of the attack to cool you down from inside.
- Take medications such as triptans as your symptoms begin, followed by medications such as aspirin. You can also take anti-nausea medications if nausea and vomiting are prominent symptoms during an attack.
- Some gentle exercise, swimming, and essential oils may also help to relieve migraine symptoms.
- Visit your chiropractor! Chiropractic adjustments can help to prevent and relive migraine attack symptoms.
Make an appointment with us here or call us on 9651 5559.
Find more of our health tips here.
Sources:
Crosby, K. 2021. Our top migraine hacks. Migraine Australia. https://www.migraine.org.au/our_top_migraine_hacks
Migraine Australia. N.D. Migraine basics. https://www.migraine.org.au/migraine_basics