Migraines Making You Mad

38270729_sMigraines are one of the most difficult to manage conditions out there. They are far more complicated to treat than a headache. With a headache, you can take a pain reliever and go about your day, but with migraines, it’s usually not that simple. Migraines can be forming because of a number of different triggers that range from your sleep patterns to what you had for breakfast. Without knowing the cause, your doctor can only treat the symptoms, which is not the best plan to managing a condition that can impact your quality of daily life.

  1. medsminder-ssThe best way to discover what is causing your migraines to keep a migraine diary. In this diary it is best to keep a daily log of what and when you eat, drink, weather, emotions, events, schedule, and even exercise. Then also record when you have a migraine. After a while, you should be able to find a pattern.
  2. For women, it could be hormonal. Sometimes it can be difficult to link migraines to hormonal cycles, because you might have a migraine during part of your cycle that isn’t as obvious. Once you determine that your migraines are linked to your hormone changes, you can prepare for it. Certain hormone therapies can reduce or even prevent migraines. Ask your gynecologist if they have any recommendations.
  3. Like everyone says about everything, avoid stress! More and more conditions are being linked to stress. Whether stress can cause or just exacerbates your migraines, it is usually recommended to learn how to respond to stressful situations since you cannot always avoid them. How you respond to a stressful event can have a lot of impact on you physically and emotionally.
  4. Diet and exercise are also important. Not only can certain types of foods trigger migraines, but not eating can also have a big impact. Fasting and skipping meals can trigger a migraine, so you might need to change your eating habits. Exercise is great for you, but are you getting the right kind of exercise? Weightlifting can put a lot of strain on your body and it might be unnecessary if it causes migraines for you. There are calisthenics exercises that can build the same kind of muscles without the extra strain.
  5. Keep on schedule with any medications or supplements prescribed by your doctor. If you are taking preventative medications or supplements to prevent you from getting a migraine, then taking them late or missing a dose can also trigger a migraine. It is important to keep on schedule, and investing in a good reminder program can make the difference. If you carry a smartphone with you, add an app like MedsMinders that will give you a reminder of what to take and when to take it. It can also include any special directions like it must be taken with food.

Don’t hesitate to take your migraine diary with you to your doctor’s visit. It can help you and your doctor determine how to prevent more migraines from happening. Treating the symptoms is the second step in treating a chronic condition. Preventing it is the first.  Our personal recommendations is to use MedsMinders to track/log your food consumption and consider reducing your salt/sodium significantly.