Around 1 in 7 people experience migraines on a regular basis.

Photo by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash

Despite this, many people still struggle to find ways to ease the symptoms of migraines and similar conditions, such as cluster headaches. This means that they have an incredibly detrimental impact on your life, with many needing to take time off work or cancel plans whenever a migraine strikes.

With that in mind, here are some useful tips for dealing with migraines. 

Identify your triggers. Identifying what triggers your migraines is key to avoiding them in the future. For example, they could be triggered by stress, bright lights, or even certain foods. If you’re not sure yet what your triggers are, start keeping a migraine diary. Write down exactly what you were doing in the run-up to your migraine, and over time, you may begin to find specific trends or patterns. 

Consider Botox. Believe it or not, many people have found that Botox can help to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. This is because they can reduce muscle tension or contraction in specific areas of the body, which can prevent future issues and complications. As such, this is definitely something worth considering if you’ve been dealing with migraines for some time, though you should be sure to discuss this with a medical professional ahead of time.

Hydration

Stay hydrated. Dehydration is a common migraine trigger, so drinking plenty of water both during an attack and in your day-to-day life is highly advised. Ideally, you should aim to drink around six cups of water each day. 

Apply a hot or cold compress. Alternately applying a hot or cold compress can help relieve the symptoms of a migraine. For example, cold compresses can help reduce inflammation and numb nerve endings, which in turn reduces pain and discomfort. Some people find that putting their hand into a bowl of cold/warm water can have a similarly positive and soothing effect. 

Apply pressure to the right places. In recent weeks, videos of migraine sufferers attaching hair clips to their eyebrows have gone viral, with many saying that this is a great way to reduce the pain of migraines. While this does seem unconventional and is likely not the best course of action, identifying pressure points for migraine relief can be useful. Once you’ve found the pressure point that alleviates your pain, try pressing it gently whenever you’re dealing with a migraine. 

Get a diagnosis. Many of those who deal with migraines do not go to the doctors about them as they believe they’re able to tackle them independently. However, getting a diagnosis will provide you with access to a range of support services and all-important medication. For example, there are specific medications that you can take whenever you feel a migraine coming on. While they may not be able to prevent the migraine entirely, they can reduce your discomfort by a considerable margin. 

Final thoughts.

Dealing with migraines can be tough, but there are plenty of steps that you can take to reduce their impact on your life moving forward.