How To Minimise Your Chances Of Getting Migraines

Are you a sufferer of migraine? I know I sure am, which is why I’m presenting this article. In this day and age, the term migraine often gets tossed around whenever someone is feeling discomfort in their head. A lot of the time, it is actually just a headache. And make no mistake – Headaches are something that agonises the majority of the population.

How do you tell the difference? While both headaches and migraines affect the same part of the body, people often do not know how to differentiate one from the other. Generally, the term headache is used when pain is the main symptom and no other pain is mild to moderate pain which can result from stress, fatigue, poor body postures, depression etc.

There are two main types of headaches, which are cluster headache and tension headache. Cluster headache is severe pain which is present in a part of the head and also affects the eye and the nose. On the other hand, tension headaches presents as having pressure on both sides of the head. Usually, the sufferer feels pain in the front of the head or at the base of the neck, although it sometimes extends to the shoulder.

Migraine headache is characterised by a throbbing and pulsating sensation, which, surprisingly, might not even result in pain. Migraines usually occur only on one side of the head, which is one defining factor. Some of the symptoms that come with migraine are vomiting, nausea, sensitivity to light and noise, loss of appetite etc.

So now you are starting to understand the difference, aren’t you? But there is more to migraines. Not all symptoms occur in all people, which make it harder to diagnose. However, there are a few things you can do to minimise your chances of getting migraines. This is, by no means, failsafe techniques, but you should try them out nonetheless.

The first thing you can do is reduce number of these foods: chocolate, cheese, alcohol, canned food, coca cola, coffee, tea, nuts, and bananas. These are some of the products that most often cause headaches or migraines. Chances are that any combination of these can be a trigger for you.

The next thing, which you can predict I am going to say, is to further clean up your diet and ensure that it is balanced. That does mean that your diet should include fruits and vegetables. A healthy diet really is the cornerstone of good health, not just for preventing migraines. Also, try to eat at regular times and not eating at all hours.

The next point relates to another component of health, which is the amount of rest that you are getting. It is true that we all relate differently to sleep. Some of us are hardly affected by lack of sleep, while others, like me, become walking zombies. From a migraine sufferer’s viewpoint, you would do well to make adapt to a routine and work better.

Finally, another thing you have to be aware of is your own stress levels. This is something that is very subtle and can operate from under our noses. When you are at work or at home and are feeling tense and worried about something, try to alleviate it before it gets out of hand. Take a deep breath and try not to stress and worry about things that ultimately do not matter. Take it easy.

If you do not know what causes the headache, you can try journaling, if you can be bothered to. Start off by listing what you eat during the day, the type of pain you have, symptoms, where the pain is located, what you have taken to alleviate the pain, and the hours you slept. After this, you may deduce if the pain you have is a headache or a migraine, and nail down the kind of food or activity causes the headache. Hope this helps.

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Also published on Medium.