News and Articles on Health. Medical research topics.

The key for me in managing my migraine headaches was to learn how to identify the triggers that caused my migraines and try to avoid them. Unfortunately, I couldn’t avoid all of them – stress for example-so I had to learn how to take action to reduce the severity of the migraine.

If you suffer from migraines you probably know by now that most migraines don’t just “happen” all of a sudden with no warning. I usually get warning signs a day or two before and if I am paying attention I can recognize them and takes steps to lessen or sometimes avoid my headache. Many migraine sufferers may recognize some of these early warning signs:

• Fatigue
• Difficulty concentrating
• Easily Irritated
• Particular food cravings
• Stress response- I get tension in my neck and shoulders

You may have a different set of warning signs but the key is to learn to recognize them – early on.

When you recognize your early warning signs you need to take action. When you first begin to feel a migraine is nearing try some of these techniques that work:

Deep focused breathing – we all breathe without thinking about how we do it. But focused deep breathing is the key to most relaxation techniques, making sure to fully exhale as you bring in and tighten your abdomen. To make it easier for me to focus on my breathing I count as I exhale. First I inhale deeply through my nose and then begin to slowly count to four as I exhaled. This technique helps me to clear my mind and focusing on my breathing.

Scan your body and focusing on relaxing where you hold tension. We all hold tension in our bodies, whether it’s in a common place like the neck or shoulders as I do, or some other part of the body. As you focus on breathing you can also learn to relax specific parts of your body. Learn to identify where you hold your tension and practice on relaxing. For example, I learned to slowly raise my shoulders up as far as I could and then allow them to quickly drop. I do this about 20 times – it really works – but you have to focus on letting go of the tension.

In summary, the key to preventing or lessening the severity of migraines can be as simple as learning to identify your trigger points, take action early, and learning to use techniques that help you to relax both your mind and your body.

Migraine headaches are a severe problem for people who experience them. The best way to help prevent migraines is control a few key aspects in your lifestyle. Learning how to manage your sleep patterns, focusing on maintaining your meal schedule, exercise and stress management are key. Properly controlling these four keys can play a significant role in managing migraine headaches.

• Many people who experience migraines have come to realize that a change in their sleeping patterns or habits can frequently be a trigger for migraines. If you fail to get sufficient sleep it can increase your stress level – a well known trigger point for migraines. But what you may not realize is that getting that extra hour on Saturday morning may be a problem as well. The infamous “week-end” migraine headache has less to do with whether its Saturday or Sunday and more to do with a change in your sleeping patterns.
• If you suffer from migraine headaches making sure that you eat your meals on a regular schedule is important. Skipping meals is a migraine trigger for many people and unfortunately it is an easy habit to get in to. Many people associate headaches that come from skipping meals with low blood sugar that can potentially result. But the reality for migraine sufferers is that the headaches have more to do with a change in patterns. Of course, stress is also frequently a factor that causes us to skip a meal and also a migraine trigger for most people.
• Regular exercise is also a great way to help reduce both the frequency and severity of migraines. It isn’t necessary to go to the gym and undergo a vigorous 60 minute workout every day. You just need to try to get in 20 minutes a day four times a week can help. And just like skipping meals because your are under stress, it’s easy to skip your exercise routine as well just when you probably need it the most. So try to keep to your exercise routine, it’s a good way to release stress and reduce migraines.
• You have to learn how to relax. Learning how to relax isn’t just about learning breathing techniques or a particular yoga stance, it’s also about your state of mind. You have to learn to take time out occasionally and allow yourself to relax and minimize the stimulus around you. It’s important to make a conscientious effort to relax.

In summary, the key to preventing migraines is to pay attention to your lifestyle, learn to identify your trigger points, and learn to use techniques that help you to relax both your mind and your body. You can’t always control the stress in your life, but you can learn to control how you deal with it, and how susceptible you are to migraines.