Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Migraine Self-Care?Avoiding TriggersDiet for MigrainesSleepEnvironmentalStressPhysicalMedication UseTreatment Options
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Migraine Self-Care?
Avoiding Triggers
Diet for Migraines
Sleep
Environmental
Stress
Physical
Medication Use
Treatment Options
Amigraineis a complex neurological disorder with various symptoms that can affect the whole body, including throbbing headaches (frequently on just one side of the head),nausea or vomiting, dizziness, and sensitivity to light, touch, and sound.
Migraines are a leading cause of disability, and living with them cangreatly impact daily lifeand overall physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Self-care practices can work alongside medical and other treatments to help reduce the burden of migraines.
This article covers everything readers need to know to better cope with migraines.
Yasser Chalid / Getty Images
It’s believed that migraines occur due to abnormal brain activity that affects nerve signals, chemicals, and blood vessels in the brain. In those who are susceptible to migraine, changes in hormone levels, sleep, eating patterns, environment, and stress are among the many things that can trigger a migraine attack.
What Is Migraine Self-Care Exactly?
A migraine is a debilitating condition that can present physical, emotional, and social challenges. Migraine self-care helps provide relief from symptoms and also helps promote mental and emotional well-being to cope with these challenges.
Migraine triggersare stimuli that happen inside or outside of the body and increase the likelihood of a migraine attack in those who are susceptible to them. Many factors cantrigger migraineattacks (stress, weather changes,hormonal changes, sleep issues, certain foods, etc.), and triggers are different for each individual.
A migraine diary or journal can help you identify triggers that might be contributing to migraine attacks so you can avoid them in the future. It’s important to note that some things that seem like triggers, such as food cravings, tiredness, or light or sound sensitivity, might be early signals that a migraine attack is going to occur.
A migraine diary can be helpful for both you and your healthcare provider and should include:
The Four Phases of a Migraine Attack
Migraine attackshave four distinct phases:
Missing a meal or not eating enough is a common cause of migraine attacks that may be related todrops in blood sugar. If you get migraines, you should eat regularly to help prevent or control migraine attacks.
Foods can also trigger migraines, although this occurs in less than 30% of people with migraines.For a food to be considered a migraine trigger, it must cause symptoms within 24 hours of consumption, more than half the time you eat that food.
Although certain foods and drinks such asalcohol, caffeine, and chocolate have been linked to migraine attacks, there is no research to back up the connection between any specific foods and migraines. In cases in which it’s believed food is triggering a migraine, craving the food is an early sign of a migraine attack.
Instead of generally avoiding certainfoods or drinks, if you have a migraine, you should:
Sleep and migraines are closely related. Getting too much or too little sleep can trigger a migraine, and sleep can also help relieve migraine symptoms.
Part of migraine self-care is practicing goodsleep hygiene. This includes:
Weather changes, sitting in front of a computer, loud noises, andbright or flickering lightscan all trigger migraines. Steps you can take to practice migraine self-care if you are experiencing environmental triggers include:
Stress, anxiety, and tension can trigger migraine attacks. It’s also possible for a migraine to occur when you stop feeling stressed, such as on the weekend after a busy workweek.
Stress-reduction techniques that might help with migraines include:
Moderate exercise has been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. However, in some people, exercise can trigger a migraine attack, especially if it’s strenuous, you are dehydrated from sweating and heat, or you haven’t eaten enough before exercising.
Mild exercise at least three times a week for 30 minutes can be part of a migraine self-care strategy as long as it’s an exercise that you enjoy. Some activities that might be helpful if you have migraine include:
To prevent migraine attacks from exercise, eat at least 90 minutes beforehand to prevent low blood sugar, warm up sufficiently, and drink fluids before, during, and after exercise. Include exercise sessions in your symptom journal to see if they help or trigger migraine attacks.
Take Medication as Directed
Treatment Options for Migraines
Both medical and at-hometreatmentscan help ease and control symptoms of a migraine attack. Some medications also are used to prevent migraines before they occur.
Medical Treatments for Migraines
Medical treatments for migraines can be abortive, used to treat symptoms when a migraine attack occurs and keep symptoms from worsening, orpreventive, meaning they’re used to stop migraines from occurring. Treatments include:
At-Home Treatments for Migraine
Steps you can take to treat a migraineat homeinclude:
Summary
16 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Association of Migraine Disorders.What is migraine?The Migraine Trust.What is migraine?Miles for Migraine.Comprehensive guide to migraine self-care: tips and essential practices.Brain and Life.Self-care may help reduce migraine attacks.The Migraine Trust.Keeping a headache diary.American Migraine Foundation.The timeline of a migraine attack.The Migraine Trust.Migraine attack triggers.Association of Migraine Disorders.Migraine triggers.American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.The Migraine Trust.Migraine and sleep.American Migraine Foundation.The relationship between sleep, headache, and pain.American Migraine Foundation.What is photophobia and can it be treated?Harvard Health.How can mindfulness practices help with migraine?The Migraine Trust.Exercise.Mount Sinai.Managing migraines at home.Association of MIgraine Disorders.What is migraine disease?
16 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Association of Migraine Disorders.What is migraine?The Migraine Trust.What is migraine?Miles for Migraine.Comprehensive guide to migraine self-care: tips and essential practices.Brain and Life.Self-care may help reduce migraine attacks.The Migraine Trust.Keeping a headache diary.American Migraine Foundation.The timeline of a migraine attack.The Migraine Trust.Migraine attack triggers.Association of Migraine Disorders.Migraine triggers.American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.The Migraine Trust.Migraine and sleep.American Migraine Foundation.The relationship between sleep, headache, and pain.American Migraine Foundation.What is photophobia and can it be treated?Harvard Health.How can mindfulness practices help with migraine?The Migraine Trust.Exercise.Mount Sinai.Managing migraines at home.Association of MIgraine Disorders.What is migraine disease?
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Association of Migraine Disorders.What is migraine?The Migraine Trust.What is migraine?Miles for Migraine.Comprehensive guide to migraine self-care: tips and essential practices.Brain and Life.Self-care may help reduce migraine attacks.The Migraine Trust.Keeping a headache diary.American Migraine Foundation.The timeline of a migraine attack.The Migraine Trust.Migraine attack triggers.Association of Migraine Disorders.Migraine triggers.American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.The Migraine Trust.Migraine and sleep.American Migraine Foundation.The relationship between sleep, headache, and pain.American Migraine Foundation.What is photophobia and can it be treated?Harvard Health.How can mindfulness practices help with migraine?The Migraine Trust.Exercise.Mount Sinai.Managing migraines at home.Association of MIgraine Disorders.What is migraine disease?
Association of Migraine Disorders.What is migraine?
The Migraine Trust.What is migraine?
Miles for Migraine.Comprehensive guide to migraine self-care: tips and essential practices.
Brain and Life.Self-care may help reduce migraine attacks.
The Migraine Trust.Keeping a headache diary.
American Migraine Foundation.The timeline of a migraine attack.
The Migraine Trust.Migraine attack triggers.
Association of Migraine Disorders.Migraine triggers.
American Migraine Foundation.Diet and headache control.
The Migraine Trust.Migraine and sleep.
American Migraine Foundation.The relationship between sleep, headache, and pain.
American Migraine Foundation.What is photophobia and can it be treated?
Harvard Health.How can mindfulness practices help with migraine?
The Migraine Trust.Exercise.
Mount Sinai.Managing migraines at home.
Association of MIgraine Disorders.What is migraine disease?
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