10 Tips for Instant Migraine Relief
How to get rid of a migraine fast without medication? A migraine is more than just a headache. It’s a complex neurological condition that can cause a variety of symptoms. If you suffer from migraines, you are aware of how painful the situation can be and how hard it can be to get rid of one. The key to managing this condition is to take preventative measures and to respond quickly when a migraine occurs.
A few treatments for migraine pain include caffeine, massage, ginger, and over-the-counter painkillers. Understanding your pain triggers and using additional drugs may possibly help you completely avoid the agony.
What is a Migraine
Intense throbbing pain on one side of the head is a common symptom of a migraine headache. A person’s heightened sensitivity to sound, light, and scent may occur. Also frequent are nausea and vomiting. About 25% of migraine sufferers have an aura before the headache begins.
What does a migraine feel like?
The primary symptom of migraine is a headache. Pain is sometimes described as pounding or throbbing. It can begin as a dull ache that develops into pulsing pain that is mild, moderate or severe. If left untreated, your headache pain will become moderate to severe. These sensory and visual disruptions normally last between 5 and 60 minutes, and they include:
- seeing zig-zagging lines, flickering lights, or spots
- partial loss of vision
- numbness
- tingling
- muscle weakness
- difficulty speaking or finding words
Be mindful that symptoms of an aura might potentially point to a meningitis or stroke. Anyone encountering them for the first time needs to get help right once. Each incidence of a migraine headache can last anywhere from a few hours to several days, and they frequently come again. It is a lifelong condition for many people.
What causes migraine headaches?
The causes of migraines are not entirely understood by medical professionals. But it frequently runs in families, and it affects people with specific pre-existing conditions more frequently, such depression and epilepsy.
Triggers of migraine:
- stress and anxiety
- sleep disruption
- hormonal changes
- skipping meals
- dehydration
- some foods and medications
- bright lights and loud noise
Difference between headache and migraine
The easiest way to distinguish a headache from a migraine is by the severity. Unlike headaches, which range from dull to acute pain, migraines are often so debilitating that the acronym POUND is sometimes used to summarize key migraine signs and symptoms.
How to Get Rid of a Migraine
How to get rid of a migraine naturally? Here are ten suggestions how to get rid of a migraine that won’t go away and prevent them from growing worse:
1. Cold compress
Apply a cold compress: If you’ve ever put an ice pack on an injury or a heating pad on a sore back, you know the power of temperature therapy. This can also help when you have a migraine.
In spite of the fact that cold treatment has been used to cure migraines for more than a century, there aren’t many research to support this claim. According to some hypotheses, cold treatment may help constrict blood vessels or reduce the nerve impulses that cause migraine headache.
Even recent studies haven’t pinpointed exactly how cold can help relieve migraine pain, but two recent studies did find that ice bands around the neck, or ice packs applied at the onset of a migraine could significantly reduce the perception of migraine pain.
To find out what feels the greatest for you, you might need to experiment. Some people find that an ice pack applied to the head offers soothing, numbing relief. This is especially useful if the sun or heat caused your migraine.
2. Quiet dark place
Relax in a quiet dark place: Sensitivity to light and sound is one of the most common migraine symptoms. Get away from these things if you can. This can help you find relief from your pain and can alleviate stress.
Lie down and pay attention to your breathing. Try taking slow, deep breaths from your diaphragm. Feel your stomach rise with the inhale and fall with the exhale. This can help you relax.
3. Hydrate
Dehydration can cause headaches and even migraine, but new research shows hydration can reduce and possibly even prevent headache pain. In the study, people who drank their recommended daily water intake had headaches that were:
- less frequent
- less severe
- shorter in duration
If you don’t regularly drink enough water, increasing your intake may both help reduce your migraine pain and prevent repeat attacks.
4. Try coffee
A cup of coffee may help get rid of migraine symptoms for some people. But caffeine may cause migraines in certain people. Regardless, if you do indulge in caffeine, make sure you don’t drink too much. Drinking more than one cup of coffee could set you up for a caffeine withdrawal headache later.
People with migraine who use caffeine more than 3 days per week may develop a dependency. This can lead to more headaches. Moderation is key with caffeine, but it helps many people find relief.
5. Stop chewing excessively
Address teeth grinding or excessive chewing: People have to eat to survive, and chewing is an important part of eating. However, studies suggest that excessive chewing might be linked to more headaches and even migraine.
In one study, which focused on chewing gum, researchers discovered that persons who often chewed gum had higher rates of tension headaches and migraines.
While you can’t avoid eating, you may want to rethink chewing gum if you regularly experience migraine. You may also want to consider if you clench or grind your teeth while sleeping, as this could have a similar effect.
6. Meditate
Migraines have been associated with factors such as high levels of stress, a shift in sleeping patterns, and even vigorous physical exercise. While deep breathing and relaxation exercises alone may not cure a migraine completely, these techniques have been shown to lower stress levels and may shorten the duration and severity of migraine pain. Regular meditation and stress-reduction strategies can also help prevent migraine from developing in the first place.
7. Get a massage
A massage may not only help you unwind and take care of yourself, but it can also ease tension and even help you avoid headaches and migraines.
One research indicated that after only one massage, 8 out of 10 people’s headache symptoms was reduced by half, and the majority saw relief almost immediately.
Where you get a massage can play a role too. Research on pressure points and reflexology in managing headaches suggests that even massages on the feet, hands, and earlobes may help relieve migraine pain.
8. Eat ginger
While certain foods can cause migraines, others can help treat them. One of these foods is ginger. According to a recent study, ginger can dramatically reduce migraine pain in 2 hours and can also help with possible side effects including nausea and vomiting.
Even though ginger powders were mostly employed in the research, other items including teas and candies may also provide help.
9. Recognize triggers
If you suffer from regular migraine, talk with your doctor about how to prevent them from happening. One of the best ways to do this is to identify and avoid things that can trigger your migraine.
Many doctors recommend that their patients with migraine keep a journal of what they ate or what they were doing when they developed a migraine to look for patterns. Everyone has different triggers and these can range from sleep patterns to certain foods. Even a lack of food, and the low blood sugar or hypoglycemia that results, can lead to a migraine.
10. Treat it early
Timing is key when it comes to treating your migraine. The frequency and severity of migraine attacks might rise if you wait too long to treat your symptoms or take preventative measures.
Auras are pre-migraine warning indicators that some people experience. Taking your medicine at the prodromal stage of the attack is advised by Dr. Mclee Tembo. A prodrome is a warning sign that a migraine is developing. Treating your symptoms in the early stages is your best chance at avoiding a more severe migraine.
One challenge of early treatment is knowing the signs. Prodromal signs can vary widely between people, but they often include things like:
- sensitivity to light or sound
- mood changes, such as irritability, anxiety, or euphoria
- trouble concentrating
- food cravings, usually carbohydrates
- fatigue or yawning
If you’ve had a migraine for a long time, you may be able to easily spot your prodromal symptoms. This will help you be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to treating your pain. If you have migraines frequently or without much notice, you may want to keep your migraine medications with you at all times so you can take them as soon as an attack begins.
Migraine Treatment Plan
It’s critical to have a positive working relationship with the medical professional managing your migraines. Review your symptoms and triggers with your doctor. Together, you can build a treatment strategy that will not only assist you in coping with migraine symptoms when it occurs but also prevent migraines from ever occurring.
A good treatment plan should include:
- identifying the type of migraine you have
- identifying triggers
- avoiding triggers
- taking steps to promote good overall health, including getting enough sleep and eating well
- staying hydrated
- identifying medications and other strategies to help prevent migraine
- establishing a plan for acute migraine treatment
- talking with your doctor about when to seek additional help
When to see a doctor
A migraine can cause excruciating pain that is both severe and incapacitating. Find out from your doctor when you should get emergency care.
Although severe pain is not typically seen as an emergency, it is certainly a problem that needs greater attention if it is preventing you from carrying out your everyday responsibilities. You might want to think about using emergency or urgent care services if you can’t obtain an appointment with your doctor.
You should seek treatment immediately if you have an intense headache that causes things like:
- uncontrollable vomiting
- loss of consciouness
- seizures or convulsions
- blurred vision or other vision changes
- loss of balance or coordination
- lightheadedness
- a pounding in your chest or high blood pressure
See: How to Check Blood Pressure at Home
Takeaway
There are many things you can do to prevent and treat migraine pain, but not there isn’t one treatment that works all the time for everyone. The key to treating migraine is to know and avoid your triggers, treat symptoms early, and find medications or therapies that work best to relieve your specific type of migraine pain.
Creating a network of people you can rely on in times of need is another important step. While migraine pain may limit your activities, getting assistance from others is a helpful coping mechanism. This article above expounds all you need to know about how to get rid of a migraine fast without medication at home. See Types of Headaches: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment