Besides medications, what else can i do to help alleviate the symptoms of a Migraine / Tension Headache?
I have migraines and also tension headaches at times. I was wondering if there is anything I can do in addition taking medications to help with the pain and symptoms.
Public Comments
1. For general headaches, if you can hold down water without vomiting you should drink water to help with any dehydration, lay in a dark cool but not cold room and rest.You can put either a cold or warm cloth on your eyes and face -- some people are helped by cold and some by heat so you have to try to see which works for you.
For migraines there are quite a few foods that can be triggers, such as chocolate, red wine, aged cheeses, MSG, and many more that you should avoid. There are many lists on the web of such foods and you can pay attention to see which foods set you off. When you feel the beginning of one coming on you can drink some coffee or coca-cola. Migraine headaches are caused by the sudden widening of blood vessels, so drinking something caffeinated helps to constrict the vessels a bit, thereby lessening the pain. However, drinking too much caffeine can also trigger a migraine.
In the case of migraines, you should also lay in a dark, cool room [but not cold] and rest.
2. RE: above - actually, Migraine pain is caused by constricted blood vessels(veins) and some Migraine meds are Vaso-dilators - to dilate(open) the blood vessels to relieve the pressure in the brain. Foods do trigger some headaches, as does stress and anxiety. Most migraine sufferers can handle stressful situations and deal with emergencies, but get a Migraine after the stressful situation is resolved. That is why a lot of people have them on weekends or vacations. Hormones can be triggers as well. Some women take birth control pills to stabilize their hormone levels. There are some very good meds out now-Imitrex is a vaso-dilator. I've has migraine's for 50 years and they do improve with age. I need a quiet, dark, room with minimum of "smells"-you become hypersensitive - take your meds and sleep it off.
