5 Effective Strategies for Migraine Management

Migraines can be extremely painful. They can interfere with our day-to-day life and make it difficult to focus if the pain is too much to handle. There is nothing that you do that directly causes a migraine as it’s a genetic neurological disease that most people will suffer from at some point in their life. Fortunately, there are lifestyle changes you can make and effective strategies you can try for efficient migraine management.

While you can take medication to help with a migraine, it is much more beneficial to seek natural remedies to the problem. The SEEDS mnemonic is something you can follow for optimum migraine management. This stands for Sleep, Exercise, Eat, Diary and Stress. We will explore each of these factors throughout this article to help you relieve your migraines.

Continue reading to find out more about each of these factors so that you can tweak them to benefit your health and prevent yourself from suffering from intense migraines.

SEEDS for Migraine Management

Sleep

Getting a good quality sleep can have plenty of benefits for both your mental and physical health. Many people who suffer from migraines find that their sleep is affected and they are unable to get an optimum number of hours. Not sleeping well can lead to a higher chance of getting a migraine too, so this can lead to an endless cycle of migraines and poor sleep.

Creating and maintaining a consistent sleep schedule can help manage a migraine and subdue some of the symptoms. You could make sure that you go to sleep at the same time and get a similar amount of hours each night. This is part of the circadian rhythm, which is the body’s 24-hour cycle of physical, mental and behavioural changes that the body goes through. Keeping this at the proper rate is essential for having a good sleep and managing your migraines.

Exercise

Research has shown that regular exercise can help control migraines, as it can reduce the frequency, severity and duration of the attacks. This is more beneficial for you than medication, as not only will it make your migraine less strenuous but it will also boost your mental and physical wellbeing. Exercise elevates levels of beta-endorphins, which are chemicals that can reduce stress and manage pain.

The recommended amount of exercise is 30 to 50 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, three to five times a week. This should be aerobic exercise to get the most anti-migraine benefits. If you don’t currently exercise, you should start at a low intensity so that you can gradually build up on it.

Eat

Food and hydration are both important factors in managing a migraine. You must eat regular meals throughout the day and keep your body hydrated by drinking plenty of water, as doing this will fuel your body and lower the threshold for head pain. Keeping blood sugar levels steady can be very beneficial for your overall health and help you fight off any illnesses. To do this, you should eat around six small meals per day.

The general recommendation for water is eight 8 ounces a day. Migraine-prone people also need a lot of electrolytes, so incorporating sports drinks or Pedialyte can be very beneficial in preventing migraine attacks.

Diary

Keeping a headache diary can help you keep track of your migraines and note any changes in them on the back of the lifestyle changes you are making. You will be able to notice any patterns that could suggest episodic, chronic or menstrual-related migraines. Sharing this information with your doctor is a good idea, as they can recommend future lifestyle changes to you.

A headache diary should include information on a range of things, including:

• Date
• Day of the week
• Duration
• Severity
• Other symptoms you experience
• Medication you take
• Anything else that may be helpful

Stress

Stress is one of the most common reasons for someone experiencing a bad migraine, as it can make the pain feel more intense. You can manage your stress levels to better avoid migraine triggers. There are various online tools that you can use to help you with this, such as Headspace. You can also practise techniques like meditation and yoga for both mental and physical health benefits.

Bad habits like smoking cigarettes should be avoided, as although they are used as stress relief they can make migraines worse. You should seek alternatives if you are craving nicotine to cure your stress, such as Nicopods. These give you all nicotine benefits without having to affect your respiratory system with smoke from vaping or cigarettes.

Conclusion

Migraines can significantly impact daily life, but effective management is possible. By understanding the underlying causes and implementing strategies like the SEEDS mnemonic, individuals can reduce the frequency, severity and duration of migraine attacks. You should try and test different methods within SEEDS to figure out what benefits you the most.