What Triggers Migraine? 5 Ways To Regulate Throbbing Headache

Migraine: Do you have bouts of throbbing pain in the head? Does a feeling of nausea accompany it? There will be no surprise if that turns out to be a migraine. These are more than just ‘bad headaches

Migraine: Do you have bouts of throbbing pain in the head? Does a feeling of nausea accompany it? There will be no surprise if that turns out to be a migraine. These are more than just ‘bad headaches.’  It is a neurological condition which lead to debilitating headaches accompanied by feeling of nausea, vomiting, difficulty in speaking, numbness, sensitivity to light etc. It can affect people of any age. It is usually a pain in one side of the head but it may as well cause pain both sides of keep shifting. Such severe pain can last from hours to days and if escalated it even hampers the daily activities of life. For some people, a warning symptom known as an aura occurs before or with the headache. An aura can include visual disturbances, such as flashes of light or blind spots, or other disturbances, such as tingling on one side of the face or in an arm or leg and difficulty speaking.

Technically there are four stages of migraine but not everyone necessarily go through that

Prodrome: Symptoms that begin one or two days before headache is called the prodrome phase. ne may experience fatigue, stiff neck, mood changes, irritability, hyperactivity.

Aura: Migraine aura usually comes after prodrome stage where one might experience issues with vision, movement speech etc. One may experience fatigue, temporary loss of vision, difficulty in speaking, sensitivity to lights, sensation of needles or pins pricking.

Attack: A migraine usually lasts from 4 to 72 hours if untreated. How often migraines occur varies from person to person. Migraines might occur rarely or strike several times a month.

Post-drome: After a migraine attack, you might feel drained, confused and washed out for up to a day. Some people report feeling elated. Sudden head movement might bring on the pain again briefly.

Migraine Triggers

Researches have not yet identified a definitive cause behind migraine but there could be certain triggers that lead to it.

• Hormonal changes
• Excessive Caffeine Intake
• Extreme Heat Condition
• Bright Light
• Changes in Sleep Pattern
• Too much stress
• Too much alcohol and smoking
• Certain food

Ways To Prevent It

As mentioned, there is no definitive causality behind migraine but certain situations that may trigger it. If one is aware that under what circumstances one is likely to experience intense headache, it best to avoid or mitigate that situation at some level.

• Healthy Diet: Eating a healthy, nutrient rich diet is extremely important. It is the go to preventive measure for any medical condition. Also, there are certain foods that can cause headache, so try to avoid that.
• Regular Exercise: Another important yet cliched measure is to maintain a fit body. regular physical body or yoga is important to keep the metabolism going.
• Mitigate Stress: Stress is a leading cause behind migraine. One must learn to regulate stressful situations to avoid escalating to intense pain.
• Practise Meditation: Practicing relaxing techniques like meditation, yoga is a good way to keep the body fit and calm down the brain and nerves.
• Do Not Skip Meals, Sleep Well: These two things are also important to note. Working empty stomach and having a bad sleep schedule can cause headaches too.
• Be Aware Of Sensory Stimulations: One must know what can trigger their migraine. If it is bright light, loud noise than better to avoid such places.

While migraine is becoming a common condition, there is no research on any definitive causes behind it but cause and effect anecdotal claims.