Migraines are horrible to live with and many people are debilitated for days as a result.  In addition to prophylactic medication and pain management, there are important lifestyle changes to keep migraines under control and to reduce migraine triggers:

1. Be boring!

Migraines can be completely debilitating

This doesn’t mean be terrible dinner company. It does mean try to avoid too much excitement and unpredictability. This means keeping a regimented lifestyle and regular schedule such as keeping the same sleeping times and patterns, not over or undersleeping and eating regularly.

2. Hydration and nourishment

Do your very best not to get dehydrated (see the post below) and don’t allow your blood sugar to drop too far or fluctuate too much. Drinking 2 – 3 litres of fluids and ensuring you have regular small, healthy meals will help prevent migraine triggers.

3. Nutrition, nutrition, nutrition

I talk about nutrition all of the time and its links to multiple conditions. If you look after your diet, your body will look after you. Most people who suffer migraines, if they keep a log, will be able to identify certain foods that trigger their migraines. The most common foods include chocolate, smoked fishes and meats, aged cheeses and processed foods. Others include artificial sweetness (yes, like in Diet Coke), caffeine (yes, like in Diet Coke) and alcohol.  Stop smoking!

4. You must like to move it, move it

Beginning the day with exercise has been shown to help prevent the onset of migraines. Make sure however that it is gentle or moderate and that you take in plenty of water. Yoga and pilates are especially good.

5. Stress management

What is it about something that stresses you out? Can you see it differently? Can you do anything about it? Is it in your control? Watching your stress and learning some key stress management techniques will pay dividends in migraine management.  Cognitive behavioural therapy, NLP, mindfulness, meditation or self-hypnosis should in the toolkit of every migraine sufferer. Dr Ali Shakir at our Harley Street branch is registered with the Stress Management Institute and has great expertise in teaching these techniques.

6. Be good to yourself and be bigger than the migraine

Learn to live outside of the identity of “migraine sufferer”. The stress of worrying about an attack can cause an attack in itself. Try to prevent migraines creeping into other parts of your life, even when you are not dealing with an attack. Be bigger than the migraine. Be good to yourself. Do the things you love and treat yourself as much as possible.