How to Help Avoid Migraine Headaches

People who experience migraine headaches can be quick to look for straightforward and logical causes for what are often chaotic and debilitating migraine attacks. Migraine sufferers have a tendency to blame themselves for running into “triggers” that can happen on occasion (episodic) or longer term (chronic). You may be surprised to learn that conventional wisdom about migraine triggers is largely incorrect.

The Research on Migraine Triggers

Newer evidence suggests that avoiding triggers is not an effective migraine prevention strategy. The only time it may be helpful is if this strategy empowers you. 

For instance, if you only experience a migraine after a glass or two of red wine, it makes sense to avoid red wine. Rarely is a migraine attack this straightforward, though. It is far more empowering and productive to focus on an overall healthy lifestyle that raises your level of migraine resistance against unavoidable exposures like weather changes, stress levels, or abrasive smells.

The Migraine-Genetic Connection

Migraine is a common and complex neurological disorder rooted in a genetic predisposition. If you have a genetic predisposition to migraine, enough changes in sensory input can increase your chances of having an attack. An activity or substance can be tolerable some days and triggering on other days.

Raise Your Migraine Resistance with a Headache Journal

You can raise your resistance to migraine headache attacks by keeping a headache calendar or diary—either paper and pencil or a smartphone app. Try not to focus on things out of your control such as barometric pressure changes or your coworker’s perfume. Helpful things to note in a headache journal include:

• When headaches occur (time of day, how often per month)
• Activities you are doing (eating, exercising) when your headaches occur
• Your symptoms (including light sensitivity and nausea)
• The treatment you use and how well it works
• If you experience menstruation, note the time of the month relative to hormone fluctuations
• Stress levels—work stressors, family dynamics, etc.

Track Ingredients in Food and Medicines

A side benefit of keeping a headache journal is tracking ingredients in your food or medicines. There have not been good studies on dietary causes for migraine attacks as everyone is different, but things to look for and note in your headache journal include:

• Eating habits—Did you skip a meal or eat late?
• Food additives or preservatives including aspartame and nitrates
• Alcohol, especially alcohol with high sugar content like wine
• High caffeine intake
• As needed medication use, like acetaminophen
• New daily medication use

The Environment and Migraines

Tracking the complex relationship between the environment and headache frequency can be helpful if you notice a pattern and can empower yourself to make changes. For instance, if you find that stress levels are a problem, you could benefit from a mindfulness meditation program. 

Weather patterns, often cited as a trigger, cannot be avoided. That’s why it’s important to increase your headache threshold through lifestyle changes or working with a physician on a preventive medication strategy. Note that overusing headache medication like acetaminophen or combination over-the-counter headache medicines can cause a medication adaptation headache or rebound headache.

Lifestyle Changes to Consider

While many aspects of life are out of our control, there are some common lifestyle modifications that all migraine sufferers should consider. 

• Establish a daily routine. This is not only important to your well-being, but also to your ability to notice a pattern to your headaches and manage them. 
• Eat regularly and don’t skip meals.
• Exercise to increase your body’s natural pain control chemicals. Start low and go slow. 
• Establish regular sleep habits as sleep is very important to the body’s ability to control pain. 
• Manage stress, don’t let it manage you.

By being proactive and working with your doctor, you can help manage the sometimes debilitating effects of migraine headaches.