How Do I Get Rid of a Migraine Headache?

Introduction

Migraines are a painful health issue. They can make even basic daily stimuli such as light and sound painful to be around. However, you don't have to fear a life full of migraines. There are ways to help alleviate migraines or even prevent them from being a factor in your life.

Prescription

Prescription can be an effective way to treat or prevent a migraine headache. Migraines are normally caused by an imbalance of serotonin in your system. This imbalance can occur for a variety of reasons. Once your serotonin is off, it can signal your trigeminal nerve to start producing neuropeptides. These peptides then react on your blood vessels surrounding your brain, and cause them to become inflamed and dilated. This expansion of the blood vessels causes the pain experienced from a migraine. A prescription medicine can either prevent serotonin from starting this process, or it can help increase serotonin levels during the beginning of a migraine attack. Many medicines also include painkillers to help alleviate the pain associated with the headache.

Triggers

Avoiding migraine triggers may also help get rid of these headaches. Triggers are actions or foods that can contribute to migraine occurrences. The best way to discover and avoid triggers is through keeping a trigger journal. When you experience a migraine, write down what you were doing before the event. What were you eating? What activity were you doing? After a while you'll begin to see patterns in your journal, pointing out specific triggers that contribute to your migraines.

Lifestyle Change

One of the best ways to get rid of migraine headaches is through lifestyle change. Because most migraines are caused through a problem in serotonin levels, finding ways to naturally raise and regulate serotonin in your daily life can help you stay migraine-free. Diet is one of these lifestyle changes. Eating foods high in natural fiber and vitamins such as B6 will help raise your serotonin levels while keeping your glucose levels from spiking. Exercising daily can help your serotonin levels and help prevent migraine headaches by naturally relaxing your blood vessels. This will help increase blood circulation throughout your body for an overall health effect.

Resources

• Additional Information on Migraines