How to Get Rid of a Migraine Headache

Many migraine sufferers are sensitive to bright lights and loud noises.

I've suffered from migraine headaches all my life. They last from a few hours to a few days, and they are totally incapacitating. I've had so many that I consider myself a pro at getting rid of migraines. Although chronic migraines can be caused by many things, mine are mostly diet and hormone related. Coffee is one thing that for me, both causes--and cures!--my migraines. I don't use prescription drugs to treat my migraines. I prefer to use over-the-counter medications and natural treatments to get rid of the pain. Here is my recommendation to you for treating your migraine. Please, though, check the Warnings section before you begin trying to get rid of a migraine on your own.

Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• ginger root capsules
• black coffee
• aspirin, Tylenol, or ibuprofen
• ice pack
• quiet room
• reclining chair

1. Pounding and painful, migraines often start mildly.

   Identify your migraine early. If your head aches on one side only with a dull pain, if you feel nauseated, if your face feels hot, and if light or sound bothers you, your headache may be a migraine. But you may not have all those symptoms, and you may have many others, such as visual disturbances, dizziness, and vomiting. Not every intense headache is a migraine. It's important to identify what kind of headache you have, so you treat it properly. If you are sure it's a migraine, try to get rid of the headache using any of the following steps.

2. In a classic migraine, you may experience an aura.

   Swallow, with plenty of water and a bite of bland food, like a cracker, over-the-counter pain medication such as Tylenol, aspirin, or ibuprofen at the first sign of the migraine. Take only the recommended dosage. Taking medicine early, before the migraine gets bad, is essential in getting rid of a migraine. I've found it's much harder to get rid of a migraine if it's escalated to agonizingly painful.

3. Peanuts and red wine are common trigger foods.

   Take a ginger root capsule. See the bottle for the dosage. Ginger root helps with the nausea associated with a migraine, and may actually get rid of the migraine headache.

4. Drink a cup of black coffee. I don't generally tolerate caffeine well, but when I have a migraine, the caffeine in black coffee helps the inflammation and eases the pain. Sometimes when I find myself on the road with no medicine or any other recourse, I stop for a cup of black coffee (cream and sugar just make me nauseated), and the coffee gets rid of the migraine.

5. Bacon, sausage, and preserved meat may be migraine triggers.

   Take a hot bath without immersing your head to get rid of a migraine headache. Keep your hands in the bath and try to draw the blood away from your head, where the blood is flowing, expanding the blood vessels and causing the pain.

6. You may be sensitive to sound or light.

   Rest in a quiet room, undisturbed, with an ice pack on the affected side of your face. Let the cold pack cover your face, head, neck, and shoulders--whatever throbs or feels tender or hot. Try to keep your upper body elevated, so resting on a reclining chair or a lot of pillows is a great idea. You may find that covering your eyes with a soft, cool, damp cloth helps soothe your headache.

7. Good night! Feel better soon.

   Sleep if you can. Good luck, and I hope you get rid of your headache quickly.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid any possible trigger foods which may cause or make your headache worse.

• There are many other natural remedies that might help you get rid of migraines, including feverfew, magnesium, acupressure, acupuncture, trigger point therapy, and massage. Everybody is different.

• Before using any of these techniques, check with your doctor to see if they are right for you. Coffee, ginger root, painkiller medications, even hot baths are not for everyone. Do not take any medication that might harm you!

• DON'T try these recommendations with kids or babies without consulting with their pediatrician.

• Be careful about using massage for a migraine. The wrong kind of massage can make your headache worse.

• Make sure it's a migraine that you have by talking with your doctor.

• Try to work with your doctor or practitioner of alternative medicine to get at the cause of the headache, so you can prevent it before it even begins--which is, in my opinion, the best way to get rid of a migraine.