When trying to mitigate the severe headaches known as migraines, every possible approach is going to be useful. On the one hand you have researchers and doctors exploring the underlying causes of this illness, with the hope that once they fully understand the causes and mechanisms involved, they will have a better idea of how to respond with effective treatment. But one of the aspects of migraine prevention lies partly in the migraine patient’s own hands, and might be something the person can actually control.
One of the biggest advances in the research has been with regard to migraine triggers. A great many of these have been discovered, falling into two categories: controllable and uncontrollable. Uncontrollable triggers might be things like changing weather patterns. For example, big swings in barometric pressure, a high humidity, and certain types of wind can all trigger a migraine. One might think migraine prevention would be impossible when it comes to these factors, but they might at least be mitigated to some extent.
Another type of migraine that some feel falls into the “uncontrollable” category would be the menstrual migraine. After all, a woman can’t very well just stop menstruating to prevent a headache. Yet the trigger here seems, at least in part, to be either too much or too little estrogen. Menstruating women can’t entirely control their estrogen levels, yet they might be able to alter the dosage to some degree in their birth control pills. And post-menopausal women can certainly adjust dosages in their hormone replacement therapies. So migraine prevention might even be possible in these cases.
Certain other factors are most definitely controllable, and may bring a degree of migraine relief. For example, some people’s headaches are triggered by glaring light, so they can help themselves with proper sunglasses or by closing a curtain. Other triggers, the majority of controllable ones, in fact, seem to be food-related. So the person’s migraine prevention program may be to stop eating peanut butter, cheese, chocolate, or any other food that seems to bring on the headache. Triggers involving food, strong smells, or even light conditions can often be altered or eliminated.
People trying to stop migraines from happening to them can’t neglect the usual recommendations for good health, such as reducing stress, eating healthy, regular meals and getting enough exercise and sleep. These will undoubtedly contribute to their wellbeing and might also help with migraine prevention. But the discovery of one’s own migraine triggers and the removal of those things as much as possible is another contributor. This is one area where the migraine sufferer actually has the power to do something positive in response to this condition.
Beth Kaminski is a leading expert in the anxiety or panic attacks and has been publishing lots of information on the best anxiety attack medications for years now.
Diseases, Conditions and Treatments • November 17th, 2009 •