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About Migraine

About Migraine | The impact of migraine | Migraine symptoms | Managing migraine | Migraine support

Managing migraine

Every person's migraine is different. The frequency, the triggers and the response to treatment varies from individual to individual. Also each person's migraine will vary at different ages and under different circumstances. Almost like recognising your own road and house you will quickly become aware of triggers for your migraine.

Keep a migraine diary

Keeping a diary can help to identify subtle triggers. You don't need to be obsessive about it, a few months should be fine. Relationship to work, stress, periods, take-away foods, travel, sleep and dehydration may become obvious when a diary is kept.

Diaries are also useful in identifying response to treatment.

When you feel well enough after an attack, writing an account of the day preceding the attack can be very useful.

You can get an example migraine diary from the Migraine Action Association

Find a migraine treatment that works for you

Most migraineurs should have access to a treatment that works for them. If you haven't you should see your pharmacist and find out if you can discover which treatment may be appropriate for you. Having discovered which treatment works well for you, be sure that you always have quick access to it so you can treat at the first signs of migraine attack. Leave a pack in your handbag, wallet, home or work so you're never caught out.

Dr Sue Lipscombe

Advice on managing migraine within this section is provided by Dr Sue Lipscombe.

Picture of Sue Sue is director of MIPCA (Migraine in Primary Care Advisors), council member for BASH (British Association for the Study of Headache) and UK representative to The International Headache Council.

Sue has suffered from migraine for forty years. She is a full time GP in Brighton.

 

Avoid common migraine triggers

Diet: Diet is a very individual trigger but some foods and drinks are identified more frequently. For example:


  • alcohol
  • cheese
  • caffeine
  • citrus fruits
  • garlic
  • onions
  • wheat
  • milk
  • nuts
  • pickled foods

Chocolate may cause migraine but a desire to eat it before an attack is common as there is often a craving for sweet things.

Missing meals produces a change in blood sugar level which is a common cause of attacks—as is dehydration.

Female hormones: The menopause is the time when many women experience the worst time of all with their migraine. Hormone replacement therapy, particularly that which gives three months of period-free time may prove helpful.

Pregnancy may cause variable responses in migraine sufferers. Some mums-to-be become totally free of migraine from the start of pregnancy until after breast feeding stops. Others may, for the first three months have a severe worsening of their attacks.

Sleep: Regularity in all things is the key to managing migraine and variable amounts of sleep—either too much or too little—can act as a trigger.

Emotional: If you are stressed, try prioritising your tasks. If you seem to have lots to do, make a list and try to do the most important things first.

More frequently migraine will start when you start to relax. For example, when you go away on holiday or at the weekend.

Physical: Light exercise may be helpful but heavy strenuous exercise can also start an episode. Sadly so too can energetic sexual activity.

Environmental: Heavy weather can precipitate an attack, as can bright lights especially strip lighting. Flashing lights and bright computer screens may be individual triggers.