Migraines suck

Do you get migraines?  If you do, you know migraines suck.  They are the worst but luckily there are things you can do to try to avoid them.

Headaches vs. Migraines

We all get headaches.  Headaches are not rare and a big majority of them are because we are stressed or have tension in certain parts of our bodies like our neck, shoulders, or head.  Headaches are uncomfortable but they generally can resolve themselves within a day.  By taking it easy and relaxing, a headache can go away on its own.  Migraines are a bit different.

Migraines

A migraine headache can be quite painful.  In fact, migraines suck!  They come with sensitivity to light, nausea and even problems with vision.  In addition, they can last for days – yes, days – not hours but days!  Migraines aren’t brought on by tension but stress and anxiety can bring a migraine on.  Other reasons for migraines include hormonal issues, bad digestion, toxicity, blood sugar issues, and even too much caffeine or alcohol.  Plus, it is believed that migraines occur because of the lack of blood flow to the head so if you couple that with some of those risk factors, you may be in for a few days of suffering.

Although migraines suck, knowing the triggers can help you avoid them.

I’m not a doctor so it’s always good to check with yours – I can only tell you from my experience what I have done to help alleviate my migraines.

Note:  that a little caffeine is OK.  If you get a migraine, having a dose of caffeine can be helpful.

Symptoms of migraines

If you’ve suffered from migraines, I don’t have to tell you how severe they can be.  Migraines suck!  Here are some of the symptoms you may have experienced:

• Stabbing pain, usually on one side (mine always starts behind my left eye)
• Difficulty seeing clearly
• Light sensitivity
• Nausea
• Pain can last for a few days (mine usually last 3 days)

Causes and some recommendations

I’ve already talked about some of the causes of migraines like low blood sugar but I’d like to go into these a little bit more.  First, if you have blood sugar issues, you probably already know that you need to keep your blood sugar steady.  Drastic dips can cause you major problems so if you haven’t been mindful of this, getting back on track will help you a ton!

Along with that is eating nutritiously.  Eating a well balanced diet that includes fiber and vitamins and minerals will help so that you don’t get constipated – which leads to toxicity in your body and even inflammation.  Ensure that your diet includes enough calcium and magnesium because calcium helps our nervous system and our muscles.  You should also stay hydrated by drinking enough water.

On the flip side

It’s important not to overindulge in alcohol.  Alcohol is dehydrating.  The last thing you need is to be dehydrated.  Avoid foods with MSG (monosodium glutamate).  I always know when I inadvertently ate something with MSG because I get a migraine within the next day or so.  This is the reason why I stopped eating take-out Chinese food.  I love Asian food but it contains so much MSG – or at least the restaurants I’ve been to.  I just can’t take the chance anymore.  Now, I make my own Chinese dishes at home.

Plus, even if a restaurant advertises ‘No added MSG’, this just means that they did not add anything more but what they are already using may have MSG in it.  Trust me on this.  I now make my own version of Chinese dishes at home – without MSG!  You will thank me later!

Hormonal problems

Lastly, hormonal issues.  Because of the endocrine disruptors in products, these can cause havoc on our hormones which can cause migraines.  Watch ingredients because you may not realize that something you are using on your skin is causing your migraines.  I point this out specifically because this is a major culprit in migraine sufferers.

Migraines suck but you can make some slight changes to help keep them away.  Plus, do some relaxation techniques like meditation and you’ll be as good as gold.