There is no headache like a migraine headache. Although many think of it as just a headache, migraines have many additional symptoms, including light and sound sensitivity, nausea and vomiting, vision distortion, both flashes of light or blurry vision, and dizziness or feeling lightheaded. Migraines can be triggered by food, hormone changes, stress and many other, often frustratingly unknown things.
During a migraine, all of the blood vessels in your brain open at the same time, causing extreme pain symptoms. Luckily, in addition to doctor-prescribed medication, there are several reputable, natural remedies to help alleviate migraines:
1. Migraine diet
Migraines are generally triggered by a number of factors, so it can be difficult to determine specific dietary triggers for migraines. However, there have been many studies on foods to avoid in order to reduce migraine frequency. Among the most commonly identified migraine trigger foods are alcohol, specifically red wine and beer, cured meats, chocolate, aged cheeses and preservatives, specifically MSG, nitrates and nitrites. Because many migraine triggers are not food related, it is very helpful to keep a food log to determine if a specific food is a migraine trigger. Caffeine can also be a trigger for migraines, but has been identified as something that helps relieve a migraine headache. Due to the dual nature of caffeine, experts have recommended for migraine sufferers to consume no more than 200 mg daily, which is between one and two cups of coffee.
2. Lavender oil
Lavender has many medical uses, including treatment for a migraine. Lavender oil helps promote relaxation, and it has been identified as an effective tool for acute migraine management. One study showed significant pain reduction approximately 15 minutes after breathing in lavender oil. The safest way to do this is to add a few drops of lavender oil to boiling water, then take several slow, deep breaths of the water vapor, being careful not to get too close and getting burned.
3. Biofeedback for migraines
The National Headache Foundation has identified biofeedback as an effective tool for treating and even preventing an oncoming migraine headache. Biofeedback works to teach individuals how to gain greater awareness, and ultimately control of physiological functions in their body such as heart rate, skin temperature, blood pressure, and other responses that typically change involuntarily. For migraine sufferers, it has been shown that relaxation and regulating skin temperature at the first aura or onset of migraine symptoms has been as effective at combating the migraine as Inderal. In addition to lessening the severity of migraine symptoms, biofeedback for migraines has also shown to reduce the frequency of migraine headaches.
4. Acupuncture
The American Migraine Foundation formally identified acupuncture as an effective treatment for lowering the frequency and severity of migraines. There have also been reports of acupuncture treatments alleviating symptoms during a migraine episode. There is ongoing research to determine exact treatment numbers, but on average, six to eight acupuncture sessions have shown to minimize migraine frequency. Additional treatments after a headache episode help to prolong the advantages of acupuncture after the initial six to eight sessions have ended.
Migraine medicines can be costly and have uncomfortable side effects. There are many well documented, natural migraine remedies that can be used to successfully manage migraine headaches.