5 Important Lifestyle Changes for Migraine

Migraines are not always the same for everyone. What helps one person with migraine may have no effect on someone else.

But some of the things you can try to keep migraines under control include:

1. Regiment your life.

Migraine doesn't like excitement. When your life gets eventful and unpredictable, migraine flares up.
Keep a regular schedule. Make sure you go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time in the morning. Get an adequate amount of sleep, but don't oversleep. Eat your meals on a regular schedule.

2. Nourish your body.

Always keep a bottle of water and a snack handy: Peanut butter and an apple, or mild cheese and crackers, are good protein-carb combos.

3. Watch what you eat.

Many foods that have been linked with migraine contain a chemical called tyramine, which occurs naturally in food as it ages. This includes aged, smoked, and cured meats, and many aged cheeses.

Other common dietary migraine triggers include aspartame and artificial sweeteners, caffeine, and alcohol.

4. Get moving.

Daily exercise appears to be very helpful for many people with migraine, especially when they begin the day with it.
However, exercise is a migraine trigger for some people. The issue sometimes is making the workout too intense, too quickly -- or becoming dehydrated. So aim for moderate exercise and be sure to hydrate before and after. 

5. Reduce stress.

Stress seems to be one of the biggest lifestyle factors associated with migraine.
Learning stress management techniques, like biofeedback, meditation, and cognitive behavioral strategies, is absolutely imperative for people with frequent headaches.

Keeping a journal is the best way to figure out which lifestyle factors may play a role in your migraines

Here's how:

*Every day, write down what you ate and drank and when; when and if you exercised; when you went to bed and got up; and any big stresses you experienced.
*Record when you get migraines.

A lot of people will find that none of the identified triggers apply to them. And some triggers you can't do anything about. For example, strong odors trigger migraine for many people, and there's only so much you can do about your coworker's stinky perfume.

But if you can identify lifestyle factors that trigger migraines that are modifiable -- such as when you're eating and how much you're sleeping -- you may be able to find some relief.

Source: webmd.com