What's Triggering Your Migraine Headaches?

If you suffer from migraine headaches you are well aware that there are few things more painful or longer lasting than a migraine. And women are much more prone to this problem than men. In fact, up to 25 percent of women suffer from migraines, and they outnumber men three to one in the likelihood of experiencing these painful headaches. A migraine can come up on you from out of nowhere, but is frequently triggered by undue stress and anxiety.

Because it can happen so quickly, it's difficult to figure out what you might do to keep it from occurring. Once you have it, all you can think about is the pain which is almost impossible to deal with. You need to become more knowledgeable regarding the signs and symptoms that precede your migraine headaches. Start a headache diary in which you make a note of the date, time and circumstances in which your migraine headache attacked.

Also write down what you were doing and what kind of mood you were in when the pain arrived. After a while, you should be able to compare your notes from and try to find things that the headaches had in common. Maybe you were short of sleep and overworked. Trying to do more than your body can handle can lead to high stress levels, which are a frequent cause of migraines.

Fluorescent lighting, which is ubiquitous in the workplace, can also be a trigger for migraines. If your job has you working in a room with fluorescent lighting, purchase a desk lamp that uses a full spectrum light bulb. Switch off the lights overhead and just rely on the light from your lamp.

Everyday noises that you would generally be unaware of can sound like you're in the depths of a subway when you're suffering from a migraine headache. If you're unable to hide away from the noise, use earplugs to reduce the impact. These are available at any drugstore and aren't expensive. So keep some handy at all times.

Each migraine is different and you might discover that particular foods can help ease the pain, or conversely, make it last longer. For example, limit the amount of caffeine you consume through soft drinks and coffee. Carbonated drinks are also known to increase the pain. Choose instead to consume pure fruit and vegetable juices. They are both nutritionally better for you and they have some detox properties. Many people don't feel like eating while they have a migraine, but if you can keep some liquids down you'll get some nutrition from these juices.

Taking some nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medication at the first sign of pain might be useful to halt the flow of prostaglandin, a chemical produced in your body that leads to pain and fever. You can easily purchase NSAIDs in the form of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and naproxen in a number of different brand names. If this doesn’t give you any relief, then you will have to visit your doctor and see if you can get a prescription for a more powerful pain killer.

There are no guaranteed migraine remedies but if you're well prepared, you should be able to minimize your pain and get through it with less discomfort.