LIFESTYLE AND MIGRAINES

Migraine is among the top 10 most disabling illness in the world leading to lost days of work, unemployment, strains on relations, and problems in a family. Medications are the go-to problem solver when dealing with a migraine but  there are many things you can do to change your lifestyle, including the food you eat, to prevent one from occurring.

The best way to help a migraine is by figuring out what is causing it to happen and what is making it worse. The best place to look is the food you are eating and how you are living your life. Any food can be a trigger for a migraine sufferer to set off a migraine, most commonly, caffeine and alcohol. Your lifestyle can also be a huge trigger including stressors, sleeping habits, exercise, and water intake to name a few.

Every person is unique and reacts to food and changes in lifestyle differently. In addition to figuring out your personal trigger, try the following.

• Reduce caffeine intake and avoid if possible. When you do get a migraine, taking a medication with caffeine is likely to be more effective due to the lower tolerance your body has.

Make sure you are exercising! If you’re the person who says “exercising makes my headaches worse”, try a yoga class. Yoga is known to reduce stress and anxiety, create awareness and most importantly, it has been shown to reduce migraines.