Migraine headaches can be a strange thing. They are not funny, but they can suddenly appear in your life. It is odd how they can affect only one or two people in a household, but not all family members. It is important to recognize that migraines can become part of your daily life and that you must live with it. How long? It varies from person-to-person, but it is usually at least a few decades.
Let’s start
I was 15 years old when my first migraine struck. I was cycling around my hometown at the time. I was temporarily blinded by the pain for the first few minutes. Then, the nauseating pain began to subside. Over the next 15 years, I had to accept that I was dealing with migraines on a weekly (and sometimes daily basis) basis. Prescription painkillers were a great option, as they stopped my migraines within an hour.
Problem was that I would pass out and feel like a zombie the next morning. Around my 30th birthday, my migraines stopped. Now, I get migraines only about once per 3 months. At the peak of my migraine problem, I was experiencing 3-4 migraines per week. It was miserable for many years.
Migraines
How can you learn to live with your migraines? The first and most important thing to do is identify what triggers your migraines. Too much caffeine, too many red wines (tannins), too much chocolate, dairy products and nicotine are all possible triggers. One of these could cause your migraine, or a combination of several. It means that I need to be careful with how much dairy products I consume. I love cheese!
What to do?
Stop smoking, get more exercise, and drink more water to reduce stress. Combining this with my age reduced my migraine attacks to almost nothing. What does my age have to do with it all? Some people can simply get rid of migraines. My mother also suffered from severe migraines for many years. She had the same experience, but she was able to get one or two per week instead of 2-3 per week.
You can have faith that this is a temporary condition and it will pass as quickly as it came. Understanding your migraine triggers is important, but you also need to be aware of your migraine symptoms. This could include tingling in the hands, tingling in the mouth, strange taste in your mouth, or aching in the neck, jaw, or eye socket.
Conclusion
You should immediately take action if you feel any symptoms. Don’t wait until you are in the middle of a migraine attack to take action. Migraines are best treated early on.
- Understanding your triggers.
- Reduce/remove triggers
- You know your symptoms like the backs of your hands.
- Live a healthier life.
- Have faith that your migraines will pass.