Managing Migraine
 
What Is Migraine?
A migraine is a severe recurring headache, usually felt on only one side of the head, characterized by sharp pain.
 
  There are roughly three out of
four migraine sufferers are female.
 
Migraine tends to start between the ages of 10 and 46 and may have a family history of migraine.
.
Distinguishing
Migraine Headaches
Characteristic Migraine Tension Headache Cluster Headache
Site of pain One or both sides
of the head		 Both sides
of the head		 One side
of the head
Duration of pain 4-72 hours 2 hours to days 30-90 minutes per episode
but episodes can recur
multiple times daily
Severity of pain Usually severe,
but may be mild		 Mild to moderate Very severe
Accompanied by nausea, sensitivity to light, sound or smells Common No No
Accompanied by red or watery eyes or runny nose
 Common No No
 
What Might Trigger Migraine?
Hormonal changes, Foods, Stress, Sensory stimulus,
Physical factors, Changes in the environment, Medications
 
Common migraine headache triggers include:
Hormonal changes - Menstrual cycle fluctuation. Women with a history of migraine often have reported headaches immediately before or during their periods. Hormonal medications, such as contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy, also may worsen migraine.
Foods - Aged cheeses; chocolate; nuts; peanut butter; avocado; onion; dairy products, citrus, banana; fermented or marinated foods; aspartame; caffeine; monosodium glutamate; certain seasonings and many canned and processed foods. Skipping meals or fasting also can trigger migraine.
Sensory stimulus - Unusual smells including pleasant scents, such as perfume and flowers, and unpleasant odors, such as paint thinner and secondhand smoke also can lead to migraine.
Medications - Certain medications can aggravate migraine.
Changes in the environment - A change of weather, season, altitude level, barometric pressure or time zone can prompt a migraine headache.
Physical factors - Intense physical exertion, including sexual activity, may provoke migraine. Changes in sleep patterns, including too much or too little sleep, also can initiate a migraine headache.
Stress - Stress at work or home also can instigate migraine.
 
Prevention  
Although until today, there is no specific cure for migraine headaches, but we can prevent it by avoiding or altering triggers. Changes in lifestyle can help us to reduce the frequency of attacks and severity of migraine. Besides, it is highly recommended to adopt a diet of the PHHP quality products such as Phyto Aloe Vera Juice, Phyto Greens and Phyto Fiber can also help to maintain the equilibrium of nutrients and health.

Healthcare Hotline: 07-8625875

  

1. Avoid triggers. If certain foods or scents seem to have triggered the headaches in the past, try to avoid them. In general, try to establish a daily routine with regular sleep patterns and regular meals.

2. Eat small meals, and eat small amount of nutritious snacks between meals if needed to help stabilize wide swings in blood sugar that may precipitate a migraine. Especially avoid missing meals.

3. Exercise regularly. Regular moderate exercise helps prevent migraine.

4. Reduce the effects of estrogen. If you’re a woman with migraine and estrogen seems to trigger or make your headaches worse, or if you have a family history of stroke or high blood pressure, you may want to avoid or reduce the amount of medications you take that contain estrogen. These medications include birth control pills and hormone replacement therapy.

5. Quit smoking and avoid secondhand smoke.

6. Learn to relax and reduce stress – try progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, or join a support group.

7. Massage the neck and back of the head daily.