As I sit and write this, I am currently experiencing a migraine—something I get often. I have been getting migraines since I was 8 years old, and let me tell you: they suck. I personally experience them for a mix of reasons: genetics, hormones, and stress. For myself, I either get the pain behind one eye, a cluster type on the back of my head, a tension kind in the nose area or across my forehead, or occasionally an ice pick headache, which results in a sharp stabbing pain on the side of the head. For others that experience migraines, or even if you are just an occasional headache type of person, I have put together a list of ways to help combat the pain. I hope this list helps ease the pain of headaches and migraines.
- Relax- Just take a seat or maybe lie down. They frequently come with nausea, so it’s especially helpful to sit and relax until it all passes or gets better if you can.
- Take medicine- There are a variety of over the counter headache medications that really help. Take it as soon as possible to help nip it in the butt the quickest. Read the directions on the bottle and find which pill works best for you.
- Drink coffee- Any type of caffeine should help the migraine so try to get to a Star-Bucks or Dunkin Donuts if possible. If you are home you could always brew your own too obviously.
- Place a wet washcloth on your forehead – If you are at home and if you want to get comfy, take a washcloth and wet it with really cold water and place it on your forehead or over your eyes if you want to as well. This really helps the pain.
- Get a back rub- If you are with friends or family; ask if they would rub your shoulders for you. This will help take off the tension. You can also rub your own neck and shoulders if you need to, too.
- Eat something – Sometimes eating something helps. I also find that eating something sweet helps more on certain occasions, while other times something savory or salty will. Gauge what might help you best in each particular situation.
- Drink water – Drink some cold water to hydrate more, this will help.
- Take a nap- Try to sleep it off. This is especially good advice if you are experiencing an aura.
- Don’t be around bright lights, noisy areas, or areas with an intense smell- Your senses are heightened with a headache and these may trigger it to become more intense.
- Don’t focus on something – looking at small print, your phone, or a book will cause more harm for the pain. It’s best to not focus hard on things when you are experiencing a headache. (I say as I write this on my laptop with a migraine lol.)
I hope these points have helped. It’s important to listen to your body, and when you feel one coming on, its best to not overdo it and egg it on. On the other hand, I sometimes try my hardest to push through them to not miss out on things I want to do. As long as I follow a few of these tips, I can typically feel better and push through it. Do what feels best for you, and I hope these tips will help alleviate the head pains.