Migraines and the holidays…quick tips!
Takeaway points for less migraine and more … holiday!
The season is bustling with festivities, but may actually as such, create even more the “perfect storm” for the migraine brain. Overall increased excitement, activity, and change may cause overstimulation to the migraine brain and predispose to increased migraine occurrence…oh dear.
As a headache specialist, I already describe a migraine at baseline, simply put, as a “storm” in the brain. The additional excitement, bells, and whistles of the holiday season may indeed add turbulence to the likelihood of that storm occurring, along with bumping up its severity.
However with these basic preventive tips in mind, hopefully we can outpace and squash the squall, before it has a chance to strike!
Maintain consistency - the migraine brain is particularly sensitive and thrives on consistency, and may “rear its head” (pun intended?) with a vengeance, to any slight disruption of schedule. Continuing to maintain regularity is key, for example the “easier said than done” task of going to sleep and waking up at the same time daily.
Lifestyle- the migraine brain needs to be adequately hydrated and fed. For a typical patient without health conditions contradicting otherwise, I recommend daily water intake of 64 oz (8 cups). Eat regular meals, and be sure to include breakfast with protein- does not have to be a feast, but even a hard boiled egg or a handful of nuts, counts! The migraine brain can be quite disgruntled when hungry and rather than glucose or carbohydrate, it does make a difference to provide even a morsel of protein to start off the day. Exercise! You do not need to run a marathon, but getting the heart rate up for 30 minutes at a time, 3 times a week, can help keep away headaches. Bundle up, and brisk outdoor stroll can truly be beneficial!
Be ready to treat, stat! - I educate my patients to be attuned to their migraine symptoms and upon any initial signs of onset, to immediately intervene with effective treatment modality on hand. One may experience even subtle symptoms heralding the onset of a migraine attack, which may including, yawning, hunger, thirst, fatigue, etc. At first inkling of a brewing attack, have available on you at all times your rescue treatment- if it is not readily accessible when needed, it cannot assist you! For example, carry the effective rescue treatment in your bag on your person, along with a small bottle of water and a couple of tissues (if possible, I can personally attest to the fact that most aesthetically pleasing handbags tend to be petite and barely hold the essentials). If at the very least, slip the tiny medication itself into the inner lining silk pocket of the clutch. Otherwise, potable water should not be too difficult to come by- I cannot emphasize enough to stay hydrated!
Be aware and informed- Factors may inevitably be out of your control, and intrinsically due to the nature of the environment. Shifts in barometric pressure and extreme weather changes are known to induce migraines. Travel including long-distance driving leading to neck pain and/or motion sickness, altitude changes with airplane flights, and time zone shifts which disrupt the circadian rhythm, are notorious triggers for migraines. “Let down” headache is when the release from stress rather than the stress itself, leads to migraine- it is the cessation of a demanding busy period and reaching a lull, that paradoxically causes the migraine… go figure.
Regardless, rest assured- the more equipped patients are with knowledge and vigilant about utilizing these preventive strategies, the more they can have an anti-migraine protective buffer, against all those triggers that are indeed out of their control. Hope this is even a bit useful.
Happiest and safest of holidays to you and yours!
