A migraine is an intense, throbbing, and recurrent headache, which commonly affects one side of the head and often behind one eye or temple but sometimes affects both sides of head often accompanied by nausea or vomiting and is particularly sensitive to bright light, loud noises, and smell. The cause of migraine is not well understood, it seems to involve widening and narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain. It usually occurs when a person is under great mental tension or has suddenly got over that state. An attack may last several hours or even days. Shortly before an attack, some people have aura (warning symptoms), such as visual disturbances and an altered sense of taste and smell. Factors that can trigger migraines in susceptible people include; stress; changes in sleep routine; certain foods and drinks; and in women, fluctuating hormone levels.
- Intense throbbing pain on one side of the head.
- Visual disturbances such as blurred vision and flashing lights.
- Increased sensitivity to light, smells, and sounds.
- Nausea, vomiting.
- Lack of concentration.
- Lightheadedness, sometimes followed by fainting.
Home Remedies for Migraine
- Banana: Preventive method for certain individuals getting migraines at midday —Take a ripe banana, peel it, and chop banana into pieces, and add 1 teaspoon warm ghee, 1 teaspoon date sugar, and a pinch of cardamom. Take this early morning.
- Brahmi: Put 5 drops of warm brahmi in each nostril. It will help to relieve the pain.
- Basil: Inhale basil oil.
- Lemon: Apply the paste of fine lemon crusts on forehead.
- Ginger: At the sign of migraine headache, mix 1/3 teaspoon of powdered ginger into a glass of water and drink it. Ginger contains anti-inflammatory and pain relieving compounds that may able to halt a migraine attack.
Do’s for Migraine
- Keep a note for few weeks during an attack to find out any possible contributory factors and avoid those things. Foods such as red wine, chocolate, and cheese are common triggers. Too much caffeine or cutting back suddenly on your regular intake can cause migraine.
- Eat regularly and drink 6-8 glasses of water a day.
- Eat good source of calcium and magnesium such as green leafy vegetables, beans, almonds, walnuts and wheat germ and foods high in omega3 fatty acids such as salmon, flax-seed which can prevent migraine.
- Gently squeeze your earlobes, pulling the ear down, and do the act of yawning. That will relieve the pressure on the blood vessels and help to pacify the headache.
- Keep a regular sleep pattern. Too little or too much sleep can trigger a migraine.
- If possible, lie down in a dark, quiet room with pillows to support head. Try to sleep.
- Wear sunglasses and hat if you are out in bright lights.
- Sip water throughout the day, especially if having nausea and vomiting.
- Do cooling breathing exercise such as shitali.
- If stress is a factor, manage stress.
Don’ts for Migraine
- Avoid hot, spicy foods, fermented foods, and sour or citrus fruits.
- Avoid direct exposure to the sun.
- Avoid alcohol, cigarette smoke or strong odors.
- Don’t do fasting or skip meals.
- Migraines are not getting better with self-help treatment.
- Having frequent or severe attacks.
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