10 ways to get rid of migraines without the help of pills

It makes sense to use analgesics and antispasmodics at the very beginning, before the onset of severe pain. But, as a rule, taking any pills already at the peak of pain is ineffective. Therefore, prevention is of great importance in the process of combating migraine.

Here are 10 ways to get rid of migraines without pills:

1. Understand the reasons

If you are already suffering from migraine attacks, doctors advise keeping a diary. For several weeks, it is necessary to keep records to identify the pattern - after which the head begins to severely hurt. Usually, a migraine attack provokes smoking, great physical activity, stress, sleep disturbance. The harbingers of migraines can be neck pain or dental problems. We recommend using the Migraine Stopper machine to protect yourself from the difficult consequences of this disease and not suffer from headaches.

2. Eat regularly

Migraines can occur due to a drop in blood sugar levels, as this leads to the release of glucose into the blood and an increase in blood pressure. To avoid this, you need to eat every four hours. Eat more fruits and vegetables, low-fat yoghurts and cheeses. But white bread, cakes, sugary drinks and other goodies will have to be abandoned.

3. Give up coffee

Consuming large amounts of caffeine can cause a narrowing of the blood vessels around the brain, resulting in migraines. More than 300 mg of caffeine per day can cause such problems - that's about three cups of coffee. If you can't give up coffee, try switching to decaf. By the way, chocolate also contains caffeine but is safer.

4. Eliminate food additives

Migraine can also be caused by food additives, such as sodium glutamate, which is found in some cheeses and canned meats, sugar substitutes, various colors used for soda and marzipan, sulfites in wine, and sodium benzoate - it is found in shrimp, margarine, soft drinks and sweets.

5. Chew ginger

Raw ginger root can relieve the nausea and digestive problems that often accompany migraines. Ginger also blocks the effect of prostaglandins, which cause inflammation of the blood vessels in the brain and thus lead to migraines.

6. Increase serotonin level

Studies have shown that people with migraines have low serotonin levels. Therefore, they should eat protein-rich foods, such as chicken, turkey, eggs, dairy, bananas, beans, dates, oats, rice, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

7. Drink water

Dehydration disrupts the functioning of the body as a whole, but this is especially reflected in the brain since the tissues surrounding the brain are mainly composed of water. When they lose fluid, they shrink, which leads to painful sensations. Therefore, doctors recommend drinking one to two liters of water a day to reduce the severity, duration, and frequency of attacks.

8. Drink vitamins

Australian scientists have proven that vitamin B can relieve their migraine attacks. 2,000 mcg of folate, 25 mg of vitamin B6, and 400 mcg of vitamin B12 can reduce the frequency and severity of pain. And introducing these vitamins into the daily diet can reduce the disability due to migraines by 50%.

9. Saturate the body with magnesium

A lack of magnesium leads to decreased blood flow to the brain and low blood sugar levels, which, in turn, causes migraine attacks. To get magnesium back into your body, eat leafy vegetables, mashed tomatoes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, peas, potatoes, and oats.

10. Do yoga

Yoga soothes, relieves stress, relieves pain. Some postures relieve tension in the neck and shoulders. There is a separate article about this, which you can read here.

Why migraines are dangerous

The disease itself is not dangerous since it does not lead to disturbances in the work or structure of the nervous system. However, if attacks occur too often or for a long time, we can talk about chronic migraine, which significantly reduces the quality of life of a person and disrupts his social activity, as he cannot go to work, etc. Also, migraines can have complications.

Migraine status

If an attack lasts more than three days or attacks appear too often (with an interval of a day or less) and last more than 4-6 hours, accompanied by vomiting and convulsions, the condition is called migraine status (by analogy with status epilepticus). This condition requires urgent hospitalization.

Migraine stroke

A "Catastrophic" form of migraine. Against the background of a migraine attack, symptoms of a stroke appear and disappear. On CT, changes in the brain are recorded, characteristic of ischemic stroke.