Being diagnosed with migraines can be a life-changing experience. While it may be good to finally know what’s causing your pain, it also signals that you need to be more mindful of what’s happening with your body. Fortunately, your doctor will have a few suggestions about how to live well with your newly diagnosed condition. Here are a few of the changes you can expect if you’ve been diagnosed with migraines.
1. A Good Night’s Sleep Will Be Important
There are many benefits to sleeping well and a reduced likelihood of having a migraine attack is one of them. A nighttime routine that gets you in the mood to sleep is a great place to start.
If you’re still having issues, though, you should talk to your doctor about other options that can help you sleep as well as your likelihood of having a sleep disorder.
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2. The Doctor Might Recommend Further Tests
For many people, migraines are the only condition they have to deal with. For others, it’s being caused by another illness such as high blood pressure or a brain tumor.
To get to the root cause of your migraines, your doctor may recommend magnetic resonance imaging tests (MRIs), computerized tomography (CT) scans, or blood tests. Knowing the source of your migraines can be integral to solving the issue.
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3. You May Need A Medical Regimen
Depending on what’s causing your migraines, your doctor may prescribe different medications for you. Typically, these drugs fall under the categories of preventive or pain-relieving.
As you might expect, the pain relievers are meant to help you reduce your pain and can vary in dosage. The preventive drugs can be medications to lower your blood pressure, treat depression, or manage seizures. You may also need anti-nausea drugs as well.
4. Regular Exercise Can Help
Health experts recommend aiming for a balanced exercise routine. That’s because physical activity can reduce issues such as anxiety and depression, which typically make your migraines worse. If you overdo it, however, you can trigger a migraine attack. It’s a good idea to start slowly with walking, swimming, or cycling to see what works well for you.
5. You’ll Need To Eat Well
Skipping meals is another potential factor for a migraine attack. It’s estimated that the drop in blood sugar is the reason behind it. To stop that from happening, make sure to eat well and try to eat at the same time every day. Don’t forget to keep hydrated as well. Water is essential to all your body’s functions and being dehydrated can increase your risk of having a migraine attack.
Migraines: Working With Your Doctor to Find Your Triggers
6. Keep Track Of The Triggers
Everyone with migraines is likely to have triggers. These triggers are specific things that can cause an attack and they can vary from one person to the other.
If you use a journal to track them, it makes it easier for you to see a trend and put mechanisms in place to avoid or manage them. Some common triggers include dairy products, alcohol, citrus fruits, loud noises, distinctive smells, and pollen but your personalized might be longer.
7. Stress Management Will Be Key
Stress can have a significant negative effect on your body. It’s known to affect the heart, your brain, and your digestive systems. It’s not surprising then, that it can trigger your migraines.
While it’s a good idea to avoid stress, it might be more useful to develop stress management techniques that can help with keeping migraines at bay. Having a manageable schedule, making time to relax, and meditating can help.
8. You May Need A Coping Kit
Even when you do everything you can, it’s still possible to have a migraine attack anyway. That’s where your coping kit will come in. Your kit will have all you’ll need to get through the incident. Some of the essentials that other people recommend include ginger tea, ice packs, and painkillers.
Migraines can be quite disruptive, so it’s best to make as many changes as possible to manage them. That’s particularly important to African Americans because studies show that your pain levels are more likely to be higher than with other ethnicities. Knowing that information, it’s a good idea to stick to your treatment program and find effective ways to manage your migraines.
