More than 37 million people suffer from migraines in the United States. If you’re one of them, it’s important to learn ways to sidestep these debilitating headaches.
Seasoned pain management physicians Kevin Elaahi, MD, and Benjamin Kim, MD, provide a variety of non-surgical treatments to help alleviate migraines and other painful conditions at Interventional Pain Consultants in Parsippany, Montclair, and Landing, New Jersey.
A neurological disease, migraine headaches cause abnormal brain activity and chemical imbalances that can last for hours or days. As blood vessels constrict and dilate, they inflict:
Your migraine may begin with a visual aura as blind spots and swirling lights invade one or both sides of your field of vision. These visual cues usually abate within an hour, followed by pain on one or both sides of your head.
In the hours or days following your migraine, you may feel fatigued. Certain head movements may also cause pain.
Dr. Elaahi and Dr. Kim stress learning which specific foods influence your migraines to avoid them. The so-called “5 Cs” are most common dietary migraine triggers:
Other problematic foods are wine (especially red wine), wheat, artificial sweeteners, cow’s milk, nitrites found in deli meats, and certain fruits.
Diet isn’t the only possible migraine trigger; other possible causes include:
Many more women experience migraine attacks than men, due to their hormonal differences and other issues. Women often suffer migraines, for instance, around their menstrual period due to fluctuations in the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
When your sleep suffers, so does your brain, which may increase your risk of suffering a migraine attack.
Many people recognize a major connection between high stress levels and increased migraine occurrence and severity.
You may notice that your migraines occur with significant changes in barometric pressure and/or excessive heat.
Strong sensitivity to light, known as photophobia, may induce migraines, too. As you age, your eyes adjust more slowly to changing conditions, such as darkness to light. This may make your migraines occur more frequently.
Simply waiting awhile after waking to go on the computer or into a bright room gives your eyes time to adjust and potentially bypass a migraine. Remember, also, to wear sunglasses outside to protect your eyes from bright sunlight.
To identify your personal migraine triggers, keep a record of each migraine attack along with any symptoms, foods, or situations that preceded each event. You may want to note:
Becoming alert to your triggers helps you avert an attack. You may find your migraines occur due to a combination of factors, such as lack of sleep followed by light stimulus or eating too much of a certain food. A little knowledge goes a long way towards migraine prevention.
Dr. Elaahi and Dr. Kim recommend “good habit” practices such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, drinking enough fluids, avoiding dietary triggers, and exercising regularly to build a healthy foundation and lessen migraines.
Our team may also provide:
We may also refer you to a physical therapist to help build strength, improve posture, and release tension to lessen migraines.
Once a migraine hits, we recommend lying down in a dark room and blocking out noise as much as possible. If over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) don’t deliver relief, we can help you find additional ways to cope.
Do you experience frequent migraines? We can help identify your triggers, ease your pain, and reduce the frequency of your headache episodes. Schedule an appointment at your nearest Interventional Pain Consultants office in Parsippany, Montclair, or Landing, New Jersey, today.
