How to Treat a Migraine Headache

Of all the people that suffer from migraine headaches, about 2/3 cannot function at a normal level. If you suffer from headaches that interfere with your family life or work, if they occur more and more often and get worse with each headache, or take medication for headaches on a daily basis then you need to consult with a physician.

In the meantime, here 10 steps to help ease the suffering of a migraine headache.

Sleep: Irregularities in sleep can be one cause of migraines. Jet lag, shift changes, or change in sleep patterns are some of the most common sleep irregularities. Always try to keep the same sleep patterns that your body is accustomed to.

Lie down: If you feel a migraine starting to form, lie down and put an ice pack wrapped up in a towel on your head. This will ease the swelling of the blood vessels until the pain goes away.

If for some reason you can't stand the ice pack on your head, then try putting one or both hands into a bowl of ice water as cold as you can stand it and ball your ands into fist repeatedly. This can have the same effect as the ice pack.

Caffeine: Yes! I said it. The ingestion of too much caffeine can cause the migraine, but many people don't realize that taking just a little can ease the pain.

Dark: One of the biggest things that can aggravate a migraine headache is light be it sunlight or the light of a bright light bulb. The best way to deal with this is to lie down in a dark room.

Meals: When you have a migraine headache try not to skip any meals as this can only make it worse. Plus eating meals regularly can reduce the risk of getting a migraine.

What you eat: about 10% of migraine attacks are triggered from certain foods. Certain foods can take 30 minutes to 12 hours to have an affect. You suffer an attack from a migraine headache within this time frame after eating, then you should try to think about what you ate that might set off the migraine.

Riboflavin: Doctors have done studies that show that if you take 400 mg. of Riboflavin a day, it can eliminate and reduce the risk of getting migraines.

Spice: Capsaicin (the hot ingredient of a red pepper) may help people that suffer from migraines feel better after a migraine attack. You can buy cayenne pepper capsules in health stores.

Sleeping late: Even though the weekends come and it is a welcome break from your week, try not to oversleep. Having such a quick break from a lot of stress can also trigger the symptoms of a migraine. When you sleep late it creates a change in sleeping patterns and missed meals which like earlier stated causes migraine headache attacks.