It is not just a headache. Migraine sufferers know best how debilitating it can be at times. They would agree that the pain won't let them work, and sometimes it might even be difficult for them to rest. What do you want most at such times? A painkiller may give instant relief, but you might be aware that its medicines don't just act on your brain but other parts of the body too, which don't really need it. The end result is side-effects. If you are an expecting mother, then you have all the more reason to choose not to have these medicines.
Every migraine sufferer would agree that a single episode can be crippling, and we totally agree. That is why we understand how badly you would want to put these headaches to rest forever, so that they don't interfere with your daily life ever again. Yes, it is possible to lead a normal life even if you have been a patient for a long time now.
Firstly, it is important that you know what triggers your migraine headaches. Observing your lifestyle and consulting your doctor can help you find out. The rest can then be a cakewalk for you. The good news is that most of these migraine triggers are curable, while some others can be reduced to a great extent, and there are people who have tried these methods and have reported significant improvements.
Following these nine preventive, natural, safe methods, which are a combination of self-help remedies and lifestyle changes, can help you find a permanent antidote to your migraine:
#1 Listen to your body
Did you know that the Headache Centre of Atlanta has found stress to be a major migraine trigger? Around 80% of all migraineurs report stress as a troubling factor. If stress is not your trigger, then it could be hormones (65%), odors (44%), lights (38%), smoke (36%), heat (30%), food (27%), or other disruptions like magnesium or calcium deficiency
Once you find what needs to be treated or avoided, one of these nine ways we have presented can definitely help you in reducing the intensity and frequency of your migraine, and over time might even cure it completely. Never think that this is a permanent condition that cannot be treated. People from the world over who have had severe attacks of migraine reported significant improvements with these natural home-based remedies.
#2 Meditate every day and chase your headache away
If you are a woman, there is a high possibility that the changing hormonal levels post adolescence triggers your migraine. Did you know that three times as many women as men suffer migraine headaches in adulthood? If you are suffering menstrual or post-partum (after childbirth) migraines, then you needn't worry any more. "A free-of-cost solution that has shown results is Hari Om meditation (a meditation guided by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar), which addresses these issues by bringing fluctuating hormone levels to normal. But you need to be consistent in your practice to see effective results over a period of time", suggests Dr. Shiksha Thakur, an Ayurvedic physician and Nadi Parikshak.
"And if you fall in the 80% category where stress is the trigger, then Shanti meditation (also a meditation guided by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) is what you should do. The meditation will help you heal and relax. When you are deeply rested, your healing mechanism gets activated. Meditation in general is effective for everybody; however, Shanti meditation also helps reduce blood pressure, which happens to be one of the less common triggers of migraines. In fact, meditation can help you find instant relief without side-effects, and anybody can practice it regardless of age, gender, or other criteria. It relaxes your blood vessels, decreases stress, increases your pain tolerance limit, and pumps you with well-being", she adds.
Read more tips in the sequel to this piece
Written by Ravisha Kathuria
Based on inputs by Dr. Shiksha Thakur, Ayurvedic physician and Nadi Parikshak and Mamta Singh, International writer, author (Migraines for the Informed Woman: Tips from a Sufferer), and holistic health therapist based out of Qatar
