5 tips to help head off migraine pain
You might eat healthily, exercise daily, take prevention medication, steer clear of triggers and even pay all your bills on time (ok, that one is probably more likely to help financial-related headaches) … but still you’re hit with a migraine (usually at the most inconvenient of times too)! You’re not alone though – in fact, 5 million other Aussies suffer them too (with 71% of those female)*. Even when you’re doing everything you can to prevent them, migraines can be hard to avoid and can greatly impact work, relationships and overall quality of life, so it’s important to have strategies to help cope through them. When migraines hit, try our top 5 pharmacist tips.
1. Go to ground
Rest is essential. Migraine attacks can last anywhere between 4-72 hours and may cause nasty symptoms including nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and sensitivity to light and sound> – rendering a person incapable of day-to-day functions (probably not a good day to hit the gym or do school drop offs). If you feel a migraine coming on, it’s important to immediately seek a quiet, calm and darkened room to rest in and remain still and calm. Try and sleep if you can (it seems to help many people), pop a ‘do not disturb’ sign on your bedroom door, and turn your phone on silent. Don’t try to ride through it – exposing yourself to more triggers such as bright lights, noise and strong smells can make it worse and last longer.
2. Compress
The main attack stage of a migraine often involves severe throbbing or pulsating pain, so naturally this is an area where you will want to focus efforts on relieving pain. Our pharmacists suggest applying a hot or cold compress to your head and neck. Heat packs can help relax muscles, while ice packs may dull the pain. Never underestimate the power of temperature in pain treatment!
3. Lovely lavender
Not only does it look lovely, smell beautiful and double as an ingredient in some recipes – but it could help your migraine too. Reducing stress is key in managing migraines, and lavender has traditionally been linked to improved sleep and reduced stress and anxiety#. Recent medical evidence suggests lavender oil may also help treat migraine pain^, and there’s a number of ways you could incorporate it into your migraine treatment plan. An electronic diffuser with a few drops of lavender essential oil may help create a calming effect in the room you’re resting in, and help reduce stress. You could also try using a home-made heat pack infused with dried lavender as your heat compress (see Tip 2) or a few sprigs of lavender on a bedside table. Who would have thought such a tiny flower could pack so much power!
4. Diary
How often is it that we find ourselves remembering extra details just by writing things down? Keeping a headache or migraine diary may help identify regular patterns and avoid triggers that lead to migraines, as well as work out whether your medication is working. Try recording key details like date and time, duration of your attack, severity (1-10 scale), your medication, and any symptoms you experience and bring it along when you see your doctor. Apps like Migraine Buddy can help to track these details too.
5. Pharmacy treatment
We wouldn’t be doing our civic duty as pharmacists if we didn’t take you through the range of products available at pharmacy to help you during a migraine. And because making an emergency trip to the pharmacy when a migraine is coming on is less than ideal, shop in advance and prep your medicine cabinet with some go-to items. There’s a number of OTC (over-the-counter) anti-nausea medication and pain relief medicine such as ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol that may take the edge off or reduce the severity of symptoms. Prescription medication like sumatriptan and rizatriptan are often prescribed when OTC pain relief hasn’t been effective. It’s important to always speak with your pharmacist or GP about what may be right for you. There’s also hot and cold packs, cooling relief sheets and essential oils (like lavender – read above) that may help. Combining medication with other strategies may help to bring greater relief during a migraine.
Migraines can come on suddenly, but by being organised and informed you may be better prepared to work through your migraine. As your partners in pain relief, our pharmacists are here to help you with expert advice and recommendations on helping manage migraine pain, so you can get back to seizing the day!
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