For those that suffer migraine attacks it can severely inhibit their lifestyle as they may often find themselves unable to carry out their normal day to day duties. For many people while there is no definitive treatment that totally stops an attack, there are ways to try and prevent or minimise the severity of them. While it’s always recommended you discuss both your symptoms and treatment with your local doctor there are ways to help reduce or minimise the pain associated with a migraine.

Many migraine attacks are brought on by certain triggers, these can be emotional, environmental or dietary etc. some of these

triggers include things like:

Certain food: chocolate, nuts, preservatives etc. Some medications may also be a trigger.

Your environment may induce the signs of an attack: Bright or flickering lights, pollutions, allergic reactions, glaring screens or sunlight. Even changes in the weather can bring about a migraine.

Your emotions and hormones may also be a reason for a migraine: high stress situations or sudden relaxation from such situations, menstrual cycles and birth control pills may also play a part.

While you may have no control over some of those triggers listed above and that by no means is a comprehensive list, in certain instances if you can deduce what may be a factor in having a migraine attack you can try to reduce or avoid those situations or products etc.

Some migraine sufferers are also given a warning of some sort prior to the migraine beginning these too come in different forms depending on each individual:

Some may have a visual sign: blurred vision or wiggly lines before their eyes. Others may smell certain odours as a sign a migraine is coming; these signs may start up to an hour before the pain of the migraine begins. While other people may have altered moods up to a day before the severe headache actually begins.

If a sufferer is aware of these signs they can try to prepare for the attack by taking any prescribed or over the counter medication to help stave off or minimise the attack once it arrives.

As mentioned above if you suffer from migraines or believe you do make sure you take the time to talk to your doctor about the pain and symptoms, each individual is different and may require a different treatment based on the type of migraine and symptoms they have.