Your Migraine-Free Vacation Guide

Posted on by Batoota

Your Migraine-Free Vacation Guide

Migraine isn’t just limited to a severe headache. You may experience aura, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms that take you out for a day or two. The last thing you want is for your migraine symptoms to pop up when you’re trying to enjoy your vacation. From giving yourself a break from sightseeing to keeping your sleep routine on track, there are things you can do to reduce disruptions. Here are some tips to help you avoid triggering your migraine symptoms when on vacation. Migraine attacks aren’t typical headaches. You may experience pounding pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. When a migraine attack or episode occurs, you’ll do almost anything to make it go away. Natural remedies are drug-free methods of reducing migraine symptoms. These at-home treatments may help prevent the onset of migraine attacks or at least help reduce their severity and duration. Keep reading as we take a look at 15 natural remedies that may help you manage migraine symptoms. Note that migraine attacks may require treatment with prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) medication. Speak with a doctor about a treatment plan that works for you.

1. Avoid certain foods

Diet plays a vital role in preventing migraine attacks. Many foods and beverages may be migraine triggers, such as:

  • foods with nitrates, including hot dogs, deli meats, bacon, and sausage
  • chocolate
  • cheese that contains the naturally occurring compound tyramine, such as blue, feta, cheddar, Parmesan, and Swiss
  • alcohol, especially red wine
  • foods that contain monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer
  • foods that are very cold, such as ice cream or iced drinks
  • processed foods
  • pickled foods
  • beans
  • dried fruits
  • cultured dairy products, such as buttermilk, sour cream, and yogurt

A small amount of caffeine may ease migraine pain in some people. Caffeine is also in some migraine medications. But too much caffeine may cause a migraine attack. It may also lead to a severe caffeine withdrawal headache.

To figure out which foods and beverages trigger migraine attacks for you, keep a daily food journal. Record everything you eat and note how you feel afterward.

2. Apply lavender oil

Inhaling lavender essential oil may ease migraine pain. Lavender oil may be inhaled directly or diluted with a carrier oil and applied in small amounts to your temples.

A 2016 randomized controlled study found evidence that 3 months of lavender therapy as a prophylactic therapy, meaning taken before a migraine attack begins, reduced frequency and severity of migraine attacks. However, research is still limited.

A 2020 review of studiesTrusted Source published in the journal Phytotherapy Research examined the ability of various herbal treatments, including lavender therapy for migraine. The authors found mixed or limited evidence to support the use of butterbur and feverfew for treating migraine but didn’t note that current research supports the use of lavender.

3. Try acupuncture

Acupuncture involves injecting very thin needles into certain parts of your skin to stimulate relief from a wide variety of health conditions.

A 2020 randomized controlled studyTrusted Source found that 20 sessions of manual acupuncture along with usual care was more effective at preventing migraine in people with a history of episodic migraine without aura than sham acupuncture along with usual care. Sham acupuncture is a treatment where the needles are not inserted as deeply.

A 2016 review of 22 studiesTrusted Source also found moderate evidence that acupuncture may reduce headache symptoms. In the results summary, the authors explain that if people had 6 days of migraine per month before treatment, it would be expected that they would have:

  • 5 days with usual care
  • 4 days with fake acupuncture or prophylactic medications
  • 3 1/2 days with real acupuncture

4. Look for feverfew

Feverfew is a flowering herb that looks like a daisy. It’s a folk remedy for migraine. It still isn’t well-studied, but there is some evidence that it may be slightly more effective than a placebo for treating migraine.

In a 2015 review of studiesTrusted Source, which is an update of a previous 2004 study, the authors concluded that larger studies are needed to support the use of feverfew for treating migraine.

The authors note that one larger study published since the 2004 review found 0.6 fewer migraine days per month in people who took feverfew versus a placebo. They describe previous studies as low quality or providing mixed evidence.

The 2020 review of studiesTrusted Source published in Phytotherapy Researchalso summarizes the finding on feverfew as “mixed.”

5. Apply peppermint oil

The chemical menthol found in peppermint oil may help prevent migraine episodes, although there’s a very limited amount of research.

A 2019 randomized controlled studyTrusted Source compared the effects of nasal 4 percent lidocaine with 1.5 percent peppermint essential oil and a placebo for managing migraine symptoms.

The researchers found that 40 percent of people in the lidocaine and peppermint oil groups experienced considerable improvements in their symptoms, compared with only 4.9 percent of people in the placebo group.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthTrusted Source notes that very little research has examined peppermint leaf, but a limited amount of evidence suggests topical peppermint oil may benefit tension headaches.

6. Ginger

Ginger is known to ease nausea caused by many conditions, including migraine. It may have pain-relieving benefits for migraine attacks. According to a 2020 review of studiesTrusted Source, one randomized controlled study found evidence that ginger may have beneficial activity.

More research is needed to understand the extent and usefulness of ginger for treating migraine-related pain.

7. Sign up for yoga

Yoga uses breathing, meditation, and body postures to promote health and well-being. A 2015 studyTrusted Source found yoga may relieve the frequency, duration, and intensity of migraine attacks. It’s thought to improve anxiety, release tension in migraine-trigger areas, and improve vascular health.

The researchers concluded that yoga could be beneficial as a complementary therapy for treating migraine.

8. Try biofeedback

Biofeedback is a relaxation method. It teaches you to control autonomic reactions to stress. During this therapy, electrodes are applied to your skin to monitor physiologic processes that change with stress, such as your heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension.

During a biofeedback session, you work with a therapist to manage stress using changes in your physiologic processes as feedback.

According to a 2019 studyTrusted Source, there’s good evidence to support the use of mind-body interventions such as biofeedback and cognitive behavioral therapy for treating migraine. These therapies are effectively free of side effects and may make a good alternative for medication for some people.

9. Add magnesium to your diet

Magnesium deficiency is linked to headaches and migraine. Magnesium oxide supplementation may help prevent migraine with aura. It may also prevent menstrual migraine (hormone headaches).

A 2021 studyTrusted Source found that 500 milligrams of magnesium oxide taken twice a day for 8 weeks was as effective as the medication valproate sodium for preventing migraine without significant side effects.

You can get magnesium from foods that include:

  • almonds
  • sesame seeds
  • sunflower seeds
  • Brazil nuts
  • cashews
  • peanut butter
  • oatmeal
  • eggs
  • milk

10. Book a massage

Massage may reduce migraine frequency. Migraine is associated with low serotonin in the brain, and massage has been shown to increase serotonin. There’s limited evidence to support the use of massage for migraine relief, but it’s generally safe and has a low risk of side effects.

11. Try acupressure for migraine-related nausea

Acupressure is the practice of applying pressure with the fingers and hands to specific points on the body to relieve pain and other symptoms.

A 2017 studyTrusted Source found evidence that acupuncture may help manage migraine-related nausea during treatment, but that it doesn’t improve pain or quality of life.

12. Apply stress management techniques

According to the American Headache Society, more than 80 percent of people with migraine report stress being a migraine trigger. Learning how to better manage your stress may help you decrease migraine frequency.

Some commonly used stress management techniques include:

  • deep breathing exercises
  • mental imagery
  • music therapy or listening to relaxing music
  • counseling or therapy
  • meditating
  • progressive muscle relaxation
  • improving time management
  • scheduling more time for relaxing activities

13. Staying hydrated

According to the American Migraine Foundation, about a third of people with migraine report dehydration as a migraine trigger.

To prevent dehydration, make sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially when exercising. On hot days, you may need to drink more water than usual.

14. Try to get a good night’s sleep

The connection between sleep and migraine still isn’t entirely clear. Research from 2016Trusted Source has found a correlation between high migraine frequency and poor sleep quality. This association is true in people with migraine with and without aura.

Going to bed at the same time each night, avoiding caffeine late in the day, and avoiding stimulating activities before bed are some of the ways you can improve your sleep.

15. Butterbur

Butterbur is a plant that grows throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. Up until 2012Trusted Source, the American Academy of Neurology recommended using it for preventing migraine attacks. In 2015, they stopped their recommendation due to the possibility of liver toxicity.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative HealthTrusted Source recommends only using pyrrolizidine alkaloid-free butterbur products, as this chemical can damage the liver, lungs, and circulation. Speak with a doctor before taking butterbur.

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