If you are prone tomigraines, prevention can go a long way toward improving your quality of life.
Given how debilitating they can be, preventing migraines is the goal of anyone who experiences them.
Keep in mind that not every lifestyle factor affects every person the same way.
Verywell / Brianna Gilmartin
Get Enough Sleep
Sleep deprivationis among the most common causes of migraine headaches.
A handful of adjustments can be made to your sleep environment to address things that may disrupt your sleep.
It may also help to avoid caffeine and alcohol late in the day or eating right before bed.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
Many people find that creating a consistent routine at nighttime makes a world of difference.
Do your best to stick to a sleep schedule that will ensure adequate Zzzzs.
Take note of the time you ate it and how much you consumed.
Keeping a detailed food diary can be a useful part of an elimination diet.
On the flip side, emerging research has pinpointed a few potential “migraine diets.”
check that that you also schedule in some down time after particularly stressful events to decompress.
For example, double-check you get plenty of sleep when you’ve hit a hectic patch at work.
That’s because caffeine can help control and prevent migraines.
But for some people, ingesting caffeine actually induces migraines.
Caffeine is a vasoconstrictor (narrows the blood vessels), and migraine is associated with vasodilation.
If your body becomes accustomed to caffeine-induced vasoconstriction, your natural vascular controls will adjust to that.
Typically, it’s achangein your caffeine intake that affects migraines.
For example, caffeine withdrawal can prompt an episode.
As is the case with most things, listen to your body.
Be aware that coffee, chocolate, cocoa, and tea all contain caffeine.
Avoid Bright Lights
Bright lightscan trigger a migraine or make symptoms worse during a migraine attack.
Over time, most people experience a fluctuation in the frequency and severity of migraines.
Get our printable guide for your next healthcare provider’s appointment to help you ask the right questions.
The following are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for migraine prophylaxis.
It is the only medication available to both treat and prevent migraines.
These medications are antibodies that block the cGRP receptor, which is a pain receptor.
By blocking the action of cGRP, blood vessels may maintain their normal width.
Antidepressants
Antidepressants are indicated for the treatment of depression.
However, they are often used for migraine prevention as well.
Two forms of antihypertensives are particularly noted for their ability to prevent migraines.
A change may be necessary.
Specialist-Driven Procedures
There are several procedures that are used to prevent migraine headaches.
If you experience intolerable side effects from medications, then you may experience better results from a procedure.
Over time, most people can experience longer periods of improvement, and injections may be scheduled less frequently.
A healthcare provider places the injections under the skin and into the muscle in several locations on the head.
Botulinum toxin is a muscle paralytic and this action is believed to help prevent migraines for some people.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM)
Severalalternative therapieshave been shown to help with migraine prevention.
These strategies tend to be safe, but they may or may not work for you.
Cephalyis a small rig that creates superficial nerve stimulation.
It is placed on the forehead and turned on daily for 20 minutes to prevent migraines.
GammaCore is a handheld machine that’s held on the neck to stimulate the vagus nerve.
It is used daily to prevent migraines.
It was initially approved for migraine treatment and has also subsequently been approved for migraine prevention as well.
Acupuncture
Acupuncturemay be as impactful as daily meditation when used for migraine prevention.
This can include taking medication, minimizing triggers, getting enough sleep, and reducing stress.
U.S. National Library of Medicine.
CDC.How much sleep do I need?
Sleep and sleep disorders.
Gazerani P.Migraine and diet.Nutrients.
2020;17(4-6):39-40.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Office on Women’s Health.How are migraines treated?
2019 May;59(8):1240-1252. doi:10.1111/head.13551
Da silva AN.Acupuncture for migraine prevention.Headache.
2016 Aug;138(2).
2020 May;94(21):2203-2212. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000009473
American Migraine Foundation.The timeline of a migraine attack.
