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June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month! There is a lot of stigma when it comes to migraine because it is often believed to be just a bad headache and misunderstood even by doctors. Migraine affects over thirty-seven million men, women, and children in the United States, but it is three times more likely in women than men. Migraine disease is often genetic, and if you get debilitating migraine pain, it is likely someone in your family also has it, and it’s not your fault. I have not always lived with migraine, and I started getting them a few years ago, but my pain isn’t necessary because it runs in my family, and I have a condition called Hydrocephalus that makes me more prone to them. During certain times of the year, migraineurs experience more flares, and some people have more pain in the winter, but I have them more in the summer because in Florida, it gets unbearably hot. In the heat of summer, it can be very difficult to completely prevent a migraine because you can’t control the weather, but you can take care of your body and lessen the frequency and severity of attacks. How do I prevent a migraine during the heat of summer? There is nothing you can do to guarantee that you will not get a migraine all summer long, but there are a few things you can do to prevent some attacks. In this post, I am going to talk about how I prevent migraine attacks in the summer when I have more pain.
Stay hydrated- During the wintertime, you don’t have to drink as much water because it’s colder and you aren’t sweating as much, but in the summertime, you do have to be more on top of it. When you aren’t getting thirsty and are indoors, it can be easy to get behind with your water intake if you aren’t sweating but I can’t stress enough how important it is to stay hydrated for migraine prevention. You may not need as much water if you aren’t exercising and sweating, but you still need to stay hydrated even when you don’t hit the gym. Migraine has no cure, and prevention is your best defense at managing pain because medication doesn’t immediately take the pain away. You don’t always have a lot of warning before a migraine attack, and sometimes it takes some time before you realize that your pain is about to flare, and once that happens, it’s too late. Water is so important for migraine prevention because dehydration is one of the most common and preventable triggers. I like to add electrolytes to my water because it hydrates your body faster than water alone, and I am more prone to headaches, but regular water works just fine.
Cut your hair– Short hair does not cure migraine disease, but for some people, it can provide a little bit of relief because long hair adds more weight, and you sweat more easily, which can sometimes trigger a migraine. At the beginning of the summer, I always get a haircut, not because I think it’s going to cure my migraine pain, and I am well aware that it won’t do that, but when my hair is shorter, it keeps me a little cooler and makes it easier to manage pain.
Do not skip meals- I can’t stress enough how important it is not to skip meals when you live with migraine disease because not eating regularly is just as much of a trigger as dehydrating yourself. Food is fuel and it’s so important that everyone fuels their body properly to ensure that you have the energy to get things done but it’s even more important for people with migraine disease or any other type of chronic illness to fuel their bodies properly because something as simple as skipping a meal can trigger an avoidable flare that takes days or even weeks to recover from. People who live with migraine have more sensitive brains that will react to things that most people wouldn’t have a problem with, which is why it’s so important that you don’t engage in unhealthy habits, such as skipping meals, that can make flares more likely. There is nothing more frustrating than getting an avoidable migraine because you were fasting. You deserve to feel well, and you aren’t going to feel great if your nutrition is not on point.
Get enough sleep– All-nighters are okay to do every once in a while if you have to, but I would not make a regular habit of not sleeping because sleep deprivation can cause a whole lot of avoidable health problems, such as seizures that you can’t undo. If you live with migraine disease, it is important that you sleep enough because our brains love sleep, and depriving yourself of it is one of the worst things you can do for migraine prevention. Preventatives help lessen the frequency of migraine attacks, but they won’t do much for you if you are not taking care of yourself, because medication doesn’t work miracles.
Talk to your doctor– Preventive medication has helped me lessen the frequency and severity of migraine attacks, but unfortunately, they do not help everyone, and some people do not respond to medication. If you are struggling with migraine attacks at any point during the year and can barely function, it can never hurt to talk to your doctor about it. Doctors sometimes can give you suggestions on some lifestyle changes you can make or prescribe a medication that will give you more relief. It can be hard to find a doctor who understands migraine is not just a bad headache and a full-body disease. Sometimes migraineurs get dismissed by doctors because they don’t understand how it affects their life, and in those instances, it might be helpful to connect with a migraine advocate.
Do not drink alcohol– Some migraineurs are not triggered by alcohol, but alcohol is a common trigger, and if you are getting more migraine attacks, it may be a good idea to reduce or eliminate your alcohol consumption to see if it helps. In 2019, I stopped drinking alcohol to see if it would give me any relief from migraine pain, and that one small change has cut my migraine attacks in half, so it was well worth it. I sometimes miss being able to have an occasional glass of wine, but I don’t miss the pain that came with it, and as long as I live with migraine, I will continue to skip the occasional glass of wine. Alcohol is dehydrating, which can and will trigger pain if you aren’t staying hydrated. If you are outside in the hot sun, drinking a glass of wine, don’t skimp on water if you want to prevent disabling headaches.
Keep your body cool- People with migraine are more sensitive to weather changes because extreme hot or cold temperatures can trigger migraine attacks. In the summer, it is hot outside, especially in Florida when it’s ninety degrees with one-hundred percent humidity. Weather changes can be a trigger and are one of those things you cannot control, which is why you want to try your best to keep your body at a comfortable temperature because those ninety-degree temperatures are not a friend to migraine. In the summer, it gets hot in most areas, but the good news is that it’s relatively easy to cool off because you can always find a pool or stay inside in the air conditioning.
Know your triggers– It is going to be almost impossible to avoid migraine pain if you don’t know what triggers them. There are a lot of potential triggers, and not everyone is going to have to avoid the same types of things because some people can eat dairy without triggering pain, while others can’t. Start a food journal and write down how different foods make you feel, because when you know what triggers your pain, it’s easier to avoid more pain.
Migraine disease does not discriminate and can happen to anyone at any time, and I didn’t struggle with migraine pain until my mid to late twenties. Medication can help improve pain in some people, but not everyone responds well to medication, and it’s not the only way to get relief, because you can improve pain by making lifestyle changes. Some people with migraine will benefit from giving up alcohol or not eating dairy, while others won’t be triggered by these things and won’t need to give them up. Migraine disorders affect everyone differently, and even though something works for your friend, it doesn’t mean it will work for you. Migraine is a very complex neurological disease that can be difficult to manage because it does not end with head pain, and that is only one possible symptom. Find something that works for you because there is no one-size-fits-all for managing pain. How do you manage migraine in the heat of summer? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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