Breaking the Cycle of Chronic Migraines
It may seem impossible to break the cycle of chronic migraines, but rest assured, it can be done. This survival guide may help dismantle the chain of pain and considerably reduce your attacks. The following brief guide is enough to start your journey to relief:
- Keep a Diary
- Find a Great Doctor (If You Don’t Have One Already)
- Manage Your Attacks
- Uncover Your Causes
- Prevent Further Attacks
- The Virtuous Cycle
Take notes if you suffer from 15 or more migraines each month. Keeping a diary is a crucial step for both you and your physician. Without the facts, there is no way to make informed decisions.
Only 10 percent of migraine sufferers maintain a diary, yet more than 70 percent report significant benefits of doing so.
If you are dissatisfied with your doctor, find a new one. It is that simple. Your health, productivity, and happiness depend on it.
Oddly enough, people tend to settle less than they should when it comes to health care. When living with something as debilitating as a migraine, you should be doing your best to find the right answers. If you are constantly suffering, your primary doctor should send you to a neurologist or a migraine specialist. The two are not typically one in the same.
With a diary of your attacks and a good, supportive physician, it is more achievable to control your migraines. An attentive doctor will provide a wide variety of options. There are a plethora of migraine treatments today. Only your doctor knows your medical history, allergies, symptoms, etc., and the best possible recommendations.
The first three steps to establish a foundation for pain management but don’t handle prevention. You will continue to suffer from a migraine if you don’t uncover the triggers. The root causes are very different for everyone.
The most effective way to handle a migraine is to prevent attacks by managing your triggers. This doesn’t mean barricading yourself in the house and living on gluten-free bread and filtered water. However, you should live a balanced life with enough rest, a healthy diet, relaxation, and exercise. You shouldn’t be consumed with work and stress.
The first time you get through the top five steps, it will be a shallow sweep. This is normal. You might not have much information in your diary, only a few weeks’ worths of data. You might not have gotten to experiment with any new treatments. No worries, it may take a few months to get the ball rolling, so you can better manage your triggers.
This is the Holy Grail of Migraine Recovery
When you start to experience fewer headaches per month, this is the holy grail of migraine recovery. It may only go down from 18 to 15 attacks in 30 days, but that is good progress. A subtle decline is still a fewer migraine, and that is what you want.
It can take years for chronic migraines to take hold. So, breaking the cycle won’t happen in one day. Victory comes with positive steps, building momentum and small wins.