6 tips to coping with a migraine

For the past ten years or so, I’ve suffered from migraines. I can’t quite pinpoint when they first began, when I switched from just getting headaches into something far worse. For migraines are not just a ‘really bad headache’. They are something else entirely. Mine start with a tingling around my head. Followed by pain, pressure, nausea and overwhelming exhaustion.

When one strikes, it can last from a few hours to a few days, and all I want to do is hide in bed, in the pitch black with absolutely no sound at all. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen, with four kiddos to look after there’s no chance of me checking out for a couple of days at a time while the migraine eases off.

Over time, I can notice a pattern with my migraines – they’re more likely just before my period starts, if I’m extremely tired or overly stressed out.  If I’m run down, or my diet’s been a bit rubbish lately then they come more often. I can go for months without one, then it’ll strike out of the blue.

Sometimes I turn to medication for migraine relief, though I try not to use it unless I really have to, usually trying to combat the migraine naturally first. Of course, medication is very useful, and sometimes it is the best {or only} answer.

Here are some things I do when a migraine attacks:

*  Inhale lavender oil – I sniff straight from the bottle, or apply a few drops to my wrists to sniff.

* Apply Peppermint Oil – dotted on my temples and forehead when I feel a migraine coming on, it’s sometimes enough to stave it off, or at least lessen it.

* Use an eyemask – I keep a gel eye mask in the freezer, if the migraine is thumping behind my eyes, lying down for twenty minutes with the mask on usually helps.

* Drink water – keeping hydrated always helps ease the migraines, and often shortens how long they stay for.

* Yoga – yoga is great for unwinding and de-stressing, it helps me feel a bit calmer when in the midst of a migraine attack.

*  Sleep – As much as I can. If I have a migraine I force myself to bed as soon as the kids go, and try and get as many hours shut eye as possible.