I have taken an "enforced day off" due to a nasty migraine which began three days ago and seems to have settled in for the long haul. Like most other migraine sufferers I know, I usually plough through a migraine: keeping appointments, working, doing daily chores basically carrying on as best as possible. The alternate choice would be to stay locked in my darkened bedroom and miss out basically on...life!

This morning that option was taken away from me, it was too severe to work through and my normal medication didn't kick in quick enough to help. The only thing at this point that may help is getting some sleep so basically it's an "enforced day off", one without any of the fun perks!

Several hours later the migraine has subsided at least enough for me to open my eyes and start to think about all of the things I could be doing besides lying on my bed with my head propped up by 6 pillows. I am not feeling better enough to go into my studio and onto my computer to work. I do however feel well enough to grab my faithful Blackberry and start writing a list of things I can do once I start feeling a wee bit better.

On the top of my list is to walk my dog, Dexter. Right now he is lying beside me looking at me with puppy dog eyes both understanding (somehow) that I don't feel well and condemning why haven't I taken him out yet? All I have to do is glance at the window to see the sunshine peaking through the blinds and shudder at the brightness, knowing there doesn't exist a pair of sunglasses dark enough to go out with this migraine. Dexter will be playing in the backyard today!

Instead of resting my mind is whirling with guilt... I was going to add more but I think guilt says it all. How come we can't allow ourselves the luxury of doing nothing? The simple fact that I wrote down the word luxury says something in itself. Why should it be a luxury to allow ourselves the time to feel better?

Now that I have ranted, what I can go over are the daily steps I take to NOT get migraines and how I sometimes keep them at bay or the approach I take to have them disappear for weeks at a time. The one thing I have absolutely no say over and that is a major trigger for many as well as what I believe kicked off this 3 day Crappola-fest is the weather, or rather the barometer. When the barometer swings so unfortunately does my head!

Years ago I did a Migraine Diet where you eliminate everything from your diet and then slowly reintroduce everything and keep a record at the same time. After staying away from chocolate and red wine for years what I found out from doing this diet was that I could sometimes have both so long as my head wasn't sensitive. I just had to learn to read my own body, despite times when I wasn't sensitive and still ended up with a migraine.

So here are some natural, common sense tips that can help you get control of your migraines. These, in addition to visiting a neurologist to make sure your migraines are just that. I also take a prescription when I feel one coming on, that for me in addition to stuff below helps them pass quicker and sometimes not come out at all. I do know some people who are able to control their migraines completley naturally and I hope that one day I'll be able to do the same.

Things you have 100% control of: Your Lifestyle

Keep a journal for as long as you can, at the very least a minimum of 3 months so you can have an assortment of weather, work and social conditions. Note your daily menu and times you eat and if you are a woman menstrual cycle...

Diet:

• Eat regularly, healthily and if possible stay away from nitrates, additives and MSG just to name a few. Learn your personal food triggers because for some a healthy tomato can push you over the edge.
• Eat 5 small meals or 3 meals with snacks in between. Always keep snacks on hand; I have learned that when my blood sugar drops a migraine can swoop right in. I always have snacks in my bag, drawers at work  and even plain crackers in my night table ;)
• Hydrate-

Sleep:

Keep to a regular schedule! Too much sleep or too little can set off a head banger, so now even on days off I don't sleep in more than an hour. Turn off the TV so you don’t have the lights flashing and the sound, this will allow you to get a deeper rest which helps.

Exercise:

Keeping fit is great for your circulation which is a great way to prevent migraines.

Learn your Sensitivities:

I no longer wear perfume (or at least very rarely, when I am not sensitive and want to treat myself) all my cosmetics are unscented as well as my laundry detergent and fabric softener. Nothing can kick in a migraine quicker than getting into a car or into an elevator and be hit in the nose with a strong dose of perfume. I no longer go near the perfume section in department stores or into candle shops. My mother never wears perfume on days we go out together and for that I have to say a big, Thank You Mom!

Listen to your partner:

Most migraine sufferers get prodomes, noticeable symptoms that come before a migraine hits, sometimes hours, some are so subtle that even regular sufferers don’t realize until they are too late. Hours before I get a migraine my husband will sometimes turn to me and say “Go take your medication” he can see by the color of my skin that I am about to get one. I checked out his theory a couple of times by not taking my medication or going to get a cup of coffee and lying down and bam...migraine. I asked my neurologist about this and he said this is a very normal occurrence between partners.

Prodomes:

Slurred speech, nausea, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to smell, ashen skin, flashing lights, seeing in black and white, flashing lights then temporary blindness in one or both eyes, hair sensitivity...some are as unique to the individual as eye color you just have to become aware of what they are and not ignore them.

When experiencing a Migraine:

These are some concrete steps you can take to help alleviate the severity you only have to learn what works best for you.

• Hot compress on forehead and eyes for me, the hotter the better, cold works on some
• Hot or cold washcloth at back of neck, sometimes in conjunction with the forehead
• Hot shower pounding on head forehead eyes, apparently this mimics the Finger tapping technique used by some healers.
• Coffee/ some coke/cola anything with caffeine can help some...and make it worse in others!
• Back tickle (Husband does make me feel better)
• Raised pillows, for me about 5 so I am basically sitting up, helps lessen the pounding
• Dark room
• No sound or at least limit, keep volume as low as possible.
• No cooking strong smells
• Put on loose comfortable clothing, you will learn whether being warmer or cooler helps
• A trick, if you are like me and basically have to sleep sitting up to stay warm, reverse your bathrobe and put it on backwards like a snugly if you don’t have one handy.
• Feverfew-an herbal remedy some swear by

Things you don't have control of:  The Weather

Know your very own triggers, what in the past has set off a migraine?

What might sound silly to one person can be able to knock another person down for the count!

• Too tight hats, headbands, clips and hair pulled into pony tails for too long or too tight.
• Going to a concert, sitting beside the speakers, flashing lights, strobe lights, position yourself properly when purchasing those tickets.
• TV commercials, quickly edited commercials, music videos can unknowingly be triggers, just be aware of what you are watching.
• Going on a boat with the reflection of the water in your eyes, wear a comfortable hat with a big brim and dark sunglasses, you will look good and feel great J
• When outside as a rule, wear sunglasses not only being on a boat but just plain old great sun can trigger so invest in a great pair of dark sunglasses, your head and wrinkle-less eyes will thank you!
• Wine
• Chocolate...food triggers for you to find out for yourself
• Traveling: Planes, trains and automobiles, with very few exceptions I will get a migraine (Drinking lots of water helps although can irritate the person next to you when you constantly have to say excuse me to use the loo).

We all do strange things to stave off migraines:

I once cut off my waist length hair very short because when I get a migraine I sometimes can feel every hair on my head. Everyone kept saying to me your hair is so thick it must weigh a ton; it is probably giving you migraines. Guess what...after I cut it short I got a whopper migraine the very next day. I learned the hard way that wasn’t a trigger but I am happy I did it because now I know.

So figure out what works and doesn’t work for you and take all the information you read with a grain of salt, even this article! If you have any interesting suggestions let me know and I will post it for the rest of us out there searching for natural common sense ways to help!

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