Apr 26

Apr 26 Migraine Relief Tips

Good morning from my bed! Well, it's almost noon but what spurred me to write this blog post was the loooovely migraine I woke up with! Joyous! In all seriousness, I know I am not alone in suffering from migraines. I deal with migraines towards the latter half of my menstrual cycle, and like clockwork, I find I wake up with one every morning for the last 3-4 days of my cycle. It is very frustrating especially when I am eager to get out of bed in the morning and get my day going, to find my head throbbing first thing upon opening my eyes. I wanted to share some of my natural migraine relief tips with you since I have been dealing with these for a few years now. I hope these help you, and please comment below with any tips you have!

1. Essential Oils

Essential oils have been a HUGE help for me with my migraines. I am obsessed with peppermint when I have a migraine, which seems to reduce the pain when it's being diffused, or if I apply it to my temples. A little bit goes a LONG way with this stuff. I keep a roller ball of peppermint oil next to my bed and in my car for those sudden headaches. When applied to the temples, the cooling/tingly feeling helps reduce the pain of the migraine. My all-time favorite essential oil is unfortunately not sold online (it's the Head Relief from Healthy Living Market in Burlington, VT), but it is a mix of lavender, basil leaf, rosemary leaf, orange peel, peppermint and eucalyptus. Even if you only have a few of these oils (lavender, peppermint and eucalyptus), I bet you'll find relief when you diffuse them.

**I want to quickly note, scented candles make my headaches immensely worse! The only fragrances I can really handle are essential oils. I wouldn't recommend using candles.

2. Ice Rolling

Ok, you've heard me talk about my ice roller a few times now, but I am ABSOLUTELY obsessed! This thing really helps reduce the awful pain of headaches. I keep mine in the freezer, and bring it out when the headache is in full force. Simply rolling it across my forehead and temples makes a massive difference in the pain I experience. Plus, it's also a great investment for anyone who suffers from bad hangovers ;)

3. Caffeine

I know, I know. Caffeine isn't the best for you. Trust me, I KNOW! But when it comes to my migraines, I get desperate and will do anything for relief. Since most of my migraines are the worst in the morning, I find a cup of tea or coffee to really help. There's a reason why most migraine medication contains caffeine!

4. Sleep

When you aren't on a caffeine kick, try to sleep. I understand this isn't always an option, but if you are able to sleep an extra hour or two (or take a nap mid-day), absolutely do so. Sleep always helps me reduce my migraine pain. I find, during my menstrual cycle, I am always far more tired in the morning than any other day of the month. I usually don't set an alarm during this week, and let myself sleep until my body is naturally ready to wake up. I know I am lucky to have the ability to do this, so if you cannot, try to get to bed an hour or two earlier than you normally would.

5. Light Exercise

If you are not overly light-sensitive when you experience a migraine, try to get in a relaxing walk or yoga class. I find leisurely walks outdoors to really help alleviate some of the pain. Even if it's only for 15-20 minutes!

6. Hydrate!!

This is fairly self-explanatory, but when I am feeling any headache coming on, the first thing I do is CHUG water! Most of the time, I am dehydrated and 2 big glasses of water does the trick. If you take anything from this post, make sure you're staying hydrated, ESPECIALLY if you're prone to migraines.