Even though millions of people have migraines, researchers and doctors still don’t know exactly what causes them. It could be genetics, environmental factors, chemical imbalances, or problems with the communication between your nerves and brain.
Pain management is our specialty at Apex Medical Center, including migraine pain. Our providers know that finding the right combination of treatments is the key to helping you manage migraines.
We can help you identify your triggers, understand pain relief options that help during attacks, and discover preventive measures that limit the number of migraines you experience.
Triggers are foods, scents, circumstances, or actions that cause a migraine. They’re highly individual, and some people never discover their triggers—it’s possible that not everyone has them.
But the first step in figuring out how to avoid migraine attacks is usually trying to find out if you have triggers that you can easily avoid, or at least prepare for. For example, red wine is a trigger for a lot of people, and simply not drinking red wine is a simple way to have fewer attacks.
We can help you make a headache diary and understand exactly what you should track, as well as help you look for any patterns. Common triggers include:
This is only a partial list, and as you can see, some triggers can be avoided, while others can’t be, so knowing your triggers doesn’t always eliminate attacks. It can be helpful, though.
When you have a migraine, you need pain relief. Many different medications are available, and your provider will work with you to identify what’s best for your situation and will work most effectively to limit your pain.
You can also use cold compresses, stay in a darkened, quiet room, use sunglasses, eye masks, or earplugs as needed, and stay hydrated. Although caffeine can be a migraine trigger, it works to ease migraine pain in other people.
If you experience nausea, take something to help with it as soon as you realize you’re experiencing an attack. If you can, you may want to try some relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises or gentle activity.
Finding your triggers may help prevent migraines, but that doesn’t work for everyone or doesn’t provide robust relief. Our providers may suggest treatment options such as beta blockers, antidepressants, anti-seizure medications, or Botox injections, which have all been shown to help prevent migraines in some people.
You don’t have to sacrifice your life to migraine pain. Schedule an appointment at the Apex Medical Center location most convenient for you today.
