Why must we get these awful headaches? Those of you who get them can relate. No one invited them to be guests in our heads. They have overstayed their welcome too many times to count. And yet, here it is again…ANOTHER migraine. Will it respond right away if I do something as soon as it knocks on the door of my beautiful brain? Or will it be another debilitating day or two or three days? Sigh. One never knows, and that in itself can be a headache!
Migraines affect your physical and mental well-being, so I thought some of you could benefit from some tips. If not you personally, maybe a loved one who suffers from them. We need relief from these unwanted guests we call migraines!
I’ve suffered from migraines for most of my life. It’s an ever-changing carousel of medications, headache logs, preventative measures, changes in diet, migraine relief products, and still no direct solution to never having another one again. So, it dawned on me yesterday when I was experiencing a rather uncomfortable one that I had to accept and move on because there were far worse things.
Then, I told myself not to minimize my headaches because they do cause unfortunate effects. You miss special occasions or even just average occasions. You struggle to care for your children, especially young ones. Managing your family can become overwhelming if you don’t have help or support. Getting through a day at work seems nearly impossible. You’re not present even though you are. You’re left feeling completely wiped out whether or not you do take care of yourself and treat the migraine. Then you find yourself behind on whatever you needed to accomplish, whether at home or work.
So, I started thinking. What is the best protocol for myself for migraine relief? Would it be worth sharing with others? What do we have to lose? “We” being me and those of you like me who suffer from these unruly, uninvited guests. So I went through a list of what I did yesterday to meet this menace head-on. I came up with a word, an acronym, for what I did. Want to know what worked yesterday? MIRROR. That’s it. No, I didn’t look in the mirror. Heck no, that’s never good when the menaceful migraine has its hold on you. I worked through the acronym MIRROR.
Step 1: Medication
- At the first sign that you’re getting a migraine, take the medication your doctor has prescribed. If you don’t have a prescription, take the best medicine for you (e.g., Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, etc.). Hopefully, your other health concerns don’t prevent you from taking these medications. Taking the medication as soon as possible is helpful in giving you the best chance to prevent symptoms from worsening.
Step 2: Ice
- Yes, I know. The thought of putting an ice pack on your head that is suffering already sounds like a bad idea. However, my neurologist told me it’s better for immediate pain relief. I admit it was uncomfortable at first, getting used to the cold. However, it does help me more than heat. Try it and see if it helps you too! Below, I shared a link for an ice “cap” that I like to use when my migraine is over my entire head. It gives complete relief all over! I prefer an ice pack when the pain is just on one side.
- TheraICE Migraine Relief Cap: https://amzn.to/4crT4Wb
- As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Step 3: Rest
- Once you take the medicine, grab the ice pack and lie down. I try to sleep, but I know this isn’t always practical. People have jobs, kids, families, homework assignments, and responsibilities! HOWEVER, if you can lie down, DO IT! Try to sleep if possible. Let your brain recover. It can help shorten the duration of the headache and keep symptoms from amplifying.
Step 4: Relax
- Now, I know you can’t always take advantage of being able to sleep or rest. So try to relax. DoorDash supper for the night. Skip the laundry. Don’t worry if the kids leave a mess in the house. Grab the dry shampoo! Whatever it takes to do LESS. Even if you can’t rest or sleep, you’ll want to continue to relax to keep your headache at bay.
Step 5: One thing at a time
- Hopefully, the first four steps have helped you shoo your unwelcome guest from your head. Step 5 is crucial: Just because the headache is gone does NOT mean all is well. Please take one thing at a time. Ease into it. I know from experience that if I go all in, the unwelcome guest comes back like an annoying cousin who doesn’t know when to leave.
Step 6: Rise
- As you recover and take it easy in the hours after the migraine leaves, you can confidently RISE and know that you made it through another painful bout. You are STRONG. You will recover and get after it again. Be gracious with yourself and know that you have a six-step sequence you can follow now for migraine relief that might help you get through another unwanted guest.
So that’s it, MIRROR. Please remember, by no means am I guaranteeing this will work for you because I’m not a doctor, and I’ve done it before without success myself. However, more times than not, it’s worked. It isn’t always an ideal time to follow the steps, or in many cases, I will procrastinate, hoping it’s just a regular headache. I’m sharing this because it has helped relieve my migraine, but know that it’s not foolproof. However, when you’re being alerted that there’s an intruder at your door, why not arm yourself with something that might offer you an advantage? You know SELF-CARE, and if the six steps didn’t work this time, try again the next time. Good luck!