Menstrual Migraine Relief – Things That Really Work

More women than men suffer from migraines. And over 60% of the women who suffer from migraines find that the worst attacks come just before or during their periods. The pain can range from the significantly painful to acute pain which immobilizes a person and can prevent normal functioning for the duration of the attack. Since science has yet to come up with a cure for migraines of any kind, the treatments available are those that offer to either prevent the onset of the headache or those that offer menstrual migraine relief.

The Best Form Of Menstrual Migraine Relief Is Prevention

Relief from pain means to be saved from it. So prevention is the best form of menstrual migraine relief. Among the many things you can do to reduce the chances of menstrual migraine attacks is to control your weight. Fat affects the estrogen levels in the blood and estrogen imbalance is a prime cause of menstrual migraines. If you are over weight, diet and also exercise. Exercise causes the body to release endorphins which reduce pain symptoms.

Menstrual migraine relief can also be obtained by controlling your diet. Eat lots of fiber and avoid processed foods, alcohol and sugar. Drink lots of water.

A large number of women are deficient in magnesium and vitamin B12. Taking magnesium and B12 supplements and eating foods rich in magnesium like green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans etc. will provide menstrual migraine relief.

Medical Menstrual Migraine Relief Options

Whatever you do to reduce the pain of a migraine, the fact remains that the migraine will hit you sooner or later and once it sets in, the pain can be bad, at best and unbearable, at worst. The first thing you should do when the attack starts is to take some Ibuprofen or other pain killer. There are some that are specially prescribed for pre menstrual migraine. Ask you doctor about them.

Since bright light aggravates the migraine, lying down in a dark quiet room will offer menstrual migraine relief. You can also try having a cup of mint tea or coffee. The mint in the tea offers both menstrual migraine relief as well as alleviating the symptoms of nausea that often accompany these attacks. Coffee also often helps but experiment to see if it works for you. Coffee provides menstrual migraine relief to some but aggravates the symptoms in others.

Some women find that drinking liquid magnesium offers quick menstrual migraine relief since the liquid is absorbed rapidly and restores the magnesium balance of the body.

There is no escape from menstrual migraines. But with a little care and planning, you can get the relief you need to make the condition bearable and allow you to carry on with your normal life to a large extent.