Migraines are the absolute worst, trust me, I know.
Have you ever had one? If so, you’re going to want to know how to get rid of a migraine headache.
How to Get Rid of a Migraine?
My strategies for getting rid of a migraine range from natural to conventional and everything in between. Read on to learn more!
Migraine Definition
A migraine is not just any old headache.
According to my friend and colleague, Dr. Robert Rountree, a migraine is typically caused by disturbances to the blood vessels in the head.
What is a Migraine Headache?
Migraine headaches are known to recur periodically and are characterized by severe pain, often concentrated on one side of the head.
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Although they are known to be aggravated by light, I’ve experienced migraines that were triggered by a chemical smell or fragrance.
Difference Between Migraine and Headache?
If you’re wondering what is the difference between a migraine and headache it’s pretty simple.
Headaches are caused by muscle tension in the head, while migraines are related to vasoconstriction or lack thereof which can produce a swelling of the blood vessels in the head.
Migraine Piercing
When I’ve had migraines in the past it felt like my brain could not fit inside my skull, the pain was incredibly intense and piercing.
Part of this collection of migraine symptoms was that it felt like I had a nail in my head, or a headache in my eye, or a severe headache on my forehead.
I’ve suffered headaches so intense that sometime I was unable to sleep.
Migraine and Nausea
When migraines are super intense the pain can be nauseating.
Piercing headache eye pain is enough to not just make you nauseated, but to throw up. Trust me, it used to get this bad.
Migraine Headache Symptoms
The symptoms of migraine headaches include but are not limited to:
- Severe Pain
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Vision Disturbances
- Aura
- Piercing Sensation in Head
Dietary Migraine Causes
There are a number of things that can cause migraines including dietary items like MSG, chocolate, cheese, and more.
I did not find that eliminating chocolate and cheese prevented migraines, but avoiding MSG has been helpful.
Here are some other items thought to cause intensely painful headaches:
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Food Allergies
- Nutritional Deficiencies
Migraine Triggers
In addition to the above dietary causes, some additional headache and migraine triggers include:
- Stress
- Hormonal Shifts
- Lack of Sleep
- Chemical Allergies
- Weather Changes
- Dehydration / Over-Hydration
- Constipation
- Keto Flu
Migraines with Aura?
If you’re wondering what is a migraine aura I’m here to help.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, some people experience an aura prior to a migraine. An aura essentially consists of transient sensory changes that take place right before the pain starts.
Most frequently this consists of obstructive visual changes that last up to one hour.
The American Migraine Foundation also states that around 75% of migraine patients do not experience auras.1
Headache on Back of Head
Typically a headache that is on the back of the head is a tension headache, not a migraine.
Tension headaches consist of dull pain, tightness, or pressure around the forehead as well as tension around the occipital ridge, or back of the head.
Headache Kids
I started getting migraines when I was a child and my parents gave me baby aspirin quite often back then.
Later, in my teen years, I graduated to frequent handfuls of aspirin which may have lead to the deterioration of my gut lining and the eventual onset of Celiac Disease.
Don’t make this mistake. You can get to the root cause of recurrent headaches by seeing a conventional physician or Functional Medicine Doctor.
Headache Vitamin D Deficiency
A great example of getting to the root cause of migraines occurred with one of the boys’ friends back in grade school.
Finn suffered severe life-altering headaches at age ten.
His mother took him to his pediatrician who found that his vitamin D levels had bottomed out. He was suffering from a severe vitamin D deficiency.
Vitamin D Low Symptoms
While the optimal range for vitamin D is 30-100ng/mL, his level was 13.
Finn was put on a weekly high dose of vitamin D by his physician and his migraines stopped occurring altogether.
Migraine Cure
Curing an intense headache in process is not easy. I know this from experience. Here are a few things that may work if you’re in the middle of an episode.
- Foam Roller -roll out neck muscles to relieve pressure in the head
- Cold Packs -to place on your neck and head
- Hydration -drink water, but hydrate properly
- Avoid Hyponatremia -water without electrolytes may worsen symptoms
- Electrolytes -to alleviate symptoms of migraine including pain
- Aspercreme -topical drug offering pain relief; bypassing gut, spares gut lining
- Cannabis -a potential solution for severe headaches
- Tylenol -is a good option if nausea is not present
- Imitrex -prescription nasal spray to nip episodes in the bud
Drug for Migraines
There are a number of standard options for drug treatment of severe headaches.
First, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can be a good option. This includes Tylenol, Advil, Alleve, and the like.
Prescription Medication for Migraines
If you are too nauseous to keep down a pill (this has happened to me) you may need a prescription for Imitrex, a nasal spray that treats this condition.
I have not tried it so not sure how effective it is, but I’ve heard fantastic things about it from friends.
Migraine Prevention
So, it may seem backward to start with migraine cures, and then move on to prevention, but if you’ve ever had a really bad headache you know the priorities and what order they come in.
The solutions for migraine prevention range from dietary changes to lifestyle adjustments as well as strategies to reduce toxic body burden:
- Eliminate Caffeine
- Use Clean Makeup
- Eliminate Toxins from Personal Care Products
- Hydrate with Electrolytes
- CoQ10
I have seen a massive reduction in migraines since I began using LMNT electrolytes.
I was suffering from intense headaches often and part of the reason was that I was drinking too much water thereby diluting the electrolyte balance our bodies require to properly function.
By the way, there is a word for over-hydrating and it is hyponatremia.
Drinking electrolytes with your water is great because it will both prevent and relieve migraines.
Meaning of Hydration
According to Tyler Cartwright, “hydration is understood to be a balance between fluid volume and the amount of electrolytes that exist in that fluid volume.”
It’s not just water but what comes with it!
He goes on to state that one of the biggest struggles we have now with our overall health, not just headaches, is not learning but unlearning.
That’s because we need to understand that electrolytes like salt, magnesium, and potassium are absolutely critical to function properly.
Sugar and Headaches
At the same time, we must hydrate properly and avoid swimming in the sea of sugar we are offered as a fake fix.
I also found that I do not get as many headaches when I follow a Low-Carb Diet.
Electrolytes Imbalance Symptoms
One of the main issues with an electrolyte imbalance is migraine headaches. As an aside, constipation is another issue with this.
Headache Dehydration
Electrolytes keep me properly hydrated and also prevent the water I drink from passing right through me.
I’ve stopped running to the bathroom all the time to urinate and my cells are actually absorbing the liquid I consume!
Keto Flu
For those on a Keto Diet, you may have heard about or have experienced the dreaded Keto Flu which often includes severe headaches. LMNT Electrolytes were a crucial component for me in reducing Keto Flu symptoms.
To learn more see How to Kick the Keto Flu.
Why Does My Head Hurt Everyday
Finally, have you ever gone through a funk where your head hurt every day? Or maybe you thought, “why does my head hurt when I wake up?
I’ve gone through periods where this happened to me and it was awful.
There were two things that helped.
The first? Electrolytes! What a difference.
The second, it’s gonna sound strange but, it’s true, DNRS. If you can’t get rid of chronic headaches, check out the book, Wired for Healing.
Elana’s Migraine Cures
Will these tips cure every single intense headache? Of course not, I wish life were only that simple!
But, with these strategies ranging from natural (hydration and foam rollers) to medication, you’ll have many tools in your migraine-preventing toolbox.
You’ll also have strategies for getting yourself out of misery if you’re in the middle of a migraine attack.
Your Migraine Cures
What are your go-to tips for preventing and curing a migraine? Let’s stop the headaches and spread the love!
Irene Scott says
Do you drink an electrolyte every day?
Elana says
Irene, I do! In fact, I often have a packet in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening :-)
JoAnn Olinger-Luscusk says
I had terrible migraines for years until I eliminated gluten.
Elana says
JoAnn, I went gluten-free around 25 years ago when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, unfortunately the GF diet did not do the trick for my migraines.
Audrey Greenwood says
I think you meant HYPOnatremia not HYPERnatremia; if one drinks way too much water and doesn’t have enough of the electrolytes then you wind up with low sodium (Hyponatremia)
Audrey…MD in LA
Elana says
Thanks Audrey, I did!
Samantha says
Thanks for this article Elana…I didn’t even realize I was having migraines until I just read through this…I thought mine were just regular headaches! Something I have found that really seems to help with the nausea is taking a couple of ginger capsules. I wrecked my gut too with years of Ibuprofen :(. I wish there had been more info available about this stuff years ago. Good tip about the electrolytes!
Elana says
Samantha, happy to help and thanks for your wonderfully thoughtful comment :-)
Christy says
Thanks for the information on electrolytes Elana. Will be trying that. I’ve had Migraines since a teenager. Predictably arrived with my period every month and lasted 2 days. After I had my kids they got worse, often had a rebound on the opposite side of my head a day later. Finally had total hysterectomy and that really made a difference in frequency. My go-to remedies: 1. Cold pack on head, hot pack on neck, after 15 or so minutes, switch them. I swear it jolts the system or something. 2. Peppermint essential oil on the temples, massage it in where it hurts and what’s left on the fingers, scrub into the scalp, especially in the sore spots—the rougher the better. 3. Drink ice water and if nausea will allow, try a spoon of nut butter. The saltiness helps.
Elana says
Christy, love those tips and they work due to their vaso-dialation effects :-)
Susan says
Migraine sufferer for 35 years now. All of your triggers/causes ring true. Usually lack of hydration, sleep, electolytes, stress, or eating first meal too late in day for me. However, I discovered about 5 years ago that SALT intake is critical for me. I have gotten rid of a headache in just 30 minutes (!) that was on its way to full on migraine by directly ingesting about 1/16 tsp of good salt (ie, Celtic, Redmonds, Himalayan). So I always make sure to have some salt in the morning and also at night. I also use electrolyte drops in water when I have them nearby. The other thing that has worked, but only if I’m with someone who knows how to do this, is pinching the webbing between thumbs and index fingers for several minutes. It needs to ache a bit when they do this, but it has worked for me!
Elana says
Susan, thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts –I love all of your comments all over my website! Love the salt, I do that too, and thanks for the reminder of the acupressure point!
Betsy says
Great info! I’ve had migraines for years and they’ve varried in frequency and severity. A help I recently discovered is cayenne pepper nasal spray. Xlear Max congestion relief is the one I’ve tried. After hearing a story where a stroke was stopped with ingesting cayenne pepper I became curious about its usefulness for migrains because they’ve been described as very tiny strokes. I found a study that showed migrain sufferes who used cayenne nasal spray had a substantial reduction in migraines after a few weeks of use, even none. So I gave it a try and it has been helpful.
Elana says
Betsy, thanks for the great info!!!
Rose says
Hi Elana! Just answered my own question about electrolytes by actually reading your article rather than skimming it! Thank you!
Elana says
Rose :-)
Rose says
How do you add electrolytes to water?
Elana says
Rose, I buy them in packets and dump ’em in :-)
Andrea says
I have suffered from horrible migraines for 20+ years. I do many of the things your mentioned. I take magnesium every night. I have a neoprene ice helmet I wear when I have a migraine. The biggest change is I started taking Aimovig. It is a monthly CGRP medication. I believe there are 3 or 4 different ones. It has changed my life. They also now have abortive CGRP medication too
Elana says
Andrea, thanks so much for your comment highlighting drugs that target the trigeminal sensory neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide or its receptor.