Avoid Holiday Headaches with These Tips!

Whether you’ve been humming “All I Want for Christmas” since Labor Day or are more holiday-hesitant, you can agree that this season is no time for migraines. But even though you’d rather have a stocking full of coal than a migraine, the holiday season is full of potential triggers that could make headaches more likely. We’re here to help you recognize triggers and prevent headaches from ruining the season.  

Here are a few seasonal migraine triggers, and advice on avoiding them:

Stress

Planning, shopping and even seeing loved ones at the holidays can be stressful, and stress can often equal a headache. Don’t let the stress keep building; figure out the root and try to address it with moderate-intensity exercise, meditation, pet snuggles, walks with friends or whatever helps you chill out.

Festive Food

Indulging in holiday treats can, sadly, trigger migraines in many. Chocolate is a well-known trigger, possibly because of its tyramine or nitric oxide content, and savory appetizers can be risky too. Aged cheeses usually contain a migraine trigger called tyramine and processed meats contain nitrates. On the other hand, those foods might not bother you — which is why it’s important to track your migraines so you don’t rule out food unnecessarily. You can try to use Migraine Buddy for your tracking – it’s comprehensive enough that you can track your food intake!

Bubbles and Booze.

We don’t need to tell you that alcohol can equal headaches, but alcohol’s status as a migraine trigger might be a little overstated — one study showed that only 10% of people reported a frequent link between alcohol consumption and migraines. Of course, hangovers are their own sort of hell. If you like to raise a glass you probably don’t need to abstain entirely but be careful to stay hydrated and stick to moderation.

Changing Your Routine and Schedule

During the holidays, we tend to eat differently, act differently, and sleep differently, and your head might not like that. So get enough sleep, drink enough water and try to maintain some semblance of your normal routine

What Can I Do?

Avoiding triggers can help, but in many cases solving migraines requires more intervention. Keeping a record of headache activity and triggers is important in helping your migraine condition, and a cutting-edge prescription treatment plan from Nurx while using Migraine Buddy for tracking can make headaches pretty much a memory.