Don’t Let Migraines ruin the Holiday Season!

The holidays can be a migraine-filled time. Typical triggers include but are not limited to stress, excessive noise, alcohol, and festive food. Everything occurs simultaneously and for several consecutive days; this can only add to the problem.

The members of the Migraine Buddy community put their minds together to deliver the best holiday tips that will allow you to stay far away from these common migraine triggers.

1. Start your day with a big glass of water

Dehydration is one of the most common migraine triggers. And we know it’s easy to forget to drink water when there is so much happening around. So keep a glass of water on your bedside table and you won’t miss it!

2. Limit the sweet snacks

Refined sugars -chocolates, sweets, cookies etc.- are known migraine triggers. Because they are everywhere around us during the holidays it’s easy to indulge way more than usual. So stay strong and drink water instead 😉

3. Limit the stress

Not hosting the big family Christmas dinner would be best, but if it’s not possible, plan ahead as much as possible and delegate on D-day! You can also cook a recipe that can be made prior to the day or suggest that everyone brings a dish!

4. Stay away (as much as possible) from alcohol

As it promotes dehydration and also can trigger migraines because of some components (e.g. sulfites in wine). If you still choose to have some alcoholic drinks, space them with non-alcoholic ones and use moderation 😉

5. Don’t drink more coffee than on your regular days.

Caffeine can be a migraine trigger, especially when it comes in larger quantities than usual. Switch to decaf or herbal tea!

6. Go slow on the Christmas lights.

Many migraineurs are sensitive to bright lights so always use the static mode and limit yourself to a couple decorations in your house!

7. Beware of the artificial scents and house sprays.

Scented candles are very popular during the holidays but if you are subject to strong smells, this could trigger a migraine very fast. Use instead natural ambiance scents & real spices. You can very easily slice oranges/lemons, boil them in a pan with a couple of cinnamon sticks so to fragrance the house beautifully without the added chemicals!

In summary, control what you can, be prepared for what you can’t and have an escape plan in case all else fails: like a dark, quiet place in the house you’ll spend your family dinner and where you would be able to retreat in case of a migraine attack.

Wishing you lovely and happy holidays,