How Jenny understood her migraine causes for prevention
I’m generally healthy, my diet is balanced, and I do my best to keep fit with regular gym classes. I'm on the local netball team, too. Unfortunately though, my migraines can come on after a big workout or a competitive match if I haven’t had enough to drink during and after I exercise. I use ibuprofen for my migraine headache, as it can often help to ease the pain. Some migraine attacks are more painful than others though, and I get a throbbing headache that’s usually on one side of my head, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Learn about migraine headache symptoms and how to recognize them.
My aunt told me to try and avoid foods that trigger migraines. Some people think that chocolate and cheese are a no-go if you get migraines. But I actually never ate much chocolate or cheese, so I tried cutting out other things from my diet that could be migraine triggers, such as red wine and caffeine, but this didn't seem to help either. So I continued to search for ‘what triggers migraines? Learn more about migraine causes.
My migraine diary helps me identify possible triggers and causes beyond types of foods that can trigger a migraine. It helps alert me to stress, missed meals, exercise, sleeping patterns and menstrual cycle. For example, if I miss a meal during a busy day and later start feeling a migraine headache coming on, I can look back and see the migraine trigger. Another example is that women are more likely to have migraines than men, so I’ve also looked into ‘what causes migraines in women?’, which could be linked to periods and other hormonal changes.
Find out more about migraine triggers.
I've learnt a lot from doing my research. For example, I discovered that eating at least an hour and a half before activities helps prevent low blood sugar, and drinking fluids before, during and after exercising helps to avoid dehydration. So, I’ll make sure I grab a sandwich and a drink before my next netball match. Wish me luck!
Once you have understood your individual migraine triggers, they can be avoided where possible.
Migraine headache can be treated with pain relievers, such as those containing ibuprofen or paracetamol, Nurofen Migraine Pain contains ibuprofen lysine which is absorbed faster by the body than regular ibuprofen, to relieve your migraine headache. If you have any questions or queries about migraine symptoms, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor.
This is not a real case study, but an illustrative example of real migraine symptoms and treatment options. All information provided has been reviewed for scientific accuracy.
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