All of that is to say: There are options out there beyond lying down in a dark room (although if the Silent Night treatment works for you, great.) It’s best to start a medication plan sooner rather than later since it can take some trial and error to find a treatment that works for you.
2. Try to stick to your routine as much as possible.
Depending on how your family and friends celebrate, holidays could mean lots of traveling, staying up late, getting up early, or skipping meals (maybe in anticipation of one large smorgasbord later in the day).
Unfortunately, these elements can be a recipe for migraine attacks. For example, skipping meals or going long periods of time between eating can be a major trigger for many people with migraine, according to the American Migraine Foundation. Getting too little sleep and getting too much sleep can also trigger migraine attacks, the Mayo Clinic notes.
That’s why sticking to your usual routine as much as you can is key. “It is essential to keep a consistent schedule for meals, sleep, and aerobic exercise,” Dr. Zhang says. “It sounds simplistic but it is very effective.” Regular exercise—not always the easiest thing to get during the frantic holiday season—can also help keep symptoms in check for some people, according to the Mayo Clinic. (No need to make your Turkey Trot a marathon, though: Going a bit too hard with exercise can have the opposite effect and actually trigger episodes for some people.)
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3. Keep your other triggers in mind too.
Migraine triggers are as unique as a snowflake, but there are some common ones to keep on your radar, according to the Mayo Clinic. These include alcohol (especially wine), strong smells (hello, candles), loud sounds, certain foods like aged cheeses and cured meats, and food additives like aspartame and MSG, among so many others. So, the next time you leave a festive party that had a delicious charcuterie spread, plenty of boozy drinks, and loud music and laughter, you may be able to anticipate a headache coming on.
If you know of a trigger that is a no-go for your migraine, plan for how you can avoid it, if possible. If wine is a problem, for example, BYOB to the holiday party that doesn’t set off your pain or bring a fun booze-free beverage to share if alcohol just isn’t your thing. The same advice applies to food: The more the merrier, so bring a dish you know you can enjoy and want to share with others. If strong smells can hurt your head, alert your host (if you feel comfortable enough) and ask if they can avoid scented candles or opt for having gatherings in well-ventilated or outdoor spaces.
That said, if you’re not entirely sure what your triggers are, you’re not alone. “It’s often hard to pinpoint triggers,” Dr. Zhang says. And they’re not always a surefire way to ward off a migraine headache. “Triggers are usually partial and additive,” she says. So it’s rare that loud sounds on their own will trigger a migraine—but loud sounds after a stressful day at work on too little sleep? Not a great combination.
4. Surround yourself with supportive people.
Not everybody gets what it’s like to live with migraine—or will respect the steps you have to take to be as pain-free as possible. So try to choose a holiday circle that does get it. “Embrace the people who understand,” Natalia Murinova, MD, the director of the University of Washington Medicine Headache Center, tells SELF.
Source: SELF
