Before going into what is Migraine and what are its stages, we would have a look at some of the top home remedies for Migraine. Remember, sometimes Migraine will require an immediate doctor’s help so use the below natural ways only in case of mild attacks.
Henna
- Henna flowers have been seen to be very effective home remedy for migraine
- Dip it in vinegar
- Rub it against your forehead
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a very helpful home remedy for migraine relief. When migraine is caused due to exposure to cold air, cinnamon usage is great.
- Make a fine paste of cinnamon with water
- Apply it over the temples and forehead
Chamomile Tea
On the very starting of migraine pain, Chamomile can cause wonders as a powerful preventive. It can limit the severity of the pain.
- Take a cup of chamomile tea as soon as you notice the onset of your migraine
Ginkgo Biloba
Daily intake of 120mg of Ginkgo Biloba extract before any meal is a simple remedy to treat migraine. It can dilate our blood vessels which will increase the circulation of blood and thereby, relieving the migraine pain.
Rosemary
This herb is very similar to cinnamon as it is seen to be an amazing cure for migraine pain arising due to exposure to cold weather.
- Take a litre of water
- Add a handful of rosemary into it
- Boil it
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl
- Take a towel and cover your head
- Do not cover your face, keep it exposed
- Inhale the steam by leaning over the bowl
- If you feel the heat very uncomfortable, lift your head back occasionally
- Continue inhaling for 5-10 minutes
Cabbage Leaf Compress:
- A few cabbage leaves must be crushed
- Place them in a cloth
- Apply this onto your forehead
- Do this for an extended period of time
- Replace the dried compressed leaves with fresh ones
Lemon Crust:
- Grind the crust of the lemon into a paste
- Apply the paste onto your forehead
Vegetable Juices:
Many researchers state that migraine is caused due to low levels of Magnesium. Magnesium is very effective in keeping the body relaxed. Fruits, green and dark green leafy vegetables, nuts etc are a very rich source of magnesium. Make a cocktail of vegetable and fruit juices to alleviate the migraine pain.
Carrot Juice: Carrot juice combined with spinach, beet and cucumber juices are good for migraine treatment. Any of the below combination can be consumed:
- Mix 200 ml of spinach juice with 300 ml of carrot juice
- Mix 100 ml of beet juice and 100 ml of cucumber juice with 300 ml of carrot juice
- Mix 100 ml of spinach juice, 50 ml of beet juice and 50 ml of cucumber juice with 150 ml of carrot juice
Fasting On Fruit Juices:
- Orange Juice: Fast only on orange juice and water for 2-3 days. Try to fast on carrot juice, celery juice or cucumber juice in alternate manner
- Grapes Juice: Fresh grape juice are also very effective. Grind fresh and ripe grapes together and drink the juice directly. Do not add any water.
But foods like white flour products, confectionery, refined cereals, preserved foods, greasy foods, cakes or pastries, pickles and sauces, sweets, sugar, condiments or highly spicy foods must be avoided. This will effectively cleanse our body by removing the toxins
All-Fruit Diet:
Stay on a fruit-based meal for 2-3 days. 3-4 fruit based meals are ideal. This can help in relieving the migraine pain. But do not go for this diet if you are on a juice diet. Either the fasting with juice or this fruit diet must be done.
Balanced Diet:
Design a diet for you consisting of grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Include buttermilk, skimmed milk, yogurt, honey and vegetable oils. Try eating small meals frequently. And never forget drinking water in plenty.
Stages Of Migraine Pain
We would not look at the classification which is is again made on the stages of the migraine pain which vary from person to person. They are –
The Prodrome:
This starts much before the onset of migraine. It may start before hours or even days. Mostly 40-60% of migraineurs suffer from this symptom. It can include fatigue, depression, mood swings, irritations, yawning and excessive sleeping, muscle stiffness, cravings for certain foods, constipation and diarrhoea, frequent urination and many other visceral signs. These symptoms predicts if the migraine is to start within few days or hours.
The Aura:
This sign predicts the immediate occurrence of or even can accompany the migraine headache. These are common in around 20-30% of migraineurs. They take 5-20 minutes to start gradually and can last for about an hour or 60 minutes. Generally this symptom affects the sensory, visual and motor activities. Most common visual aura includes flashes of white light, black outs, rare occurrence of flashes of multicolored lights (Photopsia), blurred or cloudy vision. Patients also feel the pins and needles feeling in nose-mouth and arms-hand areas. Hallucinating auditory senses are also common along with vertigo, tingling or numbness in face and getting very hypersensitive to touch.
The Pain Phase:
Many call it as the Headache phase. The pain can be mild to severe in nature. A typical one-sided pulsating pain occurs in the head. It worsens up with physical activities. It can occur in different sides in different attacks. Though the pain sometimes gets generalized over time after occurrence. The pain may last for 1-48 hours in children and 4-72 hours in adults. 90% of migraineurs suffer from Nausea and about 35% from vomiting. Many also experience photophobia (sensitivity to light), phonophobia (sensitivity to sound) and osmophobia (sensitivity to a particular smell or odor). They feel better in a dark and a quite room. Blurred or smoky vision, vertigo, stuffiness in chest and nasal portion, localized edema in scalp, frequent urination, tenderness of neck, skin paleness, fainting feeling, sweating or diarrhoea may be observed during headaches
The Postdrome:
Weakness and tiredness are most basic symptoms observed after the pain. These may also involve mood swings, gastrointestinal problems and some head pains during standing and sitting. Some may feel extremely refreshed while few other may feel depressed. Loss of appetite, light headedness and sensitivity to light can also be seen.
