A migraine can be debilitating, but you shouldn’t have to put up with it affecting your daily life – which is why knowing the remedies you can rely on at home could make a huge difference.

For those times when you can’t bear to drag yourself out of the house, we spoke with Dr Farooq Maniyar, Consultant Neurologist at London Bridge Hospital (part of HCA Healthcare UK), who explained the causes and shared the at-home remedies you can try to help fix a migraine:

What is a migraine?

Migraines feel different to each person, but they’re best described as an extreme headache, felt on one side of the head, that can often have other symptoms including sickness.

According to the NHS, there are several types of migraine, including:

• Migraine with aura – where there are specific warning signs just before the migraine begins, such as seeing flashing lights.
• Migraine without aura – the most common type, where the migraine happens without the specific warning signs.
• Migraine aura without headache, also known as silent migraine – where an aura or other migraine symptoms are experienced, but a headache does not develop.

Migraines tend to affect certain people regularly, and painkillers are generally the recommended treatment.



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What are the home remedies for migraines?

Sadly, there are no definitive answers as everyone reacts to natural remedies differently. However, you could try:

Lying in a quiet and dark room “Lying in a quiet and dark room definitely helps most migraine patients,” explains Dr Maniyar. “During migraine attacks the brain is hyper responsive to external stimuli. Therefore, the light appears too bright and sounds are too loud and reducing these external stimulations reduces the symptoms. This is strongly recommended during an attack.”

Taking ginger If you’re hoping for a quicker result, ginger is believed to be effective in managing migraine pain. A 2014 study using 100 participants compared the effectiveness of ginger powder with sumatriptan, a common migraine drug. The researchers found the effectiveness of ginger was statistically comparable to sumatriptan.

However, Dr Maniyar says this is unlikely to be hugely helpful. “There is no strong evidence to suggest that taking ginger or any particular food item during migraine attacks helps,” he explains. “What is more important is to maintain good levels of hydration and avoid hypoglycemia i.e. starvation.”

Massage “During migraine attacks, neck pain and stiffness is very common, and this is due to the central communication between the nerves that carry pain sensations from the back of the head and neck and the front of the head,” Dr Maniyar explains. “This can lead to secondary muscle spasm and a gentle massage can help relieve the spasm.”

Drinking plenty of water “As mentioned above, avoiding dehydration and maintaining a good and clear urine output is strongly recommended for migraine,” says Dr Maniyar.

Some believe that essential oils can help you relax and ease tension. Choose a lavender oil and pour a few drops into an electric diffuser, which you can leave running as you rest.

Diffusers

What causes a migraine?

According to the NHS, the exact cause of a migraine is unknown, although they’re thought to be the result of temporary changes in the chemicals, nerves and blood vessels in the brain.

Causes can vary in different people, but it can be anything from stress and tension to a dietary imbalance or even a period. Lack of sleep, or too much sleep, can also contribute.

“Most patients with migraine have family members with the same problem; therefore, clearly there is a genetic predisposition,” Dr Maniyar tells Prima. “Careful research has shown that migraine attacks are heralded by activations in certain parts of the brain, particularly the hypothalamus and the brainstem that are involved in modulating pain responses in the head, face and neck region.

“In those with the ‘genetic makeup’ of migraine, these changes lead onto migraine attacks. In addition to the hypothalamus and the brainstem, large parts of the brain are involved including the cortex. Therefore it is not surprising that migraine attacks, in addition to headache, are associated with other complaints like sickness i.e. nausea, sensitivity to bright light, loud sound, strong smell and movement.”

Can I prevent a migraine?

“There is no cure for migraine, since the predisposition towards migraine attacks is essentially genetic,” says Dr Maniyar. “However, considering that migraine attacks involve homeostatic mechanisms i.e. mechanisms that are designed to maintain a stable internal environment, certain lifestyle changes can help prevent migraine attacks. There are five such factors:

“Avoiding dehydration and drinking plenty of oral fluids to maintain a good and clear urine output.

“Having small but regular meals throughout the day to avoid significant changes in blood glucose (not missing breakfast is important).

“Avoiding caffeine excess and avoiding any kind of caffeine after 4pm, so that this does not interfere with sleep.

“Practicing a good sleep hygiene.

“Maintaining good work and life balance and employing destressing methods if required like meditation, yoga, mindfulness etc.”

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