I come from a long line of migraine sufferers (During my childhood, I remember watching my mom give herself shots of Imitrex to battle her migraines). So I knew that over time I too would eventually develop migraines.
For me, they really didn’t get intense until my thirties, though I did have them off and on throughout my teens and twenties. But for the last eight years, or so, I’ve battled frequent migraines.
Triggers
As a migraine sufferer, one of the most important things to know is your trigger(s). For years I’ve had migraines so I have gotten pretty good at knowing mine: food (shellfish, tomatoes/sauce, processed foods, cauliflower, chocolate, wine), smells (perfume, gasoline, ammonia), environment (hot temperatures, being in the sun for a long time, barometric pressure, rainy days), stress, and most importantly hormonal fluctuations. Click here to read more about migraine triggers.
It is tough to not have at least one of these triggers affect me, so I tend to have migraines a few times a month. I know there are a lot of sufferers who battle migraines on a daily basis. I feel for you! I am glad mine aren’t that frequent, although once I get one it usually lasts for a couple of days.
The good news is when you know your trigger(s) you can pay attention and learn to be proactive. I know when it is raining outside there is a good chance that I will get a migraine. So, I opt for my go-to remedy of a Pepsi and an Excedrin Migraine pill. If I can catch it early enough that will do the trick. If not, I have my backup that is my Imitrex prescription medicine. But you have to be careful with Imitrex and other prescription medication as there are side effects for long term use.
Symptoms
Along with triggers, it is a good idea to learn your symptoms. These include dizziness, auras, light sensitivity, and nausea. To read more about migraine symptoms, click here. And to learn about the latest migraine treatments, click here.
Over time I have also narrowed down my symptoms, much like my triggers: a runny nose, aura, light/noise sensitivity, throbbing pain, and nausea. But over the past year, I have also added chills and vertigo to my list. Vertigo is really not fun!
Migraine Tracker
It wasn’t until my last doctor’s appointment that I had ever thought of actually tracking my migraines. I just figured since I knew my triggers and symptoms there was really no sense in it. But my doctor suggested I start tracking to see if they were happening more frequently and if they were getting more intense.
I looked online and found a few trackers but none really worked for me. So, I made my own monthly tracker with what I think will benefit me the most.
If you are interested in tracking your migraines, click here to download your own monthly migraine tracker. You can also find this and other printables under the “Freebies” tab on the top of the blog.
I’m going to start tracking mine in July. Since it is the summer and really hot here in the South, I should have my fair share of migraines. I am really interested to see my results.