When you expertise signs of one other persistent well being situation along with migraine, it’s essential to take steps that deal with that situation — steps that will additionally assist cut back your migraine signs. These steps might embrace in search of a analysis and remedy from a physician, in addition to making life-style modifications which have the potential to cut back the burden of your situation.

1. Get an Correct Prognosis

Whether or not you could have anxiousness, despair, IBS, or a sleep problem together with migraine, it’s essential to see your major care doctor or a specialist to get an correct analysis. Your physician will focus on your well being historical past, carry out a bodily examination, and order lab exams and scans, if warranted, earlier than making a analysis.

2. Get a Clear Therapy Plan

Some folks with migraine might profit from taking a single prescription medicine that has been proven to be helpful for each migraine and one other situation, similar to anxiousness or despair. Different folks might have to take a separate medicine for every situation.

Speak to your physician concerning the professionals and cons of preventive and acute remedy drugs for migraine, and be sure to perceive your physician’s suggestions for when and the way typically to make use of these medication. (Ask for these suggestions in writing, if crucial.)

3. Observe a Constant Life-style

It’s essential to know that “migraine brains” don’t like modifications in your every day behaviors or routine.

“[A consistent] life-style reassures your mind that every thing is okay,” says Robert Cowan, MD, a neurologist and director of headache analysis at Stanford Drugs in California.

“Eat meals on the identical time, go to mattress on the identical time, train commonly, and be constant,” says Dr. Cowan. “These are the issues that set the patterns for the mind so it is aware of what’s coming: sleep, eat, get up, train.”

4. Keep a Common Sleep Schedule

Dr. Barad recommends waking up on the identical time and going to mattress on the identical time to assist cut back your danger for migraine signs.

“Migraine’s mind is especially delicate to vary — climate, sleep cycle, illness. Maintain your life-style constant and lead a scheduled life-style to keep away from issues,” says Barad.

RELATED: 6 Sleep Ideas for Folks With Migraine

5. Keep away from Potential Dietary Triggers

Whereas not each potential migraine meals set off applies to everybody, it’s value taking note of whether or not your migraine signs get higher once you keep away from frequent triggers in your weight-reduction plan. Barad tells her sufferers to “reduce caffeine and sugar. Decrease processed meals in your weight-reduction plan, and keep away from chemical triggers like MSG and nitrites, which can set off migraine in some folks.”

6. Reside Your Life

Above all, stay your life to the fullest. “It’s essential to take a holistic strategy” to migraine administration, Cowan says, quite than worrying about each little factor that would make your migraine signs higher or worse. “Take precautions, however stay your life.”