Migraines are extremely painful, often debilitating headaches that can strike at any moment. While many people know they have certain migraine triggers, avoiding all of the situations that can cause migraines often isn’t feasible. For others, the cause of migraines is still unknown, making self-care nearly impossible.
One of the unfortunate side effects of a migraine headache is nausea. Often coming on quickly with a severe migraine, nausea can lead to vomiting or simply feeling like you can’t get up from your chair or bed. Feelings of nausea, especially when you’re at work or far from home, can be very problematic.
Reducing nausea related to migraines is possible though. Keep reading to understand more about how migraines cause nausea and what you can do about it.
WHY DO MIGRAINES CAUSE NAUSEA?
Anybody that experiences migraines regularly – or knows someone who does –understands that nausea often comes with the territory. While many sufferers have simply accepted this fact, most really have no understanding of why.
It’s easy to assume that migraines cause nausea as a sympathetic reaction, meaning that when you’re in pain in one area of your body, another part reacts accordingly. Stomach pain and nausea are often associated with traumatic and painful injuries because of this.
The fact is that no one, including doctors, is completely certain why people get sick to their stomach when they have a migraine headache.
HOW CAN I TREAT MIGRAINE-RELATED NAUSEA?
Nausea related to a migraine headache can make it nearly impossible to do anything for hours. If you’re working, trying to take care of your family or simply wanting to get out of bed, migraines can make that exceedingly difficult. Pair that with nausea, and you could be down-for-the-count for hours or even an entire day when you experience a particularly bad migraine.
There are some things you can do when it comes to dealing with nausea related to migraines though. Not everything will work for every sufferer, but trying various techniques can help you feel better.
Applying a warm, wet cloth to your neck is something many people do when they feel a migraine coming on. Other individuals step outside for a bit of fresh air and a slow, deep breath. Deep breathing exercises may also be beneficial.
Some migraine sufferers feel better when they have a light snack or sip on water, tea, broth or cola. Loosening clothing or changing into something more comfortable can also be beneficial for some people.
IS THERE ANY CURE?
Most people believe that migraines don’t really have a cure, but the truth is that the right doctor may be able to help you determine a plan to get rid of them for good. No one medicine or magic pill is going to do the trick though, so the average doctor may not fare well when it comes to migraines.
Look for a specialist to help you put together a strategy to deal with your migraines the right way. Otherwise you’ll likely have trouble getting rid of them any time soon, and they rarely go away on their own.
NATIONAL HEADACHE INSTITUTE
Please contact National Headache Institute to learn more about how you can reduce nausea from a migraine headache. We can also help you get to the root cause of your migraines, and work with you to develop a plan that will help reduce their frequency, as well as help you cope with them.
We’ve been working with headache patients around the country for years, and even if other doctors haven’t been able to help you, we are confident that our expert services and understanding can help alleviate your pain
