Migraine Prevention

Prevention

Methods for preventing migraine include:

• Avoiding those things that trigger the headache.
• Establishing other healthy habits.

Suggestions include:

• Maintain regular sleep patterns.
• Learn stress management techniques.
• Do not skip meals.
• Avoid red wine and other alcohol.
• Exercise regularly.
• Foods are not proven to trigger migraine, but consider keeping a diary of migraine and diet to identify foods that may trigger migraines for you. Foods suspected to trigger migraine include:
  • Nuts and peanut butter
  • Beans (eg, lima, navy, pinto, and others)
  • Aged or cured meats
  • Aged cheese
  • Processed or canned meat
  • Caffeine (intake or withdrawal)
  • Canned soup
  • Buttermilk or sour cream
  • Meat tenderizer
  • Brewer's yeast
  • Avocados
  • Onions
  • Pickles
  • Red plums
  • Sauerkraut
  • Snow peas
  • Soy sauce
  • Anything with MSG (monosodium glutamate), tyramine, or nitrates
• Ask your doctor if acupuncture is right for you. It may help you to have more headache-free days, as well as lessen the intensity of headaches when they do occur.