Sleep & stress15 min
Living with migraine: regular routine, cooling foods and a trigger diary
Migraine is a real neurological condition, not ‘just a headache’. Alongside your doctor's plan, Ayurveda's emphasis on a steady routine, cooling foods, regular meals and good sleep can help many people have fewer bad days.
The Ayurvedic view
Migraine often brings a one-sided, throbbing headache with nausea and sensitivity to light and sound, sometimes preceded by visual ‘aura’. Common triggers include skipped meals, poor or irregular sleep, strong sun, dehydration, stress, hormonal changes, certain foods and strong smells. Ayurveda would place many migraines under ardhavabhedaka (half-sided headache) with pitta and vata involvement, and recommends avoiding heat and irregularity.
Ingredients
- A notebook or phone notes for a migraine diary
- Cooling foods for summer: coconut water, buttermilk, cucumber, soaked raisins
- Optionally, a few drops of warm ghee for nasya (see the sinus remedy on this site) on non-headache days
How to prepare
- Set up a simple diary: date, sleep, meals, water, stress, periods, weather, what you ate and whether a migraine followed.
How to use
- Eat three regular meals and don't go longer than 4–5 hours without food.
- Sleep and wake at the same times daily.
- At the first sign of an attack, rest in a dark, quiet room with a cool cloth on the forehead, and take the medicine your doctor has advised.
- Review the diary after 6–8 weeks to spot your personal triggers.
Helpful habits
- Wear sunglasses and a cap in strong sun; drink water regularly.
- Limit very spicy, fried and fermented foods, excess caffeine and alcohol if they trigger you.
- Gentle yoga, pranayama and regular walks may reduce frequency for some people.
Precautions
- Keep taking any preventive or rescue medicines prescribed by your doctor; don't stop them on your own.
- Seek urgent care for a sudden, severe headache unlike your usual ones, headache with weakness, numbness, confusion, speech problems, fever and stiff neck, or a new headache pattern after age 50.
- Women with migraine with aura should discuss hormonal contraceptives with their doctor.
