The holiday period causes major changes in the schedule and breaks up the routine of many of us. The preparations for the holiday, entertaining family members and family trips stimulate the nervous system and can cause great fatigue.
Among people who suffer from migraine attacks, the situation is even more complex, because the burdens typical of the holiday period such as the preparations, hours of free time, changes in sleeping, eating patterns and spending long periods with the family, may significantly increase the risk of a migraine attack.
The Passover holiday is a time when people suffering from migraine should pay real attention to the choices they make, to avoid a migraine attack. How do you do it? Here are 6 ways to celebrate the holiday happily and without a migraine.
Changes in sleeping patterns
The holiday season causes significant changes to our sleeping habits. Sometimes we wake up very early to go on a family trip or we get up very late because of a night out with friends, or a marathon viewing of a favorite TV series.
In addition, sometimes, we take a nap – something we normally don’t do. These changes in sleep patterns may be a trigger for a migraine attack, and the recommendation for migraine sufferers is to try to maintain their sleep routine as much as possible and to remember that the brain needs at least six hours of sleep.
In addition, migraine sufferers should take into account that too much sleep (more than nine hours) can also lead to a migraine attack, so it is better to try to make plans that will not make us sleep too little and not too much.
Nature hikers
The fact that Passover is celebrated in the spring leads many families to go out and travel around the country.
If hikers do not take care to drink enough, they may become dehydrated. One of the symptoms of dehydration is a headache, while migraine sufferers will most likely suffer from a migraine attack.
Therefore, it is recommended for migraine sufferers take a personal water bottle and make sure to drink regularly. In order not to forget to drink, you can use an application on your mobile phone that will send reminders to drink water, at least a glass every half hour.
In addition, it is important to wear a hat and stay in the shade as much as possible.
Holiday meals
The holiday meal is very different from a normal dinner or lunch. Most of the time, at a holiday dinner, we eat food that we usually wouldn’t normally eat and in larger quantities.
In addition, at the end of the meals, sweet desserts are usually eaten, something that is not always done routinely. The meal times, the large amount of food, and the different types of food can be a trigger for a migraine attack.
For this reason, the recommendation for migraine sufferers is to try and eat at hours and times that they are used to, to avoid eating food that contains ingredients that may trigger a migraine attack, to eat in moderation, especially desserts, and to try not to skip meals.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol is a trigger for a migraine attacks even regularly.
During the holidays, there are gatherings of family and friends where alcohol is more accessible and available than usual, and the recommendation is to avoid drinking alcohol as much as possible.
If it is known that a certain type of alcohol (beer, red wine, etc.) may trigger an attack, that specific type of drink should be avoided completely.
Schedule changes
The holiday period causes the schedule to change. You have to spend a lot of time preparing the house and cleaning, shopping and cooking for the holiday meals.
In addition, there are many more free hours in which a series of activities are added to the schedule, such as nature walks, visiting family and friends, etc.
All of these can cause a burden on the body and the nervous system, and can also lead to a migraine attack. The recommendation is not to do everything alone.
For example, you can have food delivered from the supermarket directly to your home and help family members and acquaintances with the many preparations for the holiday – like cleaning the house and cooking.
Stress
This period is accompanied by significant changes in the level of mental stress and these may create a migraine attack.
The long stay with family members is gratifying on the one hand, but can cause mental strain on the other. This mental strain may translate into a migraine attack, so the recommendation is to try to avoid family conflicts or arguments, take a short walk, relax the body through yoga or light meditation, etc.
And what happens if a migraine attack still occurs?
For many years, the treatment of migraine revolved around treatment during the attack only, and the main drugs were over-the-counter pain relievers, which have a limited effect.
Another migraine treatment is treatment from the triptan family, which is effective for some patients, but it is not given to people suffering from cardiovascular problems.
The good news is that in the last two years there has been a breakthrough in the treatment of migraine with a new generation of soluble oral medications, which are effective both in preventing the attack and in preventing and reducing the frequency of attacks, all this with a small number of side effects, allowing patients to return to their daily routine and lead a normal lifestyle.
