How Can I Get Rid Of A Migraine?

Anyone who has experienced one will know that migraines can be horrible and can completely throw you off your day. The symptoms vary from person to person and can differ in severity but typically, people suffering from migraines will notice an intense headache (usually in the centre of the forehead and felt as a throbbing pain), sensitivity to light and feeling or being sick. A lot of people also notice visual disturbances such as blurred vision, blind spots or flashing lights.

Because people who get migraines can tend to get them quite frequently (even sometimes several times a week), it’s usually preferred to seek treatment rather than wait for the migraine to go away on its own (this usually takes a few hours but can take days).

There are a number of simple tips that can ease the pain of a migraine and to prevent it from disrupting your life too much. Every person (and migraine) is different so it’s key to work out what works best for you.

Key Takeaways:

Common Migraine Symptoms and Triggers

Migraines often cause intense headaches, sensitivity to light, nausea, and visual disturbances like blurred vision or flashing lights. They can be frequent and disrupt daily life, making treatment important.

Home Remedies for Migraine Relief

Using a cold compress, practicing breathing techniques, drinking more water, trying ginger, and resting in a dark room can help alleviate migraine symptoms. These methods are simple and can provide temporary relief.

Medications for Migraine Management

Over-the-counter painkillers like paracetamol, ibuprofen, and aspirin can help. If these don't work, prescription medications such as Sumatriptan and Rizatriptan are available. UK Meds offers an online consultation to obtain a prescription for these treatments if needed.

How can I get rid of a Migraine?

Use a cold compress

Ice packs can help relieve migraine pain temporarily. Applying a cold pack to your head numbs the pain area by constricting blood vessels and slowing pain signals to the brain (Medical News Today, 2024). This can be especially helpful for migraines caused by heat or sun exposure. However, the relief is short-term, and the pain may return once you remove the ice pack.

Cold compresses do not provide a long-term solution or cure for migraines.

A cold compress, such as the Kool ‘n’ Soothe can help.

Try breathing techniques

To relax and cope with migraines and headaches, you can learn and adjust your breathing patterns (WebMD, 2023).

Rhythmic breathing

Try rhythmic breathing by slowly inhaling and exhaling to a count of five, noticing how your body relaxes with each breath out.

Deep breathing

Deep breathing involves filling your abdomen with air and slowly exhaling, which helps you relax.

Visualised breathing

Visualised breathing combines slow breaths with imagery, picturing relaxation entering your body and tension leaving with each inhale and exhale.

Try an over-the-counter painkiller

There are a wide range of painkillers available that you can buy without needing to get a prescription or visit a doctor. Paracetamol is an effective painkiller for treating headaches, as are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin.

Although you can buy painkillers without a prescription, you should ensure to adhere to the patient information leaflet enclosed and always use medications according the the advice given. If you accidentally take too much then seek medical help.

Drink more water

Very much like with not giving your brain enough oxygen, not giving your brain enough water can be another cause of headaches (Medical News Today, 2024). Drinking enough water throughout the day can help prevent migraines. Taking small sips of water may also help manage migraine symptoms like nausea.

Try some ginger

Ginger is known for its medicinal properties; it has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Taken on its own, or alongside over-the-counter medications can help to ease the pain of a migraine headache (Andrade, C.; 2021). Try a ginger tea to get ginger and hydration in one easy step.

Turn the lights down

This one is especially important for anyone who gets the kind of migraine known as a ‘migraine with aura’, which means that you also get visual disturbances, often as a pre-emption to the headache that follows after. For anyone suffering from spotting, flashing or blurred spots in their eyes, sitting in the dark for a while can often make this feel less severe.

Even if you don’t necessarily suffer from visual disturbances, migraines can still make you more sensitive to light and can even be triggered by bright or flickering light (like the light from a TV or computer screen).

Resting in a cool, dark room, protecting your eyes from the sun by wearing sunglasses and / or a cap and taking regular breaks from screens can be helpful (The Migraine Trust, 2022).

Prescription medication

If you find that over-the-counter medicines are not helping to relieve your headache then there are a number of prescription migraine medications that are available. Your doctor can advise the best treatment for your individual needs. Popular migraine treatments include:

• Sumatriptan

• Rizatriptan

• Frovatriptan

• Almotriptan

• Naratriptan

• Almogran

• Imigran

• Zomig

• Zomig Rapimelt

• Zomig Nasal Spray

• Zolmitriptan

• Migard

• Maxalt

• Maxalt Melt

• Imigran Radis

• Imigran Nasal Spray

These are only available on prescription but if you do not have one or cannot get to your doctor to get one then UK Meds can help. We offer a full prescription service via our online consultation process, which is available on all of our migraine medications. The decision to prescribe will be made by a GMC registered doctor.