Migraine headaches are one of the most common type of headaches people suffer from. They can cause people to have to stop doing their daily activities and rest to give it time to go away. Some people also suffer from chronic migraines, which means they get them on a regular basis. Today we will be discussing what a migraine headache is, and some ways to help manage it.

What is a migraine headache? A migraine headache is a more intensified headache, which causes sensitivity to light and sounds. It may cause nausea and constant pain in the head and neck as well.

What causes a migraine? There are many causes of migraine headaches, and today we will be listing the top 5 reasons people suffer from migraine headaches:

1. Excessive amount of stress. When having a lot of stress in your life, it causes strain on your brain and may cause migraines.
2. Lack of sleep. Sleep is a very important part of helping your brain and body function. Without sleep, it causes a lot of tension on your brain and may result in migraines.
3. Hunger or dehydration. Our body relies on food and water to help it survive, without the right amount food and water it may cause excessive migraines.
4. Excessive caffeine or alcohol. Drinking too much caffeine or alcohol can cause migraines due to withdrawals. If a person drinks a lot of caffeine or alcohol on a regular basis, and immediately cuts it all off, it will cause the body to go through withdrawals and a migraine may occur.
5. Hormones. Hormonal changes in women tend to cause migraines. Women are more likely to get migraines than men are due to the estrogen in the body during menstruation.

How to treat a migraine headache? Avoiding migraine triggers can help keep the migraines away all together. If you suffer from chronic migraines, it may be more difficult to stay away from triggers. Taking pain-relieving medications help to take all or a big majority of the pain away. Some other things to consider in helping keep migraines away are stress management, improving sleeping habits, and managing your diet.

If none of the at-home treatments are helping and you do feel as though you may suffer from chronic migraines, it is important you visit with your primary care provider to see what steps you can take from here to help improve or take away the migraine headaches completely.