Do you ever get strong migraine headaches, just when you’re trying to wind down after a long day? Let-down headaches (weekend headaches) occur after work, holiday festivities, or long periods of stress. Here are some tips for avoiding let-down migraine headaches during those few moments of peace and quiet.
Relaxation, interrupted
It’s the worst possible time to get a migraine attack. (Assuming there is ever a convenient time for a headache.)
You’ve had a hectic day; your children missed breakfast, you forgot to pick up your dry-cleaning, you worked on your feet from morning to late noon, and your boss asked you to work overtime…at the last minute. And your babysitter’s studying for finals.
So, you stick some frozen chicken nuggets in the oven, put out the paper plates, and wait for the household to settle down.
At long last, you’re ready to flop down on your nice soft bed and turn the lights out. You feel the stress melting out of your pores.
You’re all set to put your anxieties behind you and enjoy some peaceful moments of solitude, focus on the now…
And that’s when the migraine headache strikes.
Like the end of a Spielberg horror film, let-down headaches always attack when you’re most vulnerable- when you’re weak, tired, achy, stressed, jittery, and ready to call it quits.
You think the horror of the day is over, but it’s only about to begin.
Oh, the pain
Suddenly, your head feels heavy. Pain radiates down your skull, a throbbing headache that pulses in your veins, increasing by the minute.
Your eyes suddenly hurt, and small shafts of light feel like a knife jabbing into your forehead.
You feel more fatigued than you imagined possible. Nausea hits you in the stomach, and the urge to vomit is imminent.
You feel dizzy, like the room is spinning. Your hold out your right arm and it seems like it’s too far from your body.
You’re not sure if you’ve been lying here for a few minutes or an hour. Time loses all meaning.
And still, the excruciating head pain shows no sign of diminishing, even after you take four extra-strength Advil tablets.
Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?
Why me?
Let-down headaches occur more often than many migraineurs realize. It has been scientifically proven that when stress levels decline, migraine sufferers experience an increased risk for migraine attacks.
By using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), researchers who examined 17 migraine headache patients estimated that let-down migraine headaches occur within 12-24 hours following the end of a stressful period.
Just when you’re trying to relax, wind down, or cheer yourself up, that’s when you are 20% more likely to have a sudden migraine headache.
To prevent let-down migraine headaches, researchers from the study advise migraine patients to maintain regularity in their lives as a means of avoiding migraines caused by fluctuations in stress, energy, hormones, blood sugar, and mood.
“Awareness of mood and stress may improve headache prediction and provide targets for behavioral or pharmacological interventions.”
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Like this? Read more:
Migraines and Work Stress:Surprising Symptoms
Managing your Mood with Migraines: 4 Simple Surefire Tips for Happiness
Sources:
Study Holds Up ‘Let-down Headache’ Hypothesis
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