With high levels of stress and routines out of whack, the holidays can be a painful time for people with headache. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of tips on how to cope with holiday stress. Here are some that caught my eye.
- GlaxoSmithKline, the makers of the migraine abortive Imitrex, has some headache-specific recommendations, including and sticking to your normal sleep schedule.
- Mayo Clinic looks at the trigger points of stress and offers coping strategies.
- With articles entitled Beating Holiday Stress and Beat Holiday Stress, WebMD attempts to whip stress into submission.
- The University of New Hampshire has suggestions targeted toward college students.
If all else fails, consider my favorite remedy: Close all the windows and doors and scream at the top of your lungs (for some reason, this always works best in a car). Follow it up with a lovely latte or hot chocolate — or, if your screaming session is prolonged, treat your throat with hot tea and honey. You’ll get out your frustration and the warm drink provides some self-nurturing.
When my migraine becomes really bad I sometimes simulate vomiting as much as possible by coughing hard. This creates strong tensions in the head and afterwards I usually see stars, but many times it helps and the ache goes away. This works best after several hours of pain when the migraine is in its last phase.
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Wow, I’ve never heard of doing that. I’m glad you’ve found something that helps you.
K
Or……….you could always take a spike high heel and knock 986 holes on the inside of your closet door…………..
Love,
Mom
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I don’t wear spike heels anymore, so you’ll know that I’m stressed if I frantically dig through all the closets in the house.
K
(I liked it better when you thought Matt was responsible!)
It works well. 😀
K
Considering my allergy to Triptans – I love your advice on screaming – classic. Keep up teh good work.
I like your favorite remedy the best. 🙂