National Migraine Awareness Month Blog Challenge, Day 4: What’s the best tip you can offer others for having some summer fun despite migraine?
I wrote about staying hydrated, my very best tip for coping with migraines in the summer, for Migraine.com today. Then I went out in the Phoenix heat and remembered my second-best coping mechanism: ice packs and cool neck wraps.
If I have to drive somewhere in the heat of the day, I take along hard ice packs that normally go in the ice chest as well as a couple softer ice packs, like my beloved Medi-Temp Head-Neck Hot/Cold Therapy Pad*. I wrap the Medi-Temp pad around my neck twice and place the other ice packs wherever feels good, usually a couple behind my back, one in my cleavage (*blush*), and one under the seat belt against my belly. I look like a complete dork, but feel so much cooler. The hard packs usually stay cold even if I leave them in the car when I go into stores. On particularly hot days, I’ll put them in a soft-sided cooler before I get out of the car.
Cooling neck wraps are useful when I’m need to stay cool (temperature-wise) in public. More attractive than an ice pack, they still aren’t terribly stylish — but they are better than a migraine attack! Just soak one in water for about 10 minutes to activate it and it will keep you a little cooler for several hours. If you’re somewhere humid, it is best best if you can stick the wrap in an ice chest occasionally to reinvigorate it.
What do you do to keep migraine attacks at bay in the summer?
National Migraine Awareness Month is initiated by the National Headache Foundation. The Blogger’s Challenge is initiated by Fighting Headache Disorders.
*The Medi-Temp head wrap is a new discovery and I love, love, love it for migraine attacks. It has good coverage, stays cold for nearly an hour (I put a dish towel under it so it isn’t too cold against my skin), and stays in place when I move around. It is a quick, easy and inexpensive way to relieve the immediate pain of a migraine. I only wish I had two.