7 Home Remedies for Migraine

Migraines may occur when the nervous system is overly stimulated. The brain mistakenly sends out pain signals, setting off symptoms of a migraine attack: An intensely throbbing headache, nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to bright lights and loud noises.

Migraine medications can help prevent and relieve migraine attacks, but they’re not the only way to treat these painful episodes. Home remedies can speed up the process, helping you feel better faster.

One of the most reliable ways to treat migraine headaches is with a combination of strategies, like taking medication while using one or more at-home remedies. Some of these remedies target migraine pain immediately, while others offer more long-term relief, such as fewer attacks or less severe symptoms. 

Get Some Rest

It may be tempting to try to power through your migraine, but taking a break at the start of a migraine attack may help keep your symptoms from worsening. Combining rest with a quick-acting over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription migraine medication may be especially helpful. 

For example, taking a pain reliever such as Motrin (ibuprofen), Advil, or Tylenol (acetaminophen) before lying down in a dark, cool, quiet room may help. This can help you avoid bright lights, loud noises, and extreme heat, all migraine triggers that may make your head pain worse while you wait for medication to kick in.

Some research also suggests that sleep helps get rid of headache pain during a migraine attack. Taking a nap when symptoms begin may help speed up your recovery.

Use Compresses

Cool compresses can be an effective tool for relieving head pain from migraines quickly. Research suggests that icing can help decrease blood flow, which can reduce pain signals to the area. 

Try applying a cool or frozen compress to your neck or forehead to help decrease migraines at home.

Give Yourself a Massage

Consider learning some simple acupressure techniques. Acupressure is the practice of applying gentle pressure to specific areas of the body, known as pressure points. There isn’t enough research supporting its use, but it’s a traditional Chinese medicine approach that provides migraine relief for some people. 

When you have migraine headaches, you can try gently squeezing or massaging these points:

• Under your eyebrow bone on either side of your nose
• The fleshy area between your thumb and forefinger
• The soles of your feet

Take Magnesium

There’s a link between migraine and not getting enough magnesium. Taking higher levels of supplemental magnesium may help people with migraine. You may have fewer attacks and less severe symptoms while also avoiding common side effects of prescription migraine medications.

Supplement With Riboflavin 

Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, is another supplement that may help reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. Experts are unsure why or how this vitamin works for migraines, but some studies suggest that taking around 400 milligrams per day may result in fewer attacks each month.

Drink a Strong Cup of Coffee 

Caffeine has some mild pain-relieving abilities. It can also help your body absorb pain relievers more quickly, leading to faster recovery. 

The popular OTC medication Excedrin Migraine (acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine) works this way, blending the amount of caffeine in an average cup of coffee with pain-relief drugs. The combination may be as effective or more effective at treating migraine attacks than popular prescription drugs such as triptans.

Caffeine and caffeine withdrawal can also be migraine triggers for some people. It’s important to pay attention to how caffeine affects your migraine symptoms and to use caffeine based on that information.

Take a CoQ10 Supplement

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is an antioxidant, a compound that protects cells from damage. Some studies suggest that it has anti-inflammatory effects, which may make it harder for your brain to send migraine-related pain signals to your body.

Taking 300 milligrams of CoQ10 each day may reduce the number and severity of migraine headaches each month. 

Migraines aren’t always preventable. Here are some small changes you can make to your daily life to reduce the frequency of migraine days.

• Eat regular meals: Skipping meals can cause low blood sugar, a common source of migraine headaches. Try to eat on a consistent schedule and avoid going too long between meals or snacks.
• Manage stress: Stress is a common migraine trigger. Some studies have found that practices like meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and tai chi help decrease stress and lessen the intensity and frequency of migraine headaches. 
• Stay hydrated: Not drinking enough water can lead to dehydration, a common migraine trigger. Set a daily hydration goal you can stick to, and try not to wait until you’re feeling thirsty to start drinking fluids.
• Prioritize sleep: Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep; too much or too little can trigger a migraine attack. Try to maintain a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time each day.
• Regular exercise: Regular exercise is associated with fewer migraine attacks, especially among people with a higher body mass index (BMI).
• Limit caffeine: Caffeine relieves migraine head pain in some people, but is a trigger for others. You may be more likely to have migraine worsened by caffeine if you drink more than 200 milligrams or if you don’t always have it at the same time every day. If caffeine is a migraine trigger, try lowering how much you drink each day or drinking it on a regular schedule. 
• Limit or avoid alcohol and quit smoking: Smoking and alcohol can trigger or worsen migraine attacks in some people. Quitting smoking and cutting down on alcohol may lead to fewer migraine days. 
• Avoid your triggers: It’s not always possible to stay away from migraine triggers. Some triggers, like hormonal changes, are unavoidable. Keeping a migraine diary can help identify patterns in your diet, sleep, and other daily habits that are linked to attacks.  

Consider making an appointment with a healthcare provider if:

• Your headache is severe
• Your headache comes with nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound
• Your migraine attacks affect your quality of life, including your ability to work, socialize, or take part in your favorite activities
• You have more than one migraine attack per week
• You are treating head pain or other symptoms with OTC medications more than twice per week

Treating migraine often involves a combination of medications and home remedies, such as cold compresses, caffeine, rest, and certain supplements. You can also help prevent migraine attacks by drinking enough water, getting enough sleep, avoiding personal triggers, and managing stress.

If migraines keep you from working, socializing, or enjoying life, it’s important to schedule an appointment with a healthcare provider.