Headaches are often classified as a sharp pain in your head, but at times you can experience major pain that actually prohibits you from doing your typical daily activities. About one in ten Americans will experience a migraine at some point. Migraines can last for hours or days, depending on the person. Everyone who gets them experiences something different. While some people may experience them only once in their lifetime, others may deal with them on a normal basis. Doctors have worked hard to diagnose the causes of migraines. Ultimately, they have come up with food, stress, and hormones as being the likely culprits of the pain. If you do experience a migraine, here are some steps you can take to help end the pain. 

Stopping it Before it Starts

One of the best ways to get rid of a migraine is to prevent it before it ever really sets in. Watching for clues that a migraine is lurking can be the best way to combat it. You want to check for signs that signify a migraine is coming. One of those signs is an aura. About 20% of those who have migraines will experience an aura before the migraine is full on. An aura usually occurs when you start to see spots, wavy lines, or your vision becomes blurry. If this starts to happen, you want to be sure you take some medicine or follow the next steps of getting rid of the migraine naturally. 

Avoid Migraine Triggers

Even though food and stress is a common cause of migraines, there are other things that could increase the chance of a migraine occurring. Lifestyle changes can often cause stress on you. When you have added stress, you may then begin to experience some headaches and even migraines. Flashing lights are also known to cause migraines. If flashing lights tend to cause migraines, then you may want to think about wearing polarizing glasses when outside and using daylight fluorescent bulbs indoors. 

Preventing Migraines

One of the most effective ways of preventing the onset of migraines is through behavioral changes. People who underwent cognitive behavioral therapy to help with migraines saw a reduction of about 55% in the frequency of their headaches. This teaches you how to relax and perform meditation and other activities to put you in a more relaxed state. 

Diagnosing the Problem

Occasionally, a migraine will signify a much larger issue going on in the body. Major health problems that could trigger migraines include an aneurysm, sinus blockage, an abscess, and even a brain tumor. After talking to your doctor about constant headaches and migraines, they may recommend doing a CT scan to ensure one of these major health issues is not going on. With a CT scan, you will have fluid inputted into your body. X-rays are taking to see if there are any blockages or other issues with the fluid moving through the veins. This helps the doctor to diagnose or rule out a major health issue.