Reviewed by medical experts • For informational purposes only
Regular sleep and meals, water, stress care, trigger diary, limited painkillers.
Not every headache can be prevented, but many can be made less frequent with steady habits.
Daily habits
Know your triggers
Keep a headache diary for a few weeks. Note sleep, meals, stress, weather, periods and foods. Avoid triggers that repeatedly appear, without cutting out everything.
Limit painkillers
Use painkillers on no more than 2 or 3 days a week to avoid medication-overuse headache.
Medical prevention
If you have more than 4 migraine days a month, or attacks that disrupt your life, ask a doctor about preventive medicine. Treating high blood pressure, sinus problems and sleep apnoea can also help.
Ayurvedic view
Ayurveda recommends a regular daily routine (dinacharya), good sleep and moderate diet. These are sensible, though their effect on headache is not proven.
Key point
A steady routine is the most reliable prevention.
Before your appointment
Keep a headache diary for a few weeks, noting when headaches start, how long they last, their location and type of pain, and possible triggers such as sleep, meals, stress, periods and screen time. List all medicines, supplements and painkillers you take and how many days a month you use them. Mention head injuries, family history, and any red flag symptoms.
Written By
Dr. Daksh
BDS
Reviewed By
Dr. Varun Gupta
MD Pharmacology, MBBS
Last updated on
27 Sep 2022 • 06:23 PM (IST)
Read Our Editorial Policy
Want to know more?
Have issue with the content?
Report Problem
Explore more articles about this topic
Gentle yoga, stretching and breathing between attacks, what to avoid.
Tension, migraine, cluster, medication-overuse and secondary headaches explained.
Symptoms by headache type, plus red flags such as sudden severe pain.
Paracetamol, NSAIDs, migraine drugs, overuse risk and safety, no child aspirin.
Rest, water, compresses, posture and habits, and when to get help.
Regular meals, water, possible food triggers and supplement cautions.
