SEEDS for Successful Migraine Treatment

To decrease your frequent headaches life changes are just as important as medication:

• Sleep: Maintain a regular sleep pattern. Too much or too little sleep can cause headaches. A regular 8 hours daily is a good goal. Sleeping in on the weekend to “catch up” from a week of sleep deprivation causes weekend headaches for many.
• Eating: Avoid foods you’ve identified as triggers, and eat regularly. Remember that hunger is a common trigger so skipping meals can be just as bad as eating the wrong thing.
• Exercise: Thirty minutes of exercise at least three times a week will decrease headache frequency. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural painkillers.
• Drink: This is not only about avoiding alcoholic drinks and caffeine that promote headache, but also about staying hydrated. Dehydration is a common headache trigger. Drinking at least five or six 8-oz glasses of water per day to stay hydrated is healthy and can decrease headache.
• Stress reduction: Too busy? Do something for yourself every day. Make some sanctuary time for yourself to relax and de-stress. Yoga, a walk, meditation and stretching can work. You will come to look forward to it and suffer fewer headaches.

The acronym SEEDS was created by Lawrence Newman MD, Professor of Neurology at NYU Langone Medical Center, New York.