Protecting Migraine Patients: Support and Coping Tips for Family Members

Migraine is a common and complex neurological disease, which is comorbid with anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, etc. Studies have also found that it may increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, causing great pain and life troubles to patients. As a family member of a patient, it is crucial to understand the relevant knowledge of migraine and master the correct coping methods to help patients relieve symptoms and improve their quality of life.

Xie Chun, deputy leader of the Headache Group of the Neurology Committee of the Hunan Medical Association, member of the International Headache Society, and chief physician of the Department of Neurology of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, pointed out that pain relief requires pain treatment and migraine requires scientific management. He also provided suggestions to patients' families and to help prevent migraine attacks based on the latest migraine diagnosis and treatment guidelines and consensus:

1. In daily life, family members can help patients prevent migraine attacks in the following ways:

Lifestyle supervision and assistance: Ensure that the patient has a regular work and rest schedule and gets enough and high-quality sleep. The patient should be urged to go to bed and get up on time every day, avoid staying up late and overwork, and create a quiet, comfortable, dark and temperature-appropriate sleeping environment for the patient, which will help improve sleep quality.

Arrange a reasonable diet to reduce or avoid eating foods that may induce migraines, such as chocolate, red wine, cheese, foods containing tyramine (such as mature cheese, pickled products, smoked products, fermented foods, etc.), caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, etc.), MSG, saccharin, foods containing nitrites and nitrates (such as pickled products, smoked products, pickles, colorants, preservatives, etc.) and citrus fruits.

Patients are encouraged to increase their intake of foods rich in B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and potassium, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, nuts, green leafy vegetables, fruits, etc. At the same time, patients are reminded to ensure adequate water intake to maintain the body's water balance. Patients are encouraged to exercise moderately. Aerobic exercise such as jogging, swimming, and cycling are very helpful in enhancing cardiopulmonary function and promoting blood circulation. Family members can exercise with patients at least 3 times a week, each time for more than 30 minutes, but care should be taken to avoid excessive exercise, especially during the onset of migraine, and the intensity of exercise should be adjusted according to the patient's physical condition.

Stress management and emotional support: Pay attention to the patient's emotional changes, because stress is one of the important triggers of migraine. When patients face pressure in work, study or life, family members should give timely care and support, patiently listen to the patient's troubles and concerns, help them analyze the problem and find solutions.

Encourage patients to learn to relieve stress through some effective ways, such as meditation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation training, etc. Family members can learn these relaxation techniques with patients and arrange a certain time every day to practice, so as to help patients reduce the tension of sympathetic nerves and maintain emotional stability and optimism.

2. When a patient has a migraine attack, the family's response measures are also very important:

Emergency treatment during the attack period: quickly create a quiet, dark and comfortable resting environment for the patient, and minimize external interference, such as turning off lights, televisions, computers and other equipment, and drawing curtains to avoid noise and strong light stimulating the patient. Help the patient to rest in a comfortable position, usually by letting the patient lie flat with the head slightly raised, or adjust the position according to the patient's habits to relieve headache symptoms.

Use a cold towel or ice pack to apply to the patient's forehead, temple or neck for 15 to 20 minutes each time. Repeat the cold compress after a proper interval. Cold compress can constrict blood vessels and relieve headaches to a certain extent. However, be careful to avoid frostbite on the patient's skin. You can put a thin towel under the cold compress area.

Medication management and assistance: Be familiar with the patient's commonly used medications and how to use them, and prepare and provide medications to the patient accurately according to the doctor's instructions when an attack occurs. At the same time, closely observe the patient's reaction after taking the medication, such as whether the symptoms are relieved, whether adverse drug reactions occur, etc. If the patient's symptoms do not improve or new discomfort symptoms occur, the doctor should be contacted in time to adjust the treatment plan.

3. Family members should also pay attention to the patient's long-term treatment and health management:

Treatment compliance supervision: remind patients to return for follow-up visits on time and ensure that patients follow the treatment plan formulated by the doctor, including taking medication, receiving physical therapy or other treatment methods on time. Family members can help patients set medication reminders, record symptom changes and drug reactions during treatment, and provide accurate information for doctors' follow-up treatment.

Psychological support and encouragement: Repeated attacks of migraine may cause patients to experience anxiety, depression and other negative emotions. Family members should give patients full understanding and encouragement, so that patients can feel the love and support of their family. Encourage patients to actively participate in social activities, maintain a normal pace of life and work, and avoid inferiority or isolation due to the disease.

As a family member of a migraine patient, your love, support and correct coping measures are important forces for patients to overcome the disease. By understanding the relevant knowledge of migraine and actively participating in the prevention and treatment process of patients, you can help patients better manage the disease, improve their quality of life, and jointly cope with the challenges brought by migraine. If migraine attacks are frequent or seriously affect your life, you should still seek medical attention in time.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Peng Yi, Department of Neurology, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital

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(Edited by Wx)