What are your migraine balloons?

When it comes to managing migraines, it can be tempting to focus on avoiding just one trigger. We also have a tendency to pin all our hopes on that one thing which will keep us migraine free – such as a new medication or one single diet.

The reality is that reducing migraines is about finding the balance between avoiding a whole heap of triggers, while working on incorporating as many strategies as we can to manage migraines. And, the triggers and treatments are unique to each migraine sufferer.

In Dr Josh Turknett’s book, The Migraine Miracle, the analogy of balloons and weights are used to describe the balance we need to aim for to reduce migraines.

Imagine that you are in a basket, to which you can attach balloons to lift up into the air. When in the air, you have a “safe zone” to float about in – but if you elevate too high past your safe threshold, then you will come into migraine territory.

The balloons are your triggers. Some are big balloons, and some are smaller. You can attach a certain number of balloons and still stay in the safe zone. But add one balloon too many, and you will fly up past the threshold and – bam! You have a migraine.

You also have weights to attach to your basket to keep you within the safe zone. Yep – you guessed it - the weights are the strategies you use to manage your migraine – such as diet, medications, supplements and lifestyle.

For example, here are my balloons:
• Change in weather
• Stress
• Irregular sleep
• Irregular blood sugar levels
• Stress
• Hormones
• Glare
• Caffeine and alcohol
• Heavy exercise
• Exposure to chemicals including scents
• Dehydration

I can experience a few of these things, and still be OK. But add in one too many, and sure enough, I’ll develop a migraine about 4pm that day.

The weights I use to help keep me safe are:
• Supplements or medication
• Herbal medicine to manage stress, keep liver healthy and balance hormones
• Regular sleep 
• Nutrition and diet
• Avoiding caffeine and alcohol
• Gentle exercise and movement every day
• Stress management techniques
• Using natural products
• Modified lighting
• I’m afraid I can’t change the weather, but managing all the other factors can mean barometric pressure changes don’t affect me as much as they once did.

Over time, the balloons and weights can change. For example changes in hormonal profile, digestive health, work situation and so many other factors can influence how we need to manage migraines.

A good place to start to manage your own migraines is to write down all your balloons and weights. Check in each day whether you are still in the safe threshold and whether you might need to check you have enough weights to keep you in the safe zone.

And if you would like some support to help you work out the cause/s of your migraines, or come up with treatment strategies, why not book in for an online consultation and we can figure it out together.