Not eating - migraines favor moderation and regularity, so skipping meals and later overeating because you are ravenous can trigger a migraine attack.  Time to examine what the French call "le juste milieu" - "the happy medium." How can you adapt as painlessly as possible?  Most of us don't drink enough...

Hormones - the roller coaster of the menstrual cycle is a significant trigger for too many female migraine sufferers. And I'm not sure whether an alpha male's higher testosterone levels fall under the category of "hormonal effect on" or "emotional" trigger for migraine headaches. (Update since the last sentence was...

Migraines can't seem to make up their minds, which extreme of anything is a trigger. An attack can develop when you are either emotionally stressed to the max or having a perfectly serene day where it would seem that nothing can go wrong. Either way: Wham! Suddenly, there's another...

Suffering from so many migraine triggers, I joked that for me, life itself was a migraine trigger. That is, until I discovered and adopted all kinds of pain-busting lifestyle changes.  Here is a list of some of the more common triggers. Each trigger will be explored further in its own...

Tai chi is a Chinese martial art that uses slow and deliberate movements to promote physical and mental health. It is now practiced worldwide.  Thanks to a range of slow to quickly-executed routines and its meditative component, it develops and improves range of motion, strength, posture, flexibility, conditioning, and breathing.  Suitable...

I never went to medical school. What I am is a very lucky migraine patient who was properly diagnosed by a licensed, competent medical doctor. I sometimes quip that once you know what ailment you are dealing with, there is a long list of medical "How To…" procedures to pick...

What you eat and drink can be mood-altering. One easy way to demonstrate the connection is to remember what happens to normally lively children with steady emotions after the various holiday periods and Hallowe'en: the sudden intake of more sugary treats causes them to become noticeably more excitable. It...

You're in excruciating pain; all you want is relief as quickly and as effortlessly as possible. Here comes the cavalry over the hill - the pharmaceutical industry with its magical miniature solutions. Let's agree that pharmaceutical firms' primary goal is to cure humankind's diseases. For that, they have a right...

The migraine condition will take over your timetable. It's nearly impossible to keep a regular schedule because the pain from a migraine can be so debilitating that you barely have enough strength to take to your bed for an attack that lasts a few hours, a day, or a...

This column is dedicated to Gil, a middle-aged former municipal bus driver, who wants me to urge you to get a medical checkup on a regular basis. He did not undergo regular checkups and literally woke up one morning blind. His retinas had detached, and corrective surgery was unsuccessful.  In...