How to get rid of a migraine attack fast? Use the acronym CHILL to remember 5 tips for instant relief: Cold, Heat, Inhale, Liquids, Lights out.
Picture this: You're away for the day in a hot air balloon with your family. Your kids have been looking forward to this and are thrilled to be on this sky-high adventure. But for you, it has all the components for an impending migraine attack: bright sun, a loud engine, the smell of exhaust, a jerking ride in the wind.
Before long, you begin to feel the telltale head pain. You dig through your backpack — and no migraine medication. What can you do? How can you get rid of a migraine fast before it's in full swing?
5 Tips for Instant Migraine Relief
The next time you feel a migraine attack beginning and your brain is scrambling to think straight, just remember to CHILL — this acronym makes it easy to remember proven ways to get rid of an attack before the full basket of migraine symptoms can take hold:
- Cold
- Heat
- Inhale
- Liquids
- Lights Out
These 5 tips for instant migraine relief give you the best chance for keeping that baby migraine attack from turning into a roaring beast.
Order is not as important as speed — the faster you act to reduce your controllable triggers and symptoms, the better chance you'll have of intercepting a full-blown migraine attack before it starts.
How to Get Rid of a Migraine Fast With the CHILL Method
You aren't at your best when a migraine attack hits. The beginning of an attack brings exhaustion, difficulty thinking, emotional stress, and anxiety, and possibly even migraine aura. It can be tempting to panic and give in to the fear — especially if you don't have your abortive meds in reach.
Panicking will only make it worse — I know from experience. Your breathing becomes more shallow when you're stressed, kicking your nervous system into fight-or-flight mode and depriving your brain of the stability it needs.
The next time you feel one of those migraine attacks beginning to sneak up, don't panic — instead, just remember to CHILL.
C — Cold
Apply cold or ice packs to your head and neck. If you're out at a restaurant when you start feeling the headache pain or migraine symptoms creeping up, any food service worker can get you a plastic bag with ice. Or if you're at the office or out and about, look for a vending machine where a chilled can of soda can work in a pinch.
Apply the cold pack or can to the back of the neck and the forehead. This keeps your blood vessels from inflaming and causing the migraine pain. I've even been given ice packs while at the ER with a migraine attack, and it helped to ease the attack.
A word of caution: Putting ice or any kind of chemical cold pack — homemade or otherwise — directly on the skin can lead to frostbite in minutes. It's a good idea to place a cloth or towel between the ice pack and your skin. Consider an ice hat or cap, which can easily be found online.
H — Heat
Interestingly, other people with migraine find heat beneficial, says Andrew Charles, MD, professor of neurology and director of the UCLA Goldberg Migraine Program. "Which is more helpful may depend on the phase of the attack," he says. "For example, if they're experiencing neck pain, the heat may be beneficial, whereas during the headache phase, oftentimes a patient reports that cool temperature is better."
Heat up your hands and feet to keep the blood flowing. Find the nearest restroom and run your hands under warm water until they are warm again.
"Heat or cold are easy home remedies that can be administered with anything from gel packs to moist towels, or even frozen peas," says Dr. Charles. "Depending on an individual's preference for shape, texture, and location, you can choose different ways of delivering cold/heat."
I — Inhale
Breathe fresh air deeply. Try to get away from any strong odors or smoke and get the coolest, freshest air you can find.
Inhale slowly for eight counts; hold for eight counts; exhale slowly for eight counts. Repeat up to 10 times. This can help your body to naturally relax.
L — Liquids
Drink at least 16 ounces of water, or as much as you can handle. There's a good chance you're dehydrated, which can trigger migraine episodes, and this one is easily controllable. In fact, staying hydrated is one of the hallmark ways to prevent migraine attacks.
If water isn't available, Gatorade or Powerade are good substitutes, but soda, coffee, and tea aren't. Because of the caffeine levels in these drinks, they actually further dehydrate you.
L — Lights Out
If a dark room or shade aren't available, shade or cover your eyes. Again, this protects you from light and visual disturbances, which can add to your activated triggers. Photophobia, or sensitivity to light, is a very common migraine symptom. With photophobia, light actually hurts, and it makes migraine pain worse. Consider treating yourself to a pair of migraine glasses for those times when you can't shut the world out.
He sat down next to me and, with the flight attendant's help, knocked it out with a combination of Cold (bags of beverage ice), Inhalation (slow, relaxing breathing), and Liquids (LOTS of water). My migraine and headache symptoms abated, and I ordained him a miracle worker.
He taught me that it is possible to use nonmedicinal methods in certain circumstances to stop a migraine attack in its tracks. Since then, I've added Heat and Lights out whenever possible to my preferred ways to get rid of a migraine.
Pack a Migraine Emergency Kit
Now I keep a migraine kit that includes two instant cold packs that I can carry on a plane or slip in a day pack, perfect for emergency migraine treatment on the go. They last twice as long as ordinary ice packs, too.
I also keep earplugs, an eye mask, lavender essential oils, my meds, and ginger candies in my kit. Ginger helps calm my stomach and lavender helps calm the rest of me.
One note about the use of caffeine in beverages and chocolate, or Excedrin Migraine: If your migraine attack was triggered by dehydration, then coffee, tea, and soda will make it worse, not better. Further, the use of caffeine in Excedrin Migraine puts you at risk for a rebound cycle.
The American Headache Society recommends using caffeine as an acute migraine treatment no more than two days per week, because it can be an issue if overused. "Some people who consume excessive caffeine, or intermittent caffeine and then don't have it for some period of time, can experience a withdrawal phenomenon that can actually worsen migraine," says Dr. Charles.
It's best to stick with plain water when treating an attack. Or choose a drink that will soothe your stomach, like peppermint tea or sparkling water.
Of course, the best way to manage migraine attacks is to prevent them from happening in the first place. "A good migraine prevention plan includes medication, behavioral therapies, and/or supplements," says Charles.
But even when we do our best, migraine attacks are bound to sneak up on us. And if you're caught without your pills, just remember to CHILL: Cold, Heat, Inhale, Liquid, and Lights out.
Employing these strategies, just like I did on that fortuitous flight so long ago — and have done on many occasions since — might have you feeling better in no time.