Migraine puts life on pause — and it hurts. All you can think about is getting relief and getting back to your day. This article covers home remedies that may ease migraine pain, long-term strategies that may help prevent attacks, and other treatment options to discuss with your doctor.

If migraine is affecting your daily life, talk with a healthcare professional. There are many different types of treatment options that can help prevent migraine attacks and treat them in the moment. In the meantime, here are some home remedies and other tips that may help.

What To Do When a Migraine Attacks

Don’t try to power through a migraine attack. Physical activity, bright lights, loud noises, and strong odors can worsen migraine headaches. If you can, safely stop what you’re doing and get what you need, such as water, a warm or cold compress, and medication. Then rest in a dark, quiet room.

1. Drink Water

Dehydration can trigger a migraine for some people. Drinking water may help, especially if you haven’t had much to drink. Staying hydrated may help some people have fewer or less intense migraines, but it doesn’t work the same way for everyone.

2. Take Medication

If you have over-the-counter or prescription migraine medication, take it as soon as possible to help shorten the migraine. However, people at risk of medication overuse headaches, also called rebound headaches, may be advised to try other remedies first.

3. Try a Little Caffeine

A small amount of caffeine helps some people feel better during a migraine. But too much caffeine, or suddenly cutting back, can trigger a migraine attack in some people.

Consider sipping on green tea or eating dark chocolate to get a slight caffeine boost during a migraine. Certain over-the-counter medications also include caffeine, so take care to track your total consumption if you’re sensitive to it.

4. Apply a Cold or Warm Compress

Placing a warm or cold compress (whichever feels best) on your forehead or on the back of your neck may help relieve migraine pain. To make a quick compress, run a washcloth under cold or warm water, wring it out, and apply it where needed. Repeat when the washcloth returns to room temperature.

Some MyMigraineTeam members prefer to use ice packs or freezable migraine masks:

• “Putting an ice pack on whatever side of my head the migraine is on is somewhat soothing and lasts longer than a cold cloth!”
• “I keep several ice packs in the freezer as well and put them on my neck and whatever side my head is hurting on when I lay down. I rotate them until I get relief.”
• “I recently bought a mask that you put in the freezer. It works fabulously and covers the whole face.”

Others prefer to use heat:

• “Cold doesn’t work for me. I use a heating pad on my neck and shoulders.”
• “Hot showers tend to dull my migraine and sometimes take it away.”
• “I understand that with extreme tension in the neck and shoulders, heat is necessary.”

5. Rest in a Dark, Quiet Room

Up to 90 percent of people with migraine report light sensitivity, and up to 80 percent report sound sensitivity. Ease your pain by eliminating or reducing your exposure to bright lights and noise during a migraine attack.

Ideally, you can rest in a dark, quiet room. If you’re unable to make the room dark enough, consider covering your eyes with a sleeping mask, pillowcase, or compress. Wear earplugs to soften uncontrollable sounds inside or outside your home.

6. Massage Your Head and Temples

Some people find that gently massaging the scalp or temples can soothe migraine pain. Try gently massaging painful areas to see what feels best. Stop if your pain increases.

Pressing certain acupressure points on the face, hands, and neck may also help relieve headache pain. Try gently rubbing the spot between your eyebrows and the webbing between your thumb and index finger. Consult an acupressure diagram to locate other helpful points.

Take slow, deep breaths and try to relax. Migraine attacks usually last four to 72 hours.

Safety Tips for Over-the-Counter Medications

Common over-the-counter migraine medications include:

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen
• Acetaminophen
• Combination products with caffeine

Although these medications don’t require a prescription, they can cause severe side effects when taken improperly. These safety tips can help you treat migraine attacks at home without harming your overall health:

• Follow the dosing instructions carefully.
• Don’t take medications with overlapping ingredients.
• Don’t combine NSAIDs.
• Take over-the-counter medications no more than two to three days per week to reduce the risk of a rebound headache.

Complementary Approaches To Consider

Some people successfully prevent or treat migraine attacks with complementary medicine. Popular options include:

• Acupuncture — Slender needles are inserted into specific points around the body to help relieve pain.
• Massage — This alternative therapy can promote muscle relaxation, especially in the neck and shoulders.
• CBD, THC, or cannabis — Some people say cannabis helps their migraine symptoms, but research is still limited and results are mixed. Laws differ by state for these products, and they can also cause side effects and may interact with medicines.
• Essential oils — A 2023 study found no evidence that essential oils worked better than a placebo, but some MyMigraineTeam members have reported success with lavender oil, peppermint oil, and others.
• Vitamins and herbal supplements — Magnesium, vitamin B2 (riboflavin), coenzyme Q10, and melatonin (at night) may help some people have fewer migraines. Supplements can interact with medicines, so check with a healthcare professional first.

MyMigraineTeam members share their experiences with alternative migraine remedies:

• “I find that magnesium helps.”
• “I’ve also had success in mitigating the pain with a combo of peppermint and wild orange essential oils, sometimes with lemon as well.”
• “I am on CBD oil. This is the first time in years I went without a migraine for a month.”
• “The one that would give me at least one to two days of relief would be the weekly 90-minute massage.”

• “Acupuncture seems to have reduced the frequency of my migraine attacks.”

Talk to a healthcare provider before starting alternative therapies. They can make sure you’re taking a safe dose and avoiding any drug interactions.

Long-Term Lifestyle Changes May Help

Changing some of your daily habits may reduce the frequency of migraine attacks. Try to do the following:

• Go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Avoid long naps, late caffeine, and bright screens in bed.
• Eat small, regular meals on a schedule (every two to four hours). Avoid prolonged fasting and keep your blood sugar stable.
• Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Avoid processed foods.
• Stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day.
• Avoid suddenly decreasing your caffeine intake.
• Exercise regularly (30 to 60 minutes, three to five days per week), but avoid strenuous activity that triggers migraine attacks.
• Maintain a healthy body weight.
• Manage stress in healthy ways, such as breath work, positive affirmations, and breaks.
• Limit nicotine and alcohol, especially red wine.

Consider keeping a migraine diary to find your triggers. Keeping track of triggers can help you spot patterns and make changes to lower your risk of a migraine attack.

Write down everything you eat and when you eat it, plus your water intake, stress levels, sleep quality, activity level, and menstrual cycle (if applicable). Logging weather conditions may reveal a pattern as well.

Record details of each migraine attack in the journal, such as the symptoms you experienced, how long the attack lasted, and what brought relief. After you’ve recorded several migraine attacks, start looking for a pattern. For example, some people experience a migraine attack after drinking alcohol or eating aged cheese.

When to Talk to a Doctor

Sometimes severe head pain isn’t a migraine at all. Seek emergency care if you experience any of the following:

• A migraine attack that lasts more than 72 hours
• Sudden head pain that feels like the worst headache of your life
• A headache plus a high fever, stiff neck, numbness or weakness on one side of the body, confusion, vision changes, fainting, or trouble speaking or walking

Tell your doctor if your migraine attacks happen more often, feel more severe, are becoming more difficult to treat, or are disrupting your life.

Join the Conversation

On MyMigraineTeam, people share their experience with migraine, get advice, and find support from others who understand.

What helps you during a migraine attack? Let others know in the comments below.