Migraines are not 'just headaches' but a lot more
| Apr 2, 2019, 11:11 IST
“It’s difficult to understand what a migraine is truly like without having one,” says an assistant professor of neurology in the headache division of the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Kevin Weber.
If you think migraines are just little headaches, then you'll never realize the terrible pain that people who suffer from migraine go through. For people who don't suffer from it think that it's not that great a deal and often misunderstand it. A migraine is a more severe and longer form of headache. It can last from 4 hours to 72 hours and also can give a person nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.
18% women and 6% men experience migraine, and above 90% of these sufferers can't function normally when they get one, says the Migraine Research Foundation.
Women who are in their childbearing years are more prone to migraines and for men, it can last from late childhood to their 50s. Migraines can be a cause of both environmental and genetic factors. They're also often related to lifestyle related triggers.
Said Weber, “Many patients have different triggers. The most common ones I hear are weather changes/barometric pressure change, dehydration, lack of food, lack of sleep, stress, smells (perfumes, car fumes, etc.), foods (red wine, MSG, processed foods, aged cheeses, caffeine or lack of caffeine), sounds and lights.”
An author shares how her migraines are and what she and her husband do when she gets these attacks. She says, "After dealing with frequent migraines for a few years now, I’ve changed my daily habits and behavior. If I’m leaving somewhere early or canceling plans, it’s probably because I have a migraine. If I’m turning down a drink, it’s because I don’t want to trigger the debilitating pain. I’m always carrying around a water bottle and snacks in my purse. I sleep a LOT (usually 9-10 hours a night). I don’t wear perfume or use air fresheners in the house. If I seem particularly tired or out of it, it’s likely because my brain is foggy from a migraine or the medicine used to treat it. I don’t cry often, but when I do, it’s usually because I’m having a painful migraine."
She continued to say, "My husband has seen me suffer through enough migraines that he can tell when I’m starting to get one. He’ll heat up an eye mask for me, turn off the lights, give me a head massage, and do whatever he can to help because he knows how paralyzing they can be. It’s these little things and the understanding from loved ones that has helped me get through them."
If you think migraines are just little headaches, then you'll never realize the terrible pain that people who suffer from migraine go through. For people who don't suffer from it think that it's not that great a deal and often misunderstand it. A migraine is a more severe and longer form of headache. It can last from 4 hours to 72 hours and also can give a person nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound.
18% women and 6% men experience migraine, and above 90% of these sufferers can't function normally when they get one, says the Migraine Research Foundation.
Women who are in their childbearing years are more prone to migraines and for men, it can last from late childhood to their 50s. Migraines can be a cause of both environmental and genetic factors. They're also often related to lifestyle related triggers.
Said Weber, “Many patients have different triggers. The most common ones I hear are weather changes/barometric pressure change, dehydration, lack of food, lack of sleep, stress, smells (perfumes, car fumes, etc.), foods (red wine, MSG, processed foods, aged cheeses, caffeine or lack of caffeine), sounds and lights.”
An author shares how her migraines are and what she and her husband do when she gets these attacks. She says, "After dealing with frequent migraines for a few years now, I’ve changed my daily habits and behavior. If I’m leaving somewhere early or canceling plans, it’s probably because I have a migraine. If I’m turning down a drink, it’s because I don’t want to trigger the debilitating pain. I’m always carrying around a water bottle and snacks in my purse. I sleep a LOT (usually 9-10 hours a night). I don’t wear perfume or use air fresheners in the house. If I seem particularly tired or out of it, it’s likely because my brain is foggy from a migraine or the medicine used to treat it. I don’t cry often, but when I do, it’s usually because I’m having a painful migraine."
She continued to say, "My husband has seen me suffer through enough migraines that he can tell when I’m starting to get one. He’ll heat up an eye mask for me, turn off the lights, give me a head massage, and do whatever he can to help because he knows how paralyzing they can be. It’s these little things and the understanding from loved ones that has helped me get through them."