Migraines are from the devil, or are they?
The pain was excruciating. I had been in bed for two days and regular painkillers and tons of water hadn’t helped. I eventually called a friend who advised that I go to the hospital and sent a cab to come pick me up. By now the pain was so bad that when I got to the emergency room I was in tears, barely able to tell the nurses the cause of my pain and they quickly got me in a bed and set me up with an IV full of morphine and soothed me till I fell asleep. This excruciating pain is why about once a month, if you follow me on social media, you would see a post exclaiming “migraines are from the devil.” But they really are not.
First off, you should know that there are very many types of migraines and headaches. Migraines are actually a type of headache and are the second most common type of primary headaches usually involving other symptoms alongside severe recurring headaches, sometimes lasting for days and impacting quality of life. Typically, a migraine would start throbbing on one side of the head, however it can affect the entire head — I call it banging 808s (i.e., it feels like someone is banging drums in/on your head quite literally).
Symptoms of a migraine often occur in stages — before, during and after the headaches.
Before — Known as prodrome these are signs of an oncoming migraine episode. Symptoms include: — Constipation or diarrhea; irritability and depression; muscle fatigue and neck stiffness; food cravings; frequent yawning and trouble sleeping, increased thirst and urination and poor concentration.
In-between — I call having a Migraine ‘Aura’ the in-between stage as this can occur before or during a migraine episode. This typically involves visual disturbances but could include problems with speech, and movements. Symptoms include — difficulty speaking clearly; seeing shapes or lights; dizziness; fainting; loss of balance; vertigo; or ringing ears.
During — Known as a migraine attack these symptoms usually last from four to 72 hours. Symptoms include — pain that throbs or pulses on one or both sides of the head; sensitivity to light, sound, smell or touch; nausea and vomiting.
After — Known as postdrome or “the hangover” these signs can last for a day or two. Symptoms include — exhaustion, stomach issues and mood changes.
Migraines are certainly more than just a regular headache and the causes are not exactly known beyond genetic factors. Imbalances in brain chemical levels that play a role in the pain of migraine are suspected. There are some known factors that make us prone to having migraines
- Having a family history i.e., parents or grandparents with migraines
- Age — migraines usually begin during adolescence and are at the worst during your 30s after which they become less severe or frequent. However, children and teens can have migraines — called pediatric migraines.
- Sex — women are three times more likely to develop migraines than are men
- Hormonal changes — in women who have migraines an added factor could also be due to changes in estrogen that occur during menstruation, pregnancy or menopause. They commonly reduce in severity and frequency after menopause.
So, you woke up one day to a migraine from the devil — what could have triggered it this time? There are multiple reasons and these reasons vary among individuals.
- Not enough sleep and too much sleep;
- Too much coffee and not enough coffee (for those who are regular drinkers);
- Change in weather or barometric pressure;
- Salty foods, artificial sweeteners, foods that contain MSG and alcohol;
- Hunger or dehydration;
- Hormonal changes in women and hormonal medications;
- Intense physical exertion or stress;
- Medication overuse;
- and sensory overload from strong smells, loud sounds, bright lights and sun glare.
If you are like me then and have frequent migraines, avoiding any of the above situations — at least as much as is within your control — must be a lifestyle. Keeping a migraine diary I.e. recording what happens before, during, and after a migraine episode can better help you understand your triggers. Because medication overuse including ones meant to help treat migraines can be a problem, staying generally healthy is vitally important.
As for treatment, my go to is Excedrin Migraine, however depending on your level of migraine you might need to see a doctor to get stronger medication. The one key advice I’ve gotten from a doctor and a key difference between a regular headache and a migraine is that you take your medication during the prodrome stage. Waiting for an attack to occur before taking your medication hardly ever works. Failure to treat migraines well at the beginning can lead to more frequent attacks.
Who knew there was this much to know about migraines?
