Of all the “nots” I’ve covered in the years I’ve written this column, I find it hard to believe I never wrote about migraines. Mine began when I was in my late teens, but it wasn’t until I was an adult that I was able to identify the symptoms of upcoming migraines or the triggers that gave me that excruciating pain.
Sure, “migraine” has become a catch word that people don’t really mean (aka “This situation is giving me a migraine"). However, actual migraines make people unable to function, as light and sounds make those of us who get these severe headaches nauseated. In fact, it is as if every shard of light and every sound is amplified 1,000 times – like Sookie Stackhouse hearing the thoughts of every person in the room.
I get migraines with auras, ones that WebMD said “account for less than 20% of all migraines”. However, I feel that the auras are a mixed blessing. The site defines auras as “Migraines with… additional symptoms, which often begin about 30 minutes or less before the headache. These… may last for 5 to 20 minutes, or it may continue even after the headache subsides [and]…include: blind spots or scotomas, blindness in half of your visual field in one or both eyes (hemianopsia), seeing zigzag patterns (fortification), seeing flashing lights (scintilla), feeling prickling skin (paresthesia), and weakness”.
In laymen’s terms (Sorry, I studied English, not medicine), I’ve experienced spots in my peripheral vision as if I did a cartwheel too fast. I’ve also lost part of my visual field, where I might see wavy lines or a white spot – as if a piece of dust or cotton was in my eye. As long as I take my medication in this stage of the migraine, I can ward off the pain. However, some things I ingest causes my body to skip this stage, leading to headaches, pain, nausea and even vomiting. The only cure, usually, is to sleep it off. Many people also experience weakness and fatigue after, which is often compared to a hangover.
However, if you have migraines, you can prevent these headaches from taking time out of your life.
1. Keep a migraine journal – When you get a headache, spend time writing down everything you had to eat or drink in the last 24 hours, especially things you don’t normally ingest. That’s how I found out Mountain Dew products were a trigger for me. Migraines can also be triggered by stress, tension in the neck, back or head; and allergies.
2. Be aware of trends among those who get migraines and sugar-free foods -- One of the things I realized triggered my headaches was Splenda. I have been on a kick where I drink sugar-free drinks (Red Bull versus Sugar-Free Red Bull, for example has a 100 calorie difference!). However, a lot of those sugar-free drinks contain a chemical called sucralose, which has been rumored to trigger migraines (even in those who never had them before). More information about sucralose can be found at http://www.truthaboutsplenda.com/.
3. Do research – My doctor recommended The Women’s Migraine Survival Guide. I’ve lent it to a lot of co-workers and it taught me so much (having a doctor that gets migraines and can understand helps, too). There are also plenty of online listservs you can chat in and informative sites such as WedMD, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, The National Migraine Association and Mayo Clinic.
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