Michelle Clapham, a retired nurse, was 11 or 12 when she started suffering migraine attacks, about six months after her period started. “I told my mom and she explained that a lot of women on her side of the family had them,” Clapham said. “When I have a migraine, I feel like my head is in a vice, like someone is squeezing me. It’s thrilling and I sometimes feel nauseous with sensitivity to light. In the worst case scenario, I found myself in the middle of winter in my garage, barefoot on the cold concrete floor. It was better than my headache. Anything to take my mind off things. »
After experiencing one to three migraine attacks a month for decades, Clapham – now 63 – has fewer migraine attacks since suffering
menopause.
Migraine is a disease that causes significant pain and affects your quality of life. It is one of the most common
neurological disorders around the world. About 39 million of people live with migraine in the United States.
Although migraine affects both women and men, you are
three to four times more likely have migraine attacks if you are a woman. Migraine attacks too last longer and have more severe symptoms in women.
Studies show that people who are
lower socioeconomic groups have more migraine attacks. And getting migraine care isn’t always easy if you’re black or Hispanic. In fact, black and Hispanic people are 25% and 50% less likely, respectively, to be diagnosed with migraine than white people.
Migraine triggers
There are many possible triggers for migraine attacks, and it can be difficult to pinpoint the cause. A common trigger for women is changes in their hormone levels, which is why some women find relief once they reach menopause. “It has a lot to do with hormones,” said Rashmi B. Halker Singh, MDneurologist and member of HealthyWomen’s Women’s Health Advisory Council. “About a third of women will suffer from migraines by the time they reach puberty. The commonality is that migraines remain present throughout the reproductive years and this has a lot to do with estrogen fluctuations.
Other common migraine triggers include:
- Stress
- Sparkling light
- Strong odors
- Too little or too much sleep
- Certain foods or drinks
- Weather changes
Taking care of yourself against migraines
Not all migraine attacks are preventable, and there are medications that can help prevent or treat migraines once they occur. Self-care is also crucial when you recognize a trigger. Learning to avoid triggers in the first place is another important step to
personal care for migraine.
Avoid triggers. If your migraine attacks are caused by common triggers like lack of sleep, excessive hunger, or stress, there are steps you can take that may reduce the number of attacks you experience. Perhaps you can keep healthy snacks with you to ensure you always have something to eat if you need it. It may not be easy, but try to sleep on a regular schedule and identify methods to help you manage stress, such as practicing meditation or seeing a mental health professional.
Start early. If you get a will have (a warning that a migraine attack is on the way), try to start taking care of yourself immediately. If you are not warned, start at the first signs of a migraine attack. Depending on what works for you, this might mean going to a dark room and resting, turning off screens, applying hot or cold compresses to your head or neck, taking a hot shower, eating something, or moisturizing.
Eat a healthy diet. Eat one Balanced diet reduces your risk of all kinds of illnesses, and migraine is one of them. Following a healthy diet can also help minimize the number of migraine attacks or their severity when you experience them. It’s also important to avoid known dietary triggers.
Regular exercise. Exercising regularly is always a good idea for your physical, mental and brain health. Exercise can reduce stress, which may help improve migraine attacks. But there is also another reason. There is evidence that aerobic exercise can help reduce the frequency of migraine attacks, their duration and their severity.
Dealing with Migraine at Work
No matter how many migraine attacks you experience, they can impact your professional life. If your migraine doesn’t go away with medication, Halker Singh suggests asking your doctor if a preventative medication might help. There is many kinds preventive medications for migraine, ranging from hypotensive medications and antidepressants to Botox injections to medications specific to migraine. They could reduce the number of migraine attacks you experience and also ease the symptoms of those that persist.
If your migraine attacks are impacting your work, you can talk with your coworkers, your boss, or the company’s human resources department about steps you can take to prevent them or what to do if a migraine attack occurs. crisis arises while you are there. Migraine disease can be part of Americans with Disabilities Act, meaning employers must take reasonable care of their employees with migraines. Accommodations can range from instituting a no-scent policy for employees to providing dark, quiet restrooms, among others.
You don’t have to suffer
Halker Singh is excited about the future of migraine care. “We have made a lot of progress in our understanding of migraine and its causes. treatment options we have available,” she said. “We have so much we can offer now. I think it’s a time of hope. And more progress is to come.
Until then, take care of yourself to minimize the effects if you live with migraine.
This educational resource was created with support from Pfizer.
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