As a child, I’d watch my mother get migraine assaults a couple of instances a month. She’d come residence from work, muttering, “It’s beginning behind my eyes,” take two Excedrin, then retreat to her room for darkness and quiet. It was a routine I knew effectively, which made it all of the extra upsetting once I began getting migraine assaults myself.
By the years, my mother and I’ve developed a laugh-so-you-don’t-cry bond over our raging complications and stanning of Excedrin Migraine. Although we now not stay in the identical home, we’ll ship one another texts when the behind-the-eye ache begins, providing loving solutions like, “You must in all probability get off your cellphone.” Whereas we’ve every discovered some ad-hoc strategies that work for us, I’ve began to marvel what precise medical professionals suggest for migraine reduction. For myself and my mama, I got down to make a type of “Migraine Survival Equipment” to achieve for when the ache begins.
What Is Migraine?
A few minute into my first interview, I noticed I’ve been utterly incorrect about migraine — and subsequently, migraine reduction. Like lots of people, I assumed “migraine” was an acute problem that occurred to sure individuals periodically. I’d discover myself saying stuff like, “May you cease training your tuba, I’ve a migraine.”
Nevertheless, Narayan Kissoon, a neurologist on the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, defined that quite than a singular “unhealthy” headache, migraine is a “genetic mind illness” or sensory processing dysfunction that’s occurring on a regular basis. It’s a relentless, heightened response to regular sensory enter that may periodically erupt into painful complications, which neurologists name “migraine assaults.”
“An individual doesn’t have ‘a migraine’ and it goes away,” Kissoon informed HuffPost. “They at all times have migraine, however can have assaults of migraine headache. The genetic elements that predispose to getting the migraine headache are at all times current.”
The American Migraine Foundation states that “migraine” (no “a”) is a common time period for the illness, whereas “a migraine assault” (with an “a”) is the time period for the unhealthy headache you’re having. This will likely seem to be a tedious grammar lesson, however understanding the proper phrases helps with schooling, lessens stigma and encourages individuals to take migraine extra critically.
For Teshamae Monteith, a neurologist and headache specialist based mostly in Miami, understanding that migraine is a continuing, ever-present sensory dysfunction is step one in getting the precise remedy. There are remedies to alleviate the ache of acute assaults, however Monteith stated managing migraine can also be about understanding the illness and preemptive care.
“The very first thing is ensuring that you simply actually have a prognosis of migraine,” she stated. “It’s exhausting to deal with when you don’t have the precise prognosis.”
Solely 50% of people that have migraine have been formally identified, Monteith stated. Moreover, there are circumstances of secondary complications that mimic migraine signs. So to get clear in your prognosis — and additional, your remedy plan — discuss to your major care physician or a specialist about your actual wants.
