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How to Make a Migraine Headache Diary

Published on: January 24, 2012 4:04 am

If you want to lose weight, then you need to write in a food diary. Likewise, if you want to lose migraine headaches, then you need to keep a migraine headache diary. It’s no joke- Writing in a migraine journal is an effective way of tracking your migraine symptoms, determining your migraine triggers, and finding everlasting migraine relief.

What good is a migraine diary?

A migraine diary is a valuable patient-doctor tool. If you see a headache specialist or neurologist regularly, then you need to keep him updated on your progress with migraine treatments. Instead of committing it all to memory, take a few minutes each day to write down important details like dosage information, headache severity, and foods you ate that day. Include as much information as possible- what might seem like a trivial detail to you could be an important clue to your doctor in determining your migraine triggers and finding you the right migraine remedy.

Migraine journals help you trace your triggers. There are hundreds of migraine triggers in this world, from food ingredients, to hormonal fluctuations, to the weather. Trying to solve the migraine trigger mystery can be overwhelming and time consuming. The best way to make sense of your migraine symptoms is to take a scientific approach, by logging into your migraine diary every day. In a few months, you will have a day-to-day chronicle of your migraines- how often they strike, how long they last, and how many migraine-free days you had. In time, you and your doctor will be able to piece together this information and gain a better understanding of your migraine brain.

Does stress cause migraine headaches?

Don’t confuse the trigger with the gun. It’s important to note that migraine triggers like stress don’t directly cause headaches; rather, they set the stage for a migraine attack to occur. Stress doesn’t cause migraines any more than it causes heart palpitations or alcoholism. The more migraine triggers you have, the more likely you are to have a migraine attack. And the more stress you have in your life, the more likely you are to suffer from hypertension, depression, and anxiety. In order to keep migraine frequency to a minimum, you must identify all your migraine triggers and eliminate them, whenever possible.

What details should I include in my migraine diary?

A complete migraine diary contains a brief history of your migraines and a daily/monthly checklist.

The National Headache Foundation advises noting the following in your migraine history:

Earliest age when you first started having migraines
Frequency of your migraines, including times of day, days per week, and duration
Location of pain
Words you would use to describe your head pain
Correlation with menstrual cycle
Any known triggers, like foods, lights, scents, weather changes, temperature, activities, eating habits, sleep schedule, etc.
Symptoms that precede your migraine headaches
Family history of migraines
Any strange symptoms like migraine aura– visual disturbances, partial blindness, olfactory hallucinations
Variations in headache types

A monthly migraine checklist contains specific information, including:

Actual time your migraine started and ended
Pain intensity
Complete symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, etc.
All medications taken that day, in what amounts
Effectiveness of medication
Mood before headache
Level of disability because of migraine
How much sleep you had the night before
Foods you ate before the migraine
Stressful events that occurred that day
Menstrual period
Any extra comments that might be useful later

Where can I download a migraine diary template?

The internet is loaded with excellent resources for migraineurs. If you have an iPod, iPhone, or iPad, then you have your choice of dozens of migraine diary apps on iTunes. Read this- Manage your Migraines from your iPad or iPhone- Five Useful Tips

If you’re more old school, then download this excellent Migraine and Headache Diary Workbook from Help for Headaches.com.

Please tell us…

Have you been successful in tracking down migraine triggers by using a migraine diary? Were you able to find a better treatment for your migraines because of it? If you know anybody else who suffers from migraines, please share this post!

Magnesium- for Migraines and Beyond

Published on: January 23, 2012 4:27 am

Magnesium is a popular natural ingredient for migraines and pain, and is also good for your heart, muscles, nerves, immune system, and for boosting stamina.

How much magnesium do you need?

A healthy adult requires anywhere between 310 and 420 milligrams of magnesium per day, according to the RDA. However, certain people require more magnesium in their diet than the general population. Certain health conditions and medicines may interfere with magnesium absorption or cause magnesium depletion. These include:

People who suffer gastrointestinal problems, as in Crohn’s disease, Celiac disease, or fibromyalgia
Anybody who suffers chronic diarrhea or vomiting, as in migraine disorder
Diuretics
Antibiotics
Anti-neoplastic medication
Hyperglycemia
People with calcium or potassium deficiencies
Alcoholism
Senior citizens, due to magnesium loss and drug interactions

Migraine Nausea and Vomiting- 10 Natural Home Remedies

What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?

The most common symptoms of low magnesium levels are:

Loss of appetite
Headache
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Muscular weakness
Leg cramps
Muscular contractions
Painful numbness and tingling sensations
Seizures
Coronary spasms
Abnormal heartbeat
Emotional disorders

Left untreated, severe magnesium deficiency can lead to low calcium levels and potassium levels in the blood.

What are the health benefits of magnesium?

Migraine

In a placebo-controlled double-blind randomized study, 81 migraine patients were given either 600mg of oral magnesium supplements or a placebo, every day for 12 weeks. After at least 9 weeks, migraine patients who received the magnesium supplements noticed more dramatic results than those who received the placebo.

Heart health

Conversely, magnesium deficiency may cause abnormal heartbeats that may lead to heart attack. In numerous studies, magnesium supplementation improved cardiovascular endurance.

Hypertension

The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) suggests eating foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products that are high in magnesium and low in sodium, and fat.

Type 2 diabetes

Magnesium influences insulin levels and improves the insulin response in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Osteoporosis

Magnesium encourages calcium absorption and increases bone mineral density, according to many studies.

Up your magnesium intake for pain management

If you suffer from chronic pain symptoms like migraine headaches or fibromyalgia, then health experts recommend you increase your magnesium intake, either through food sources or magnesium supplements.

If you found this article helpful, please share with your friends! Your comments are also welcome.

Sources:

Magnesium

Prophylaxis of Migraine with Oral Magnesium: Results From A Prospective, Multi-Center, Placebo-Controlled and Double-Blind Randomized Study

Top 5 Health Benefits of Magnesium

Magnesium-Rich Foods May Lower Stroke Risk

Images, from top:

yanovineyards, Lori_NY, jeff_w_brooktree

Tags: Natural Migraine Treatments

Suicide Rate in Migraine Patients- Some Surprising Statistics

Published on: January 20, 2012 4:17 am

How far would you go to get rid of a migraine attack– not just a headache, but rather a weeklong gut-turning, head-pounding assault of migraine headaches? In prehistoric times, migraine patients resorted to drastic means like trepanation to relieve migraine symptoms. Today, a startling percentage of migraine patients have either contemplated suicide… or successfully taken their own lives to end the despair caused by chronic pain.

Migraines attack the whole body- not just the head

People who have never experienced a migraine attack mistakenly believe that it’s just like a headache, only stronger. Nothing could be further from the truth! First, daily headaches like tension headaches are caused by stressed, tense muscles. Migraine headaches occur in the brain when your nervous system misinterprets certain migraine triggers as pain messages. Migraine disorder is classified as a neurological disease.

Some of the symptoms of migraines include:

Sharp, severe head pain on one side of that head that lasts for several hours or days
Intense nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and diarrhea
Migraine aura, consisting of strange visual hallucinations, olfactory hallucinations, temporary partial blindness, temporary partial paralysis, speech irregularities, altered sense of spatial awareness and time, loss of consciousness, and inability to communicate with or comprehend other people.
Hypersensitivity to things like bright lights, loud noises, and strong scents

Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder

Suicide risk with migraine disorder

Researchers point to a high correlation of emotional problems in migraine headache sufferers to explain for a higher-than-average suicide rate.

The suicide rate in migraine patients is higher than that in the general population. Out of all migraine sufferers, females who experience migraines with aura (MA) have the highest suicide rate.
People who have the most severe and frequent migraine attacks are more likely to contemplate suicide.
People who get migraines without aura (MwoA) are just as likely to contemplate suicide as those who suffer migraines with aura (MA), but they are less likely to act upon suicide ideation.
There is no significant suicide risk in people who suffer from chronic daily headaches (CDH).

Killer Migraines Might be Fatal after All- Mortality Rates among Migraine Sufferers

Depression is comorbid with migraines

Most chronic migraine sufferers battle with more than the migraine symptoms alone- they also have to contend with major depression and other emotional disorders.

In one study, about 26% of people who suffered from bipolar disorder also experienced frequent migraine attacks.
Migraine with aura patients are more likely to suffer multiple anxiety disorders, recurrent depression, and hypomania, compared with migraineurs who don’t experience aura.
Scientists speculate that various dysfunctions in the brain (like bipolar disorder) produce other brain dysfunctions like depression, seizures, and migraines with aura.

Migraine medications may raise suicide risk

There is some evidence that anticonvulsants meant to treat epilepsy, but also prescribed as a migraine treatment, may contribute to the high suicide rate among migraineurs.

Compared with topiramate (Topamax), the following migraine drugs are associated with high suicidal tendencies:

Gabapentin (Neurontin)- 40% higher than Topamax
Lamotrigine (Lamictal)
Oxcarbazepine (Trileptal)
Tiagabine (Gabitril)

In a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), nearly 300,000 people who suffer from migraines, chronic pain, bipolar disorder, and epilepsy began taking one of 13 anticonvulsants. None of the participants had any history of suicidal behavior.

After approximately 180 days, 26 patients committed suicide, and 801 attempted suicide.

Gabapentin, which is associated with the highest risk of suicide, is also one of the most frequently prescribed anticonvulsants for migraines (48%), followed by Topiramate (19.4%), Lamotrigine (7.5%), and Valproate (6.2%).

Manage your Migraines from your iPad or iPhone- Five Useful Tips

Published on: January 19, 2012 8:42 am

Did you know that you could keep track of Migraines on your iPhone…that you can make our own custom migraine symptoms app for your iPad? It’s true! With very little technical know-how, you can tweak your favorite Apple device to remind you when to take your migraine medications, find the nearest pharmacy in a heartbeat, and stay on top of the latest in chronic pain management.

Tip #1: Make your own app- it’s easy!

Here’s a dilemma- you want to keep up with your favorite migraine blogs from the convenience of your iPhone home screen, but…there’s no app for that! If only you could just paste an icon onto your home screen that would take you straight to the pages that you use most. Well, you can, and it’s simple.

Go to your favorite page.

Click on the arrow at the bottom of the screen.

Now, choose “Add to Home Screen.”

You can change the title for the home page here; just remember to keep it short and easy to identify.

That’s it! Now you have a shiny new custom-designed icon on your home page that you can’t get at the iTunes store. You can use this great trick for any website. Use it for pages that you use often, or just for something that you want quick access to in case of emergency. Pretty nifty, huh?

Tip #2: Set up pill reminders!

The iTunes app store offers lots of daily reminders that are inexpensive. You can track everything from your menstrual period, to your migraine triggers, to your bills. Sure, you could buy a pill reminder for 99-cents, but why bother? Your iPhone already came with an excellent calendar, and it’s just humming to remind you to take your migraine medications, vitamins, or to order a new bottle of herbal supplements! You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to program it, either. Here’s how:

Go to your calendar. Click the “+” sign at the top right corner to add an event. (Question: When did remembering to take your migraine treatment become an event? Answer: When you found the one that gets rid of your migraines!)

Okay. Type in all the important details, like the name of the migraine remedy, repeat sequence (daily), and the specific times you want to get your reminder. Steve Jobs must have foreseen that chronic pain patients would need to use this, because he cleverly programmed two alerts to remind you to take your meds; one initial reminder, and then another one, in case you missed the first warning because you were busy beating your head against the wall…

And here’s your gentle reminder to take your migraine medicine!

Tip #3: Find free migraine apps on iTunes!

iHeadache– The name says it all. This clever app helps you keep track of your migraine triggers with their innovative migraine headache diary.

10 Clues your should Include in your Headache Diary Today

The WebMD iPhone app offers valuable up-to-date medical information in the same practical, easily accessed format as viewed on their website. Check on the latest in migraine research, painkillers, and chronic pain symptoms.

20 iPad Apps for Migraine Sufferers

Tip #4: Google Map your nearest pharmacies!

Google Maps is another excellent iPhone tool for people who don’t have the time…or the opportunity to run to their desktop every time they need to locate their nearest pain clinic, ER, or 24-hour pharmacy.

If Walgreens is your pharmacy of choice, then store their address in your contacts file. Google Maps can access any of your contacts from the search bar- Just click on the little blue book icon.

Tip #5: Follow migraine groups on Twitter!

Finally, you don’t like to be in the dark. 24-7, people are talking about things that importantly impact your life; things like Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder or 34 Migraine-Inducing, Stomach-Turning Toxic Chemicals in Perfume.

You want to join in on the conversation, and be “in the know,” right? The best way to do that is to follow them on Twitter.

Learn more about migraine headaches, migraine awareness, and more:

Why do Migraines cause Nausea and Vomiting?

Killer Migraines Might be Fatal after All- Mortality Rates among Migraine Sufferers

What are the Signs of Migraine Attack? 30 Migraine Symptoms

Tags: Migraine Medication

Migraine Atlas Sheds Light on Chronic Headaches around the World

Published on: January 17, 2012 8:22 am

Millions of people around the world suffer from excruciating chronic headaches; migraines, tension headaches, and cluster headaches cause stabbing head pain, nausea, vomiting, stroke-like symptoms, and extreme hypersensitivity to lights, sounds, and scents. Why then are so many people ignorant to the agony felt by fellow coworkers, friends, teachers, and parents who suffer this devastating illness?

The World Health Organization (WHO) and Lifting the Burden collaborated together to publish the Atlas of Headache Disorders and Resources in the World 2011, in the goal of encouraging migraine awareness and more funding for migraine research.

Here are some interesting topics covered in this publication that reflects data collected from Africa, the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, Europe, South-East Asia regions, and the Western Pacific.

Social Security Disability for Migraine- 5 Tips for Filing

How many people in the world suffer from chronic headaches?

According to the Census Bureau, there are 6.7 billion people in the world today. Based on data collected from countries that participated with the WHO research, approximately 10% of all adults suffer from migraines, adding up to 670 million migraine patients around the world- and that figure does not include adolescents.

“Worldwide, migraine on its own is the cause of 1.3 % of all years of life lost to disability”

What percentage of headache sufferers receives a diagnosis?

About 40% of people who suffer from severe headache disorders ever seek medical diagnosis and treatment.
Among professional consultations for headache treatment, tension headaches and migraine headaches make up the vast majority.
Approximately 50% of headache sufferers self-medicate.

5 Simple Ways to Build a Migraine Support System of Friends

How many hours of training are devoted to headache disorders?

Worldwide, an average of 14 hours of medical training are spent on migraine and other chronic headaches- 4 hours of undergraduate training and 10 hours of specialist training per course. Individual countries that affect the average are the Americas, which offer 25 hours of specialist training, and the Eastern Mediterranean, which devotes a mere 2-hour segment of undergraduate training to migraine research.

“Headache on 15 or more days every month affects 1.7 – 4 % of the world’s adult population, according to these studies.”

What percentage of the population prefers natural migraine treatments?

A surprising number of people all over the world favor alternative and complementary therapy for relieving the symptoms of migraines. Specific pain therapies discussed were acupuncture, physical therapy, and naturopathic medicine, which encourage the use of herbs, vitamins, and homeopathic tinctures for complete health care.

In Southeast Asia, 80% of healthcare providers supported the use of naturopathic treatments for headache disorders, while 60% endorsed the use of acupuncture.
In Europe, 68% lean towards physical therapy as a preferred migraine remedy.
The African countries are among the least likely to experiment with dietary supplements for migraines.

Is Adult ADHD Giving you a Migraine? Maybe…

Published on: January 16, 2012 6:24 am

If you’ve tried every other migraine remedy to relieve crushing migraine headaches with no success, maybe it’s time you tried remedies for ADHD. According to recent findings, an unusually high correlation exists between migraine disorder and adult attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

ADHD- It’s not just for kids anymore

In a new approach towards understanding ADHD, scientists have started including adult ADHD patients in their research, finding that many grown-ups suffer the same sort of social awkwardness and psychiatric problems faced by children with ADHD. Although the rate of attention deficit hyperactivity in adults is much lower than in children- 1-4% versus 2-12%- the consequences are just as devastating.

Symptoms of adult ADHD

Some of the most common symptoms of ADHD in adults are:

Anxiety
Depression
Mood swings
Work problems
Impulsive behavior,
Low attention span
Restlessness

ADHD and migraine headaches

It’s unknown if ADHD and migraines have a causative relationship (where one causes the other), or simply a comorbid (simultaneous) association. Some suspect that anti-ADHD medications contribute to migraine headache symptoms, while others wonder if a deeper explanation is in order.

In a European study on adult ADHD and migraines, scientists made some interesting observations:

They found a significantly higher occurrence of migraine headaches among adult ADHD patients than in the general population.
Despite the fact that migraine illness is a neurological chronic pain disorder, where ADHD is a cognitive and behavioral disorder, the two conditions seem to share a comorbid relationship.
ADHD patients with migraines are more likely to suffer from depression than ADHD patients who don’t get migraine headaches.

Magnesium with migraines and ADHD

In a European study on magnesium and children with ADHD, scientists found that magnesium and vitamin B6 supplements improved cognitive health after only two months of vitamin supplementation. Many researchers today speculate that ADHD may indicate a magnesium deficiency.

Likewise, numerous studies focusing on magnesium and migraine headaches have confirmed impressive results with the introduction of routine magnesium supplements, suggesting a possible correlation with migraine disorder and magnesium deficiency.

Overcoming Social Isolation in Migraine Disorder

Published on: January 12, 2012 9:11 am

Migraine headaches are excruciatingly painful, exhausting, and scary, but almost worse than the head pain and nausea of migraine disorder is the inevitable sense of isolation– the feeling that you are alone, adrift on a raft amidst a sea of tumultuous waves of pain. Social isolation is common in chronic pain illness, but by learning some valuable coping skills, you can beat the odds.

One migraine is a lonely number

If you suffer severe migraine attacks-, consuming headaches that prevent you from doing anything but lying in a dark room for hours until the pain recedes- then you’re likely to spend a lot of time by yourself, possibly hours, perhaps days. For many who get chronic migraines, there is no other option. Unfortunately, for many migraineurs, the isolation lingers long after the pain disappears.

Fear is…well, fearsome

The need to curl up into a cocoon is physical and mental at the same time, and it’s motivated by fear:

Fear of having a migraine attack when you’re unprepared

This is probably the number one reason that many migraine patients choose to stay home between migraine flare-ups. It stems from an underlying fear of losing control, which is a symptom of anxiety. In some cases, fear of having an anxiety attack (or migraine) is worse than the attack itself!

What you can do: If you’re anxious about traveling or going out to eat at a new restaurant, then prepare an emergency “escape plan,” but only use it if you feel strong migraine attack surfacing. Assign a designated driver.

Print out a Google map of nearby pharmacies and emergency clinics.
Store a bag of necessary medical supplies in your purse, laptop bag, or car glove compartment. Include things like a spare pill bottle with migraine medicine, disposable cold/hot packs, and a sleep mask.
Make copies of your medical records, and store them on a flash drive. If you do have a severe migraine that requires attention, then it will be a lot easier to get help from busy ER doctors if you have proof that you’re not just suffering from a common headache.

How to make your own Emergency Migraine Attack Survival Pack

Fear of letting others down- friends, family, coworkers, or caregivers

Chronic illness doesn’t just affect the patient- it permeates over your entire social network. Friends want to help, but don’t know how. Coworkers feel awkward, and some make insensitive remarks. (You’re so lucky you get to stay home!) Your spouse and children, not realizing the severity of your pain, have unrealistic expectations. (Mom, can you take me and my friends to the mall after dinner?)
What you can do: You can have a healthier relationship with your friends and loved ones, but it’s not going to happen on its own. Visiting a family counselor is an excellent way to strengthen communication, providing a safe environment for family members to say what’s on their minds, no holds barred. You get to air your grievances, they get to ask what’s been on their minds, and a nonbiased professional directs your communication towards the common goal of finding some real solutions.

Want a Cure for Migraines? 10 Ways you can help

Fear of changing social or personal roles

You were once voted most likely to succeed, but now you feel like you’re most likely to wind up in a coma from frequent migraine attacks. It’s hard to go from being the caregiver to being the caregiven. Once upon a time, you were the decision maker in your marriage…now the roles have switched, and you’re sometimes astonished (and disappointed) at your loved one’s ability to step in and take charge while you’re in the throes of a migraine. When things change drastically, you sometimes want to pull down the curtains, close your eyes, and pray for things to go back to the way they were- before migraines.

What you can do: Rethink the notion of roles. Who you are is a role that changes invariably, with or without your approval. You are more than your job title, your illness, or your Facebook username. Like the caterpillar that creates a cocoon and emerges as a butterfly, you can look deep inside yourself, do a mental inventory, and come out empowered.

6 Migraine Myth-conceptions

Fear of losing control of anger

Migraine stigma is the pits- try as you might to rise above it all, some people will continue to disappoint you every time. We’ve all been in a situation when we’ve felt that others were judging us unfairly or denying us our basic human rights. Still, that is no reason to pull away from society altogether.

What you can do: Join a community with other migraine patients like yourself! Start by asking around at local hospitals. There might be a support group in your area where you can shoot the breeze with other chronic pain sufferers who know what you’re going through. Remember, it’s not called complaining when the feelings are mutual. If you’re a techie, then scour the internet for blogs, online support groups, migraine awareness groups, and social media sites that cater to migraine disorder. By joining even one small Facebook group, you feel less alone, and less likely to lose your temper the next time somebody makes you feel like an outcast.

Best Twitter Pages to Follow for Migraine Sufferers- Top 40

Did you find this useful? Please feel free to post your comments below!

Sources:

Social isolation: a practical guide for nurses assisting clients with chronic illness- PubMed, NCBI

Fears and Depression In Chronic illness

Tags: Stress and Migraines

Migraine Symptoms throughout the Ages- Not a Whole Lot has changed

Published on: January 11, 2012 3:45 am

If you’ve ever fantasized about drilling a hole in your head to get rid of migraine symptoms, know that you are not alone, and that you are not the first. Since prehistoric times, migraine attacks have caused immense agony, driving sufferers to try shocking, and often dangerous, experiments to end the constant nausea, vomiting, and excruciating migraine headaches.

Don’t try this at home

Archeologists believe that the first migraine treatment might have been trepanation, the drilling of holes into the skull to find relief from migraines (and sometimes life itself). Cave paintings and skull remains from 9,000 years ago suggest that early man believed that boring a hole into your head would cure migraine headaches, in addition to epileptic seizures, and mental disorders. So convinced (and desperate) were migraine sufferers to find relief from debilitating headaches and nausea, that trepanation continued to be the migraine treatment of choice until as recently as 17^th century Europe.

Killer Migraines Might be Fatal after All- Mortality Rates among Migraine Sufferers

Other bizarre (and horrifying) treatments for migraines have included brandishing hot irons to the head, bloodletting, inserting of garlic into an incision made in the temple, and witchcraft.

Ancient Greeks were nauseated by migraines

Hippocrates must have suffered migraines with aura back in 400 BC. He vividly described typical migraine attacks, from the first symptoms of aura- strange hallucinations, nausea, and disorientation, to pulsating head pain, and then the relief from vomiting. Ancient Greek physician Galen of Pergamon coined the term “hemicrania” (half-head) to describe the crippling headaches, which was later translated as “migraine.” Like other contemporary philosophers, he deduced that migraine symptoms like vomiting, queasiness, stomach cramps, and lightheadedness confirmed a connection between the stomach and the brain in migraine illness.

Migraine triggers remain the same

In the Middle Ages, scientists and philosophers identified certain migraine triggers as being the source of migraine attacks. Early physicians recognized extreme light sensitivity, migraine food triggers, and hormonal changes that afflict women during pregnancy, menstruation, and menopause as common migraine triggers. Today, scientists confirm over 100 migraine triggers, including food, hormones, weather, air pressure, and lifestyle habits.

Avoiding Migraine Triggers- Here, There and Everywhere

Migraine stigma today

Famous author and migraine sufferer Joan Didion got it right when she said, “That no one dies of migraine seems, to someone deep into an attack, an ambiguous blessing.”

Migraines strike millions of people today, and experts still disagree on exactly what causes migraines and how to treat them. The most widely held belief today is that migraines are neurological, that inflammatory chemicals in the brain interact with your nerves and blood vessels, triggering a migraine attack. But as any migraineur knows, the ramifications of migraine disorder extend beyond the mere physical pain symptoms. Migraine patients often suffer depression and anxiety, as family members, friends, and employers fail to recognize their symptoms as a disability, and continue to refer to their migraines as “another headache.”

Lights…Camera…Migraine! 10 Curious Facts about Light Sensitivity

Published on: January 9, 2012 10:54 am

Darkness rules the den of a migraine sufferer- no bright lights or glaring television screens here. Shades and curtains are pulled down, bed is unmade, and the sign on the door warns, “Migraineur’s lair- Enter if you dare.” No, light is no friend of mine when a migraine headache strikes. Take me to the Batcave, Robin- it’s going to be a doozy.

Photophobia, or Go away from the light!

It’s not your imagination; lights are a major migraine trigger for millions of other chronic headache sufferers. Besides migraine photophobia, sensitivity to bright lights, other causes of light hypersensitivity are eye damage, drug side effects, excessive contact lens wearing, and meningitis.

Below are 10 interesting facts about light sensitivity and migraines:

#1- Photophobia is neurological. When you get a migraine attack, your pupils allow too much light to enter, overstimulating your retina, which in turn send pain signals to the optic nerve.

Night Terrors, Migraines, and Insomnia- 7 Nightmare Headaches

#2- You can’t escape bright lights. Unless you live in a cave, migraine triggers are everywhere. Fluorescent “curly lights” are the norm in most indoor environments, as are glowing computer screens and plasma flat-screened televisions. Car headlights shine in your eyes even on sunny days.

#3- If light gives you blinding headaches, you’re in good company. Photophobia is so common it affects 85% of all migraine headache patients.

#4- Bright-eyed and blinking: Among the people most likely to suffer from light sensitivity are migraine patients, people with cataracts, and those with light-colored eyes.

Migraine Headache Frequently Asked Questions- the Top Ten List

#5- Photophobia happens even when you don’t realize it. Even when you’re not having a migraine, you are more sensitive to lights and sounds that don’t bother non-headache sufferers. Like a magnet, your eyes and ears absorb every irritating sound and flickering light in the background.

#6- Photophobia is one-sided. Migraines characteristically strike one side of the head. Similarly, light sensitivity causes eye pain on one side of the head- in most cases, the same side as the migraine.

#7- Photophobia affects blind migraineurs, too. Scientists wanted to know if bright lights are a migraine trigger for the blind. They examined twenty blind individuals who suffered from migraines, including six who had no perception of light. When subjected to bright light, the blind migraine patients who could identify light patterns reported exacerbated migraine symptoms, while the six subjects who could not detect light saw no difference in migraine severity.

Headaches can Cause Blindness- 4 Facts about Ocular Migraines

#8- Seeing red? Good. In a famous study, migraine patients who wore red-tinted contact lenses for 5-90 minutes experienced significant headache relief, and some even experienced a complete remission of migraine headache symptoms.

Rainbow Colored Sunglasses that Prevent Migraines

#9- Old age: finally, something to look forward to. Some scientific data suggests that symptoms of migraines like nausea, vomiting, and photophobia may significantly decrease by the time you reach fifty.

#10- If you can see it, you can feel it. Bright lights migraines, but so do other photophobia triggers. In addition to light, other factors that cause eyestrain are intense colors, geometric patterns, and flickering. Looking at large, stark white walls may induce a migraine attack. So can glimpsing designs with contrasting colors- black and white bar codes, zigzags, and zebra stripes may cause excruciating eye pain. Also, low-contrast flickering objects seem to bother migraine headache sufferers more than non-migraineurs.

Sources:

Why light makes your migraine worse

A neural mechanism for exacerbation of headache by light

Why Bright Light Worsens Migraine Headache Pain

Photophobia

Images, from top:

Glen Orbik, Thomas Weidenhaupt, mageo, M a x y, @Doug88888

Tags: Migraine Triggers

Migraine Art Offers an Inside Look into an Invisible Disease

Published on: January 5, 2012 4:30 am

Migraine art exhibits are hard to watch; sometimes gruesome, always disturbing migraine art portrayals of migraine symptoms like migraine aura, excruciating migraine headaches, and stomach-clenching nausea allow migraineurs to give skeptics a glimpse into their struggles with chronic pain.

Migraine stigma affects everybody

“If only you could see what migraines feel like, you would be more sympathetic.”

That’s the motto of many a migraineur having to deal with agonizing migraine headaches and public skepticism at the same time. While migraines may happen once or twice per month, their ominous presence lingers 24/7, threatening to disrupt work, pleasure, sleep, and all the other nuances of daily life.

Migraine art raises awareness

“Migraines make me feel useless, depressed, and alone.”

Depression is one of the most troubling aspects of migraine illness. Despair magnifies pain, making it harder to cope with severe headaches, vomiting, nausea, and eye sensitivity. You feel like you can’t contribute to society, can’t perform your work duties, can’t function in a family unit- all because you never know when the next migraine attack is going to strike.

With the popularity of migraine art, millions of chronic pain sufferers know that they are not alone at all, and that they are part of a society of migraine patients facing the same struggles that they themselves endure.

What’s that Smell? Migraine Sensitivity and Olfactory Auras

Migraine is a documented illness

“Migraines are not an excuse to get out of work- they’re part of a neurological disorder.”

Migraine art dates back to the 12^th century, hundreds of years before doctors first began documenting illustrations of scintillating scotomas, a visual phenomenon that occurs with migraine aura, mere minutes before a migraine attack.

It is widely believed that Lewis Carroll, the man behind the Alice in Wonderland tales, experienced migraine auras frequently, as evidenced by character descriptions like the elusive Cheshire cat, or Alice’s not feeling “quite myself.”

Go Ask Alice: Migraine Auras in Wonderland

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