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Fall should be a carefree time of year, what with family Thanksgiving dinners, Christmas parties and the splendor of nature at this time.
For migraine sufferers, though, fall is often more misery than marvel. All the things people love most about the season are the very things that can herald pain, seclusion, guilt and depression.
The migraine and chronic pain community is one that lends support and strength to its members. Earlier this month, Migraine Relief Center asked our fans to submit their favorite migraine or chronic pain blogs so we could share them with our 30,000-strong community. These bloggers really know how to market themselves online - let's meet them.
Migraine sufferers quickly become acquainted with the notion of triggers, and learn to keep a migraine diary to track potential causes of their pain. Common triggers are a good starting point for the newly diagnosed, giving you not just a point of reference for your own migraine pattern, but also some reassurance that you’re not alone.
Trying to separate and sort through the connections between migraine and anxiety is a little like trying to determine the age-old conundrum about the chicken and the egg. Migraine and anxiety are closely linked, although scientific studies have yet to pin point exactly what’s going on in the body and brain to explain exactly why the two conditions often walk side by side.
Halloween usually means plenty of fun, dressing up and socializing. People are out on the streets, and there’s a special holiday atmosphere. But along with pumpkins and face paint, there’s a real threat to migraine sufferers: candy.
Changing seasons can be especially problematical for migraine sufferers. While many of us are sorry to see the end of summer and are not looking forward to shorter days and cooler temperatures, there are compensations. There is Christmas for instance, or winters sports, fall colors, and maybe even a touch of snow.
The concept of abdominal migraine seems strange to most people. Surely, migraine is a pain in the head and nothing to do with stomach ache? While this is true in most cases, we understand that migraine is a condition originating in the brain, which usually results in headache. And, similar physical conditions can sometimes trigger pain in the abdomen.
Around 20% of migraine sufferers experience aura warning signs before the onset of headache pain. Sometimes, taking prompt medication action when these signs occur can abort the pain completely, allowing normal activity to continue. Time windows vary, but migraine aura usually lasts between five minutes to an hour, with an average being around 20 minutes.
Having frequent migraine headaches is bad enough, but a surprising number of sufferers also have other chronic illnesses to complicate matters and that add to their suffering. Sometimes, the illnesses are linked or have similar symptoms and causes. Recognizing both, and getting the correct diagnosis in all cases can help patients understand what’s happening to them, which leads to more effective coping strategies and pain management.
There are dozens of different treatments available to those who suffer from migraines, ranging from various drug medications to surgical interventions.
For many, conventional treatments work well, but they don’t work for everyone. And even when treatments are working well there can be side effects that the patient would rather not have. For sufferers who find drugs don’t work, or those with other medical complications, the emotional upset of frequent drug or dose changes can leave migraineurs...
