My Oh Migraine!

I am a woman, and I have been suffering from migraines since I was 11 years old and I am now 29 years old. So with 18 years of suffering migraines, I feel like an expert of sorts on the issue. I've experienced the Auras, cluster migraines, and Carotidynia (a migraine in the face).  What many people don't understand, is that migraines are not just an affliction, it's a disease. If you've never had the displeasure of having your head packed in ice, in a pitch black room, with no sound because the slightest disturbance will make you vomit, count your lucky stars! Diagnosing migraines can be a very lengthy and drawn out process. I can remember countless hours in the emergency room, doctors trying to figure out how to make the pain stop, the registered nurse taking vial upon vial of blood, and my family standing by helpless. My mother suffered from migraines nearly every day of her life, and though they are genetic, it was rare to see them in a child so young. 

After I was diagnosed with acute migraines, they became more intense and and lasted the older I became. The next step was to try to establish my migraine triggers, what set me off. Every migraine sufferer has their own set of triggers. When your Physician suspects you might suffer from migraines, he will most likely refer you to a neurologist, who then, most likely, will send you for a ct scan. He then gives you a whole list of things to try and narrow down the causes of your headaches. And here are some of the things that helped me navigate my way through migrainville:

1) Keep a headache journal. You know when you're on a weight loss program and they tell you to keep a food diary? The Migraine Journal is the same idea. Record food that you eat, times of migraines, where you were when the migraine came on, a description of the kind of pain you're feeling and what you did to try and remedy the headache itself. These journals provide doctors with vital information that allows them to track your headaches, examine possible patterns and work on a management plan for you. 


2) Keeping Active. For me, exercise was a good way to stave off migraines. Blood circulation is not only an essential component for healthy organs, it increases much needed oxygen to the brain. 


3) See your ophthalmologist. This is a step that you might want to take before you go to see a neurologist. A lot of us don't realize that that many brain tumors are discovered through routine eye exams! You may have an eye disease or disorder that might be causing you to have headaches. It could be as simple has needing corrective lenses.