8 Things People Who Get Migraines Want You to Know

Anyone who has ever experienced a migraine knows that it’s no ordinary headache. Symptoms can last for days including nausea, blurred vision, throbbing pain, extreme sensitivity to lights, sounds and smells as well as light headedness.

Many people do not understand migraines and the range of symptoms associated with them. There are both social effects as well as psychological effects that come from them, and the lack of awareness creates further stigmas associated to migraines and the individuals who suffer from them.

Those that are prone to migraines are happy to clear up any and all misconceptions and misunderstandings of migraines.

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Here are 8 things you should know about migraines.

Migraines are more than a headache

Those that suffer from migraines want people to know that they’re much worse than headaches. They’re often debilitating and oftentimes those that are actually experiencing them do not know how disabling they truly are. I’ve been suffering from migraines since I was 16. Although I get them quite often, it doesn’t mean that I can function any better than those who occasionally or rarely get them.

The symptoms can last for days

People do not realize that when one experiences a migraine, they have symptoms before, during and after the migraine, sometimes lasting for days. There are three stages of a migraine.

The first, called prodrome also known as the preheadache, can last for one or two days before the onslaught of the migraine. Symptoms of this include stiffness of the neck, mood changes, thirst, food cravings, constipation and much more.

Up to one-third of migraine sufferers experience auro as a distinct shifting point in the progression of their migraine attack. Those that experience aura see spots or have blurred vision that can last 5 to 60 minutes.

Up to one-third of people with migraine experience aura as a distinct phase in the progression of their migraine attack

The headache that follows can include visual and neurological symptoms known as an aura. This can last from 4 to 72 hours. Postdrome, the final phase of a migraine involves weakness, confusion and dizziness. It’s almost as though you’re hungover, and it can take days in order for a migraine suffer to feel normal again.

Migraine treatment

There is no “one cure fits all” available for migraine suffers. There are hundreds of treatments identified to help with symptoms, but there is no cure or magic  treatment. Over the counter medications aren’t the answer either because most over the counter medications like ibuprofen or acetaminophen works for headaches not migraines.

Migraines cannot be prevented

Although individuals can minimize migraine symptoms by obtaining adequate sleep, eating better and exercising, migraines can not be 100% preventable. Some migraine sufferers are able to pinpoint a certain trigger-which they then can avoid-but it’s a very small percentage of people who can identify their triggers.

Migraines offer up a lonely experience

Those who do not suffer from migraines do not understand what migraine sufferers are going through and because of this it’s an often misunderstood condition. Unless you experience them for yourself, it’s very difficult to describe them and how they make migraine sufferers feel.

Migraines wreak havoc

Migraines don’t discriminate. They can affect anyone. They can wreak havoc on your family, work and social life because of how debilitating they can be for migraine sufferers.

Think about. Migraines are debilitating and because of this fact, suffers might have to call into work, and because migraines aren’t understood by those who aren’t prone to them, your career status may be threatened. If you’re constantly cancelling plans on your family and friends, they might feel like your intentionally avoiding them causing them to refrain from reaching out.

Finding the right doctor takes time

Personally, I went through several doctors and migraine studies before I was paired with a doctor who truly tried to understand my migraines. There are only about 500 board-certified headache specialists in the US. Migraine sufferers argue that the lack of headaches specialists reflects the fact that migraines aren’t taken seriously as an illness.

It takes strength and resilience to live with migraines

Migraines aren’t for the faint of heart. For those that suffer from migraines, just getting out of bed when you are experiencing a migraine is a huge challenge. It takes strength to keep fighting.

It’s so incredibly important that migraine sufferers advocates for themselves. Because the misconception that migraines are simply headaches, it’s important to make your condition known. Fight for acceptance of this condition and proper research to further look to identify causes, treatments and cures.