You’re sitting in a dark room with the shades drawn and the lights turned off. The window is closed and you can’t entertain yourself with music or Netflix because any stimulation will set you off. You can’t even bear the thought of reading a book and you struggle to hold a coherent conversation.
This is an unfortunate reality for the millions of American men and women who suffer from migraines every day. So, how should you approach someone who may be suffering from one? Do you know the causes and symptoms to look out for? Here are five things you should know about migraines.
One of the most important things to know about migraines is that, like Harry Potter, they wear a cloak of invisibility. People who suffer from migraines often do not appear to be sick from the outside when, in reality, they are in a lot of pain.
It can be tricky to help these people when they look healthy and don’t want to seem like complainers. The next time you see something a little off with a friend or coworker, don’t be afraid to ask if there’s anything you can do to help. Sometimes something as simple as a glass of water can make all the difference.
Migraines, unlike other medical issues, are very hard to predict. However, many people who suffer from migraines have been trained to recognize when and where an attack might occur. Predictors, or “triggers,” can vary from person to person or even from week to week, depending on the situation. Some of the most common triggers include stress, lack of sleep, eating habits and changes in the weather. Less common triggers include distinctive odors such as perfumes, cleaning products and even garlic.
One of the most frustrating things about a migraine attack is how difficult it can be to treat. Medications and symptoms vary so much that it’s impossible to predict how a patient will react to any given treatment. What works for one patient might actually be harmful for another.
It’s also common for a patient to find the perfect medication and then develop a tolerance to it a few months later. For these patients, finding a treatment that works the best is something like mixing the perfect cocktail: it’s an art that requires experience and careful consideration.
Migraines are like dementors that come out of nowhere and arrive at the worst possible times. They travel in groups and are often accompanied by nausea, stomach pain and irritability. Migraines grab hold of you when you least expect it. At first, they will slowly creep around the corner waiting for you to look away. When they finally decide to attack, you will be completely unprepared, riding on the subway, enjoying a concert with friends or eating a four-course meal. If you’re lucky, they will put up a mild fight and be on their way. If you’re less fortunate, they’ll hang around for three or four miserable days before moving on to their next victim.
There are some things you just shouldn’t say to someone suffering from a migraine. Even the most well-intentioned friend can royally screw up when it comes to giving advice about migraines. Even if a friend has experienced some form of migraine in the past, it doesn’t give them permission to offer advice or make off-handed comments.
Some of the worst things to say are: “You don’t look sick,” “It’s probably just a headache,” or “You should do something to take your mind off it.” Anyone who’s had a migraine knows that if a headache were a mildly explosive rocket, then a migraine is something like a nuclear bomb.
With that being said, there are many ways to help someone who is experiencing an attack. Reading up on the causes and treatments of migraines is a great way to offer help to a migrainer in need.
