What happens when you get a migraine?

Migraines are like your distant relatives who show up unannounced at your door, and you have no choice but to entertain them. If you’re one of those lucky people who haven’t experienced a migraine yet, then consider yourself as Cinderella before the ball; soon enough, something will hit you in the head hard.

Understanding Migraines (insert a funny line here)

A migraine is not just another headache that fades away with time or some painkillers. It’s an ordeal that makes even small tasks feel like climbing a mountain. They can last for hours/days/weeks and are uncomfortable to say the least.

Symptoms of a migrane

The initial symptom is usually mild throbbing pain on one side of your forehead/temples when it starts infiltrating into every nerve in your brain producing facial/head sweat!!! Am I making this sound unpleasant?? oh my bad..it involves seeing spots/light flashes/sensory disturbances/even nausea sometimes.

Let’s explore more behind-the-scenes details about these pesky intruders!

What Exactly Happens?

This part requires us to put our lab coats on (or google) as we try to understand what goes inside our skull during a migraine attack. Long story short -It’s complicated on so many levels, hence my trusted sources tell me it’s all about ‘neuron chaos’. Sounds pretty intense right??

During migraines, certain neurons (nerve cells that transmit signals between different parts of the brain), get overly excited causing massive upheaval leading to:

  • An inflamed feeling around intracranial vessels
  • A distorted sensation in sensory neurons
  • A decreased level of blood flow and oxygen circulation…so we’re basically suffocating our own brains!(talk about self sabotage).

All these activities cause severe inflammation which causes excruciating headaches accompanied by nausea or vomiting…sounds familiar?

Justifying the Pain

You know that friend who exaggerates too much and makes a big deal out of every situation? That’s how migraines are perceived. People often trivialize the pain caused by a migraine as if it’s just another medical condition that comes and goes.

But trust me, it’s not. If Hollywood were portraying them, then they would receive an Oscar for making us look like such drama queens but hey..that IS what happens when we are in agonizing pain??

What Triggers Migraines?

Ah! The million-dollar question!

It appears like anything can trigger migraines these days; from a strong perfume to fluorescent lighting . In fact here is some common “Why does this happen?” triggers-

  • Hormonal fluctuations ( people who have PMS will understand me)
  • Consumption of excessive amounts of caffeine/alcohol/processed foods
  • Loud noises/bright lights (disclaimer: These things might make you happy initially, but later could put your forehead/nerve circus up for rent).
  • Stress/tension/anxiety(maybe you should cancel those board meetings?)

The list isn’t exhaustive so don’t let your guard down people..you never know when something’s going to hit ya!!!

Demystifying ‘Aura’

Have you ever heard someone say “I think my aura is activating”? Allow me to clear the air.

An aura refers to minor disturbances observed before experiencing headache symptoms during a migraine attack. This includes visual distortions eg seeing light flashes or semi-circles, auditory hallucinations eg hearing sounds thats not there(these aren’t ghosts btw), olfactory allusions (a heightened sense of smell) among others.

In most cases, once these start happening…muggles go running calling their daddies ..but for our Dear friends with migraines, It usually means “prepare yourself, im staying awhile… Not as bad as in laws that refuse to leave? right?”

Prevention is Better Than Cure

It’s wise to be the hero of your own story when it comes to migraines. Here are some measures you can take:

  • Learn how to avoid triggers eg if caffeine could cause a migraine for you, then probably switch over something with way less caffeine
  • Keep an emergency kit with essentials (dark glasses/sound canceling headphones /ginger supplements etc) nearby for those abrupt onset strokes.
  • Take breaks often even during work hours eg staring at your computer screen or phone all day makes headaches worse

These prevention tips will only reduce the occurrence of migraines and not eliminate them forever.

Treatment Options

Aaah! The famous painkillers! Would sound like we have another Jenna Marbles video on ‘Why I don’t need drugs’. Don’t pick out the popcorn just yet there more..-(herbal remedies, acupuncture/making deals / specific exercises)

The most common option used by many is taking over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen which help reduce inflammation and might alleviate head pains temporarily'(notice I said “might”?because this isn’t always guaranteed based on how far along our nerves want us gone). You may also have heard about triptan medication, which people take once they notice early signs developing into aura’s.(nowadays you might even hear of CBD products).

The catch here folks is that these medications involve lots of risks side effects including but definitely not limited to digestive system issues/dizziness/blood-thinning/circulatory problems/oh God!! More triggering.

Bottom Line (not a funny one)

As lovable humans; we despise anything that deprives us of sweet moments our life has treated us although not really happy news..we both share a common feeling in battling through pesky ailment episodes. However: “Together we can make it better… or maybe not.” (yes? no?)

Once a migraine hits, you know the drill! Put on your noise-canceling headphones, crawl into bed with dark glasses and hope for the best. Just remember to breathe through it all!(Also cause death by suffocation isn’t pleasant)

So always be vigilant when it comes to migraines folks..like identifying ninjas in mortal kombat before they strike-you never see them coming but a good protector is always prepared!!

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