migraines-more painful than birth

as a hormonal woman with genes that basically despise her, i have had many encounters with migraines. after speaking with a sorority sister, jackie, about her personal problems with migraines, (hers have lasted DAYS) i have decided to share some personal knowledge to both educate the "migraine-less," and to give some tips on how to counter attack those vicious headaches.

what brought about this decision was not only numerous teacher's lack of sympathy to the "excuse" of a migraine, but also the fact i had one today. as i sat in front of my computer, working steadily on a 20+ page research paper that is, in fact, due tomorrow, i had quite the setback. i'm sure at this point you know what it was.

doctors and scientists are unsure of the cause of migraines, but women are are 3 times more likely than men to get them. what is believed to bring on migraines can either be hormones or stress, or basically any number of things.
doesn't help much, right?

i consider myself lucky. about twenty minutes before the pain starts, i get what scientists refer to as an "aura." i get extreme light sensitivity, i see flashing and waving lights in my vision, and within a few minutes, i'm rendered nearly blind. driving is impossible, walking is a living version of bumper cars, and, obviously, getting work done is not an option. while this sounds awful, it also gives me a heads-up to what is to come.

so, women(and men, if you're the 33% who actually get these), pay attention to your body. in order to fend off migraines, stay hydrated, well rested, and if you're stressed, take a breather. but, listen to your body. you can tell when a migraine is coming! you may have any of the following symptoms BEFORE your migraine hits: pain on one side of your head, blurred vision, tingling pain on your head or on one side of your body, nausea, lightheadedness, or sensory flags, such as my impaired vision.

migraines may be caused by an over-working of the trigiminal nerve in the brain, which is a major neural pathway to the brain.

SO!

things that have helped me personally:

-do NOT try to do anything! no reading, watching tv, etc. stay away from artificial lighting and flame-the brightness will hurt your eyes

-take 2 ibuprofen or aleve (i prefer liquid-gel aleve) and drink a FULL glass of water RIGHT AWAY

-if you're not at home, try to get a ride there. do NOT drive if at all possible

-find a quiet, dark room IMMEDIATELY when your symptoms start, lay down with a cool rag covering your forehead, eyes, AND the top of your nose. massage the pressure points between your eyes on the bridge of your nose with the rag, as well as the point in front of your ears

-take a hot bath (with the room completely dark)

-get your significant other to give you a neck and head massage. lie down on your back, and with him/her sitting above your head, have them place their hands, fingers curled upwards, under your neck. using the weight of your head, they can easily give a deep tissue massage with ease.

-use aromatherapy! jasmine and mint work the best for me

-keep your head cool

-don't under OR oversleep

-take a daily vitamin of B-2

i hope i've helped, or at least educated you a little!
until next time, k