Migraine: A Neurological Condition That's Not Just in Your Head

Everyone gets headaches from time to time, but migraines are different. For an estimated 15% to 18% of women and 6% of men with migraine, they endure not just intense pain in their head but also nausea; an inability to tolerate light, noise, or odors; confusion; overwhelming fatigue, and more—to the point that they are unable to keep working or be present with family and friends. This inability to function separates migraines from headaches. The good news is that knowledge about them and treatments for them have increased exponentially to the point that most migraine sufferers are able to enjoy meaningful relief that allows them to go about their lives in a fairly normal way. Doctors may prescribe medications, behavioral treatments and lifestyle changes, and even electrical stimulation devices. Learning to distinguish warning signs of an impending migraine from what have traditionally been called “triggers” can greatly improve someone’s ability to manage these episodes. “The understanding of migraine biology and the treatments available have exploded in the last decade; with proper education, consistent use of the tools available can improve the lives of most migraine patients,” says Christopher Gottschalk, MD, a Yale Medicine neurologist and director of Yale Medicine's Headache and Facial Pain Center. “Unfortunately, migraine remains underdiagnosed, undertreated, and underestimated—according to reports, migraine causes more disability than all other neurological conditions combined. But learning to identify the early signs of a migraine attack and intervene quickly and effectively can provide patients with a level of control they never thought was possible,” he says.

[wendynicholss]

Anybody who dismisses a migraine as 'just a headache' has never had a migraine!

[amysoddities]

Often the pain isn't the worst part of migraine. It's the vertigo, disorientation, sleepiness, and so much more.

[daggak]

I am a French pharmacist, and I wrote a thesis about migraine and how underestimated it is. People talk about diabetes, high blood pressure, and other chronic illnesses, but only a few persons know that migraine is an illness too. Reducing it to a simple headache shows that you never had to endure migraine.

I myself suffer from migraines, it's been the case since I was a teenager, so I know how much it can hurt and impact your life.

[Mountaingypsytrading]

I’ve been getting aura migraine since I was 7. I’m 53 now, and still get them. I’ve lost most jobs over them, and disability doesn’t recognize them. It’s beyond frustrating… 😢

[jaylynn]

One of my major symptoms (aside from headache and visual disturbances) is what I call “the veil of stupid.”
It’s hard to understand people talking, it’s like I can’t process it fast enough. It’s hard for me to come up with the words I need, so I talk really slowly. It’s like something has descended over me (hence “the veil”) and I just can’t deal with the normal speed of life.

[smac]

Great description of a migraine. It is not just the pain, it affects the whole way a person functions. Really debilitating.

[mattrost]

In my 45+ years of migraines, I've learned what triggers them and I can usually avoid them. One commonly missed trigger is a sharp, bright, sudden (single) flash of light. Like a high-headlight beam or the reflection of the sun from a skyscraper window.

[juliannaavilesss]

I have migraines everyday and have had them my whole life. I am 22yrs old. Often times I rather be dead or kill my self. the pain is never ending. Doctors are no help. These days doctors don’t seem to care for a patients pain. It never gets easier. I have a migraine as I’m typing this. I pray I’m able to find help one day.

[Ldk]

The first neurologist I saw for daily migraines with 24/7 pain told me that it was probably due to stress and that I should perhaps see a psychiatrist 🤬 Fast forward some months later and I found an amazing neurologist who has worked with me steadily for 15 years to treat this very debilitating disease. The Dr in the video is quite correct to advise you find someone else if you are dismissed

[maryshanley]

It is a terrible illness. I had a career which I loved. I was a HS teacher and was always the happiest while teaching. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before I would vomit in the classroom. That would not go over well with a class full of sophomore boys. I had no medical help whatsoever for decades until I was referred to a marvelous woman neurologist in NYC. She gave me a triad of medications which could ward off the worst. When I was pregnant, I felt absolutely marvelous! No headaches. If I could have had six children, I would have! The weeks soon after childbirth were horrendous. Just dreadful. I couldn’t get out of bed and my husband traveled frequently on business and no nearby family. Do they know how pregnant women may not get migraines? I hope they find out. Good luck to fellow migraine sufferers.

[lh]

Can we stop adding color strobes to videos about disorders triggered by color strobes.

[lanebashford]

I've told my family about my past migraines. Told them it's a "sick headache" maybe 100 times worse than a regular "garden variety" headache. Mine lasted 2-3 days, one sided, throbbing pain with nausea and vomiting and I'd stay in bed the whole time. I was barely able to drink water much less eat anything. My migraines were always hurting the right frontal and temporal areas of my head. I had maybe 4 or 5 a year in my 20s and 30s and then they stopped. Always thought they were triggered by hormones and stress.

I wouldn't wish migraines on anyone.

[el-hplj]

Just had another brutal migraine yesterday. Im a trucker around NYC and started getting a headache around 3pm on the Long Island Expressway. I got to my delivery at 4 and it was pounding. I popped my Nurtec tablet ( too late) and I started rolling around in the truck in agony. The smoothie I drank around 2pm came back up around 5pm and again 6pm. Vomiting for me is almost always a given. Driving a 18 wheeler with a migraine and all its terrible symptoms is damn near impossible and dangerous. I rested as much as I could but I had to keep going. I made it home in NJ around 10 exhausted and guilty cause it was my girls birthday and I couldnt even be happy for her. I want to throw in the towel when I get these things. They destroy any joy in the world.

[ema]

It annoys me when people say they have had a migraine when it was just a bad headache. Those people don't truely understand how bad it is. One had me in ER once after it went away the aftermath made me feel like I had dementia, I couldn't even remember what the doctor repeated countless times. I was so worried I'd overdose without knowing due to not remembering if I'd taken my meds or not. It went on for a week after the migraine. I was really worried.

[sandy-eekt]

Thankyou for the encouragement and acknowledgement of migraine as some people don’t believe because it cant be seen.

[ema]

When a migraine starts does anyone else hear things louder. Like every one and everything has turned up the volume to a deafening level and every light is 3x brighter. Especially if its night. I hate xmas due to the lights causing migraines. Especially flashing ones. Makes all winter hell for me. Everyone just says im miserable and a scruge. They cant see what i see. 😢

[craigmerkey]

I remember my first migraine! My nose was in overdrive, I could smell the tires on the cars in the parking lot, and the cans in the pantry. Not many people took me serious! Lack of empathy. I was allergic he the only medication available. I had a stressful job and my migraines happened all the time. Once I got fired they subsided... amazing how that works. Now I think I am a better centered person, calmer, much happier and content!

[robertpolnicky]

My experience with migraines was really ugly. I had seizures that followed my migraines. I thought I had a brain tumor. Thought I was on death row when I was a kid. And at that age that can be extremely psychologically wicked.

[Plethorality]

Migraines are NOT only headaches. Can be seizures and all sorts of symptoms. Not always pain.

[fedgirl]

I was diagnosed with chronic migraines at the age of 18 and suffered for decades. Many of the prescribed medications did not work, and I tried so many of them over the years. It’s was debilitating. People that don’t get them are not that sympathetic and I think because they can’t see it, they think you’re lying. And because they were frequent, I was constantly using my sick leave to take care of myself, meaning I could not accumulate any real sick leave over the years. And I often used vacation days for it as well. And there were even some instances where they were so frequent, my leave was used up and I’d have to go into a no pay status for some of the bad days. Many times I battled with depression because of it. Like you just can’t catch a break and people are constantly judging you.
However, I can say now that I truly believe my biggest trigger was stress, because since I’ve retired, I can count on one hand how many I’ve had in the 3 years since I retired. It was definitely the stress of my job.
I am glad this is getting more recognition and validation. And hopefully the medications will continue to improve.