When I was 20, studying at university in Sheffield, I experienced my first migraine.
Since then it has been extremely difficult to accept them as a part of my day to day life. I was actually doing my weekly student shop in Aldi when I started to feel, what I can describe as, ‘extremely weird’. I initially thought it was just a really, really bad headache but I wrong.
Migraines are described as 'a moderate or severe headache felt as a throbbing pain on one side of the head'. Along with the headache, people will suffer from nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light or sound.
READ MORE: 9 things you know if you've moved from Liverpool to Wirral
The exact cause of migraines is unknown, but they're thought to be the result of abnormal brain activity temporarily affecting nerve signals, chemicals and blood vessels in the brain. It's not clear what causes this change in brain activity, but it's possible that your genes make you more likely to experience migraines.
Migraines actually affect around one in five women - which shocked me - and one in every 15 men. Some people have frequent migraines up to several times a week, whereas other people only have occasional migraines. It's also possible for years to pass between migraine attacks.
My first migraine attack:
While I was walking around Aldi, my head began to throb more and more to the point where I thought I was going to be sick from the pain. I then started to experience what is known as ‘aura’ as I began to see flashing lights and recall seeing strange purple patterns.
At this point, I knew this wasn’t just a headache and needed to get back to my house immediately. I got home, shut all of my blinds and made sure my room was in total darkness before getting into bed.
The migraine only seemed to be getting worse as I began to shake and was eventually sick numerous times. It was about eight hours later I eventually fell asleep and tried to sleep it off through the night.
The next morning I just didn’t feel my usual lively self, I felt drained and washed out. After that day, I kept experiencing migraines very frequently over a short period of time and at that point, I knew it was time to go to the doctor.
Life since and now:
After my appointment at the doctor's, I understood that there's no cure for migraines, only medication to help combat attacks which I was prescribed. I also learnt that migraines usually begin in early adulthood.
My life has changed since having to struggle with frequent, weekly migraines. I can not physically leave the house without my prescribed medication as I never know when a migraine attack is going to creep up on me.
Sometimes even my prescribed medication doesn’t put an end to the migraine and I will need additional painkillers on top of this. At times when I am in bed with a migraine, I physically can't even check the time on my phone due to the pain caused from the brightness of my phone.
You just never know when a migraine is going to creep up on you, so at times it makes normal day to day life very difficult. I have since learned there are particular triggers for me but most of the time, they come from absolutely nowhere.
My known triggers to date are: bright lights, alcohol and stress. It is extremely difficult as I work on a laptop every day so living with frequent migraines and being sensitive to bright lights, at times makes it difficult to work.
Migraines can severely affect your quality of life and stop you carrying out normal day to day activities but with the correct, effective treatment/s, hopefully migraines won't take over your life.
Migraine triggers:
The NHS have suggested many possible migraine triggers, including hormonal, emotional, physical, dietary, environmental and medicinal factors. These triggers are very individual, but they suggest it may help to keep a diary to see if you can identify a consistent trigger.
For an accurate diagnosis to be made, a GP must identify a pattern of recurring headaches along with the associated symptoms. It can also sometimes be difficult to tell if something is really a trigger or if what you're experiencing is an early symptom of a migraine attack.
For more information on migraines, click here. For more information about headaches read the NHS advice here.
Discover, learn, grow. We are Curiously. Follow us on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
READ NEXT:
- How to get a fast-track passport, how much it costs, and how long it takes
- 'Taking my contraceptive pill nearly killed me'
- Scousers catapulted tiny beauty salon into international success
- Mango shoppers desperate to buy 'stunning' midi dress they 'need'
- IKEA UK agree to review sexual harassment policy after a complaint
