I created this post as part of a campaign by Teva Pharmaceuticals. I received an American Express gift card for participating. When it comes to headaches or migraines, these were never on my health radar for many years. I would get the occasional headache, but a few pain relievers would take care of it pretty quickly. My sister has had migraines for most of her adult life. I remember thinking how much of a drama queen she was when she got a “migraine.” I assumed it was just a headache and she was trying to get attention. When my daughter was diagnosed with migraines, I began to see my sister in a totally different light and owed her a whopper of an apology. [To read more about how migraines has touched my family, read my post, “Migraine Or Headache? How To Know The Difference.”]
It turns out nearly 36 million Americans suffer from migraines. I really had no idea this was so commonplace. My daughter would experience things like light and sound sensitivity, nausea and vomiting, fatigue and even dizziness. When Caitlin gets a migraine, she can be in bed for an hour or a whole day. This really effects her quality of life. Like, all she can do is lie very still in a completely dark room and wait for it to pass. Caitlin’s doctor explained a migraine could be brought on by such things as a change in the weather, not enough sleep, stress (she is a junior in high school, so she gets pretty stressed out) or bright lights.
After speaking with her doctor, he encouraged us to keep a migraine journal. When a migraine came on, Caitlin was to write down what was going on around her, what she was eating or drinking (or the lack thereof), the time of day and other facts. This helped us pinpoint her triggers, which allowed us the opportunity to prevent, or at least lessen the severity of her migraines. Now that we have the knowledge about her triggers and how to treat her migraines, she gets them much less often. She has actually gone from having 3-5 migraines a week to just 1-2. Sometimes, she can go a whole week without one migraine!
One of my favorite shows on television is Once Upon a Time, starring *Jennifer Morrison as Emma Swan. It turns our, Jennifer, an actress and film producer is also a migraine sufferer. Just like my daughter, Jennifer sought help from her doctor, who helped her understand her triggers and other aspects of her migraines. Teva Pharmaceuticals and Jennifer Morrison are working together to raise awareness of the More to Migraine campaign. The campaign is designed to help other migraine sufferers find information about migraines, what to talk to your doctor about and even get 10 free migraine tips you don’t want to miss! In 2016, Jennifer will appear on More To Migraine channels including MoreToMigraine.com and the More To Migraine Facebook page. *Jennifer Morrison is a paid spokesperson working with Teva Pharmaceuticals to raise awareness of the More To Migraine campaign.
Do you or someone you know suffer from migraines? What are your (or their) triggers?
