Life with Migraine
The Impact of Living with Chronic Migraine
Almost 40 million people in the United States are estimated to be living with migraine. Globally, that number amounts to 1 billion. When the condition is chronic, debilitating symptoms such as throbbing pain, speech changes, and nausea may manifest more often, which can have a devastating impact on a person’s daily life. This article will dive deeper into the effects of chronic migraine on different aspects of a person’s life and what patients can do to try and help mitigate the impact of this disease.
Read MoreWhat People With Migraine Want Their Friends and Family to Know
Though migraine is one of the top ten most debilitating diseases worldwide, it is often misdiagnosed, under-treated and misunderstood. Those of us who live with this highly stigmatized condition are sometimes hesitant to speak out about the daily challenges we face. But when we talk about our condition and the many ways it impacts our lives, we raise awareness, help others feel less alone and create real change.
Read MoreThe Empowered Patient: How to take an active role in your health and care
The World Health Organization defines patient empowerment as “a process through which people gain greater control over decisions and actions affecting their health.” Becoming an empowered patient can help ensure you’re receiving quality treatments that are right for you and increase your chances of healing.
Read MoreManaging Acute Pain: Building a Migraine Comfort Plan
We’ve all had those moments. You’re going about your day when suddenly that all too familiar pain starts building as a migraine attack shows up, hell-bent on taking over. The anxiety and stress about what is to come creeps in. Often, the first step in controlling the pain is keeping calm, which is easier said than done! For times like these, it may be helpful to create a migraine comfort plan so you can be prepared and have everything you need close by in order to help you get through an attack.
Read More“I Hope You Feel Better”
Parenting with migraine is not easy, but holding tight to sweet moments helps keep things in perspective.
Read MoreHow Does Your Migraine Rank?
I never dreamed that I would be ranking my migraine disease….sports, yes…but migraine, not at all. I used to refer to my migraine days as ‘the good, the bad and the ugly.’ The good, low pain days were few and far between. As my ‘bad’ days increased to ‘ugly’ days, the ranking of my migraine followed. I moved from episodic migraine to chronic migraine to intractable chronic daily migraine. Each new ranking brought new anxiety, fear and desperation. Then I realized I am not alone. Of the approximately 40 million people in the US who have migraine, an estimated 4-6 million have chronic migraine.
Read MoreManaging Your Mindset and Mental Health
Living with migraine can be incredibly painful, frustrating, and lonely. It’s no wonder anxiety and depression so often come along for the ride. But there may be ways we can refocus our thinking and keep our hopes high. Keeping in mind that what works for some may not work for all, here are some ideas to add to your treatment toolbox:
Read MoreParenting with Migraine
Teaching kids how to do things for themselves is helpful for when I have a migraine. But, it also empowers them. When my daughter was 3, instead of feeling defeated that I was struggling to make her a sandwich, I tried to celebrate that my 3 year old could make her own sandwich! It taught me to reframe my perspective, and that has been incredibly helpful ever since!
Read MoreBeyond Medication: Movement for Migraine
There are many proven health benefits of exercising, which is why adding movement to your daily routine can be a powerful way to manage life with migraine. Exercise releases endorphins, or “feel-good hormones,” which act as our body’s natural pain killers. They help relieve stress, boost mood, improve sleep, and make us feel better overall!
Read MoreBeyond Medication: Treatment Tips and Tools for Managing Migraine
When we think of migraine treatment, our minds often land on medications. But finding an effective combination of migraine medications is really just one piece to the very complex puzzle that is migraine management. People with migraine disease often find the most success with a holistic treatment plan—one that includes medications, migraine devices, and a mix of non-pharmaceutical and alternative treatment options.
Read MoreChronic Migraine: Please Believe
Chronic Migraine: It’s real- please believe!
Behind that smile is an ocean of tears
Tears you will likely never see
Known only to those closest to me
Who watch the struggle to rise above
The courage it takes to face another day of unknowns and fear.
Migraine Behind the Mask: How to Participate!
The month of June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month. As a part of our Empowering Patient Voices initiative we will be doing a series of posts highlighting the devastation of migraine, cluster, and other headache disorders. We are inviting you to participate by sending in photographs to be featured!
Read More