Weather changes are among the most common migraine triggers. Don't just endure; explore your options.
Barometric pressure, humidity, wind, stormy weather, sunlight, or extreme temperatures can knock the chemicals in your brain off balance. Mother Nature might make you pay for it for hours or even days.
While no one can control the weather, migraine treatments can make you less dependent on sunny days. If you want to stop fearing the forecast, it might be time to chat with your doctor.
Still not convinced? Here are seven signs you should seek migraine treatment:
1. You have frequent migraines.
How often do you experience a migraine? Maybe you get one a couple of times a month. Perhaps you're among the four million people suffering from daily migraines, experiencing them 15 or more days a month.
There is no specific number of migraines when you should seek treatment. But the higher the frequency of your migraines, the more important it is that you get evaluated. More frequent migraines means more days in pain, and a greater likelihood that some other condition is causing them.
2. Your migraines are severe.
Migraines are accompanied by a range of symptoms, typically lasting from four hours to several days:
● Throbbing pain, often on one side of the head;
● Nausea, with or without vomiting;
● Hallucinations, particularly visual or auditory ones;
● Sensitivity to light, noise or odors; and,
● Increased pain with physical activity or movement.
The more symptoms you have and the more severe they are, the more debilitating migraines can be. If your go-to treatment is curling up in a dark closet and lying still for hours, it's time to get some help.
3. You experience aura with migraines.
Roughly 20% of migraine sufferers experience an aura anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour prior to onset. Auras are visual disturbances often described as flashing or zig-zagging lights, or blind spots. They may be accompanied by tingling in your face or hands, difficulty speaking, and muscle weakness.
Migraines with aura are called "classic migraines." While auras do function as an early warning sign, they also increase the risk of stroke.
Getting your migraines under control with a prevention and treatment regimen is even more critical if you suffer from classic migraines. Don't risk brain damage or huge healthcare bills.
4. You are female.
Women are significantly more likely to get migraines than men. Although the jury is still out on the reason, it's a good bet hormonal changes have something to do with out.
Women taking oral contraceptives containing estrogen may get more migraines, but they're also at greater risk for stroke, cardiovascular disease, and blood clots. Part of your treatment regimen might include switching to a birth control method that doesn't contain estrogen.
If you're a menopausal woman who no longer needs contraceptives, you might need an estrogen boost. Estrogen is vital for bone health and in reducing hot flashes. The good news is that there are a growing number of non-estrogen options available.
5. You suffer from depression or anxiety.
Chronic migraine sufferers are at greater risk of suffering from mental health issues. In fact, migraine sufferers are five times more likely to develop depression than others. And the risk of developing depression and anxiety increase with the frequency of migraines.
Researchers aren't sure why this relationship exists. However, they suspect it's related to chemical imbalances in the brain that occur with both migraines and depression. Therefore, getting your migraines under control might also ease your depression and anxiety.
6. You can't figure out what triggers them.
Part of figuring out how to treat your migraines involves figuring out what triggers them. Your healthcare provider will ask you questions in an attempt to narrow down the possibilities.
The list of potential migraine triggers is a long one, ranging from what you eat and drink to the quality of your sleep. Stress, hormones, exercise, odors, medications, lack of sleep, hunger, and yes, the weather, can all be triggers.
Your provider might have you keep a migraine diary in order to home in on the cause. You may need to avoid certain foods, increase or decrease your level of physical activity, or try out new medications.
7. Migraines interfere with your life and relationships.
Do migraines make you miss work or force you to cancel social plans? Do they make you unable to care for your kids? Do they interfere with your personal relationships, especially with your partner?
If migraines are interfering with your job, fun, and relationships, you need to treat them. Trying to just live with them might cause you to lose your job. They can compromise the safety of children under your care.
On the social side, your marriage or other close relationships might suffer. You may avoid travel for fear a migraine will make it impossible.
Migraine Treatment Options
Exploring treatment options for your migraines is the first step to improving your quality of life. That treatment might include medications, therapies, or a combination of several of them.
There are a growing number of medications for pain relief. Your doctor can help you consider over-the-counter pain medications, injections, triptans, nasal sprays, opioids, and anti-nausea medications. Preventative medications for migraine include those for lowering blood pressure, preventing seizures, antidepressants, Botox, and monoclonal antibodies.
Some people have also found that exercise or one or more of a variety of therapies help. Therapies include yoga, biofeedback, acupuncture, massage, hypnotherapy, meditation, hydrotherapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
Virtually all migraine sufferers can benefit from stress relief. Even if prescription medication isn't right for you, practicing meditation and relaxation techniques can make a big difference.
Another step every migraine sufferer should take is to minimize caffeine and alcohol intake. These substances can worsen your migraines for the same reason hormonal changes do: They upset your brain's natural balance of neurotransmitters.
If you have any of these seven signs, what you need more than good weather is a plan. You can't control the skies. But you can take control of your migraines, and by extension, your life.
