Dealing with a Migraine as a Work-at-Home Mom

Dealing with a migraine as a work-at-home mom: the struggle is real. I know from experience. Many people suffer from different intensities of migraines. Some people can function somewhat normally, while others are bedridden. At whatever level you have, a migraine is more than “just a headache”. Most people who have never had a migraine don’t understand this.

What exactly is a migraine headache? Migraines are neurological conditions. Migraine sufferers often have recurrent attacks and experience neurological symptoms alongside blinding pain. It’s a severe headache of varying intensity, often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.

I used to suffer from migraines quite frequently. I never really knew if it were from my high-stress job at the time, hormones (I was trying to have a baby), food, heredity (my mom also had them for a time) or environmental (pollen, bright lights, etc). Maybe it was none of the above, or maybe it was a combination. I do know now that really bright light is a trigger for me. Believe it or not, recently I turned on the bright bathroom lights immediately after I got up (most of the time I acclimate slowly). That one action triggered a migraine and I didn’t get anything accomplished all morning because of it.
 

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Almost everyone either knows someone who has suffered from migraine, or has struggled with migraines themselves. Migraines plague an estimated 36 million people in the U.S. 

• Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households includes someone with migraine.
• Over 12% of the population, including children, suffers from migraine.
• About 18% of American women and 6% of men suffer from migraine.
• Migraine is most common during the peak productive years, between the ages of 25 and 55.
• Migraine tends to run in families. If one parent suffers from migraine, there is a 40% chance a child will suffer. If both parents suffer, the chance rises to 90%.

(Source:  Migraine Research Foundation.)

What I do know: migraines are debilitating. Every sound is amplified. Your head throbs when you move it. I would see spots and be somewhat dizzy which would also make me nauseous. Migraines will put you to bed in a heartbeat. If you’ve never had one, count your lucky stars and pray you never do.

Migraines can vary in how long they last from a few hours to a few days. IN some cases, the migraine sufferer might experience trouble such as blurred vision, or, for me, seeing spots, before the onset of pain. If you’ve never had a migraine, it’s also difficult to understand the severity of them, to emphasize with those that do. A ‘bad headache’ and a migraine are two completely different things.

Dealing with a Migraine as a Work-at-Home Mom

In my personal experience, migraine headaches are one of the worst things to suffer from. Mine begins with seeing spots and a sensitivity to light, then a pressure in my temples. If I don’t take medicine at this point it will progress into a full on head-throbbing migraine and usually a nauseous stomach. Sometimes, if it gets this bad, I have to lie flat in a quiet, dark room until it eases. I learned to cope, to function somewhat, with migraines. For me catching those very early warnings (which is actually the second stage in the stages of a migraine.) and medicate according to the directions with Excedrin® help more than anything. Excedrin® is the only brand dedicated to fast migraine and headache relief and is the Head Pain Expert and the #1 Neurologist recommended OTC for migraine relief.    

If you can get that medication in you before it’s a full-blown migraine headache, your chances are far better for it not to become so severe. Excedrin® Migraine relieves pain, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to sound and nausea. (This is just my opinion. I’m not a doctor. It works for me.) To help alleviate a migraine, take Excedrin® Migraine as soon as you feel the first symptom, then lie very still in a cool, dark room for 30 minutes to an hour if that’s possible.

How do you alleviate the pain from migraines? Tell me in the comments and you will be entered to win a $100 Visa gift card.

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