June just so happens to be National Migraine Awareness Month. The Mayo Clinic defines migraines as "headaches that can cause intense throbbing or a pulsing sensation in one area of the head and is commonly accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound." If you ask anyone who gets migraines regularly, they would define them as hell. There are countless stereotypes that those who get migraines face, and here are a few things we would like you to know.
1. Having migraines can be exhausting
There will be days where the pain is so horrible that the only relief is laying in bed and trying to sleep it off.
2. Migraines and headaches are not the same things
Migraines can affect every part of your body. They can and will drain you mentally and physically.
3. My migraines are not like your sister's, or your dad's, or your second cousin twice removed's
Everyone's migraines are different in every way possible. There are different triggers, pain types, locations where the actual migraine occurs, and symptoms. No two migraines are the same.
4. We are not lazy
If I am unable to do something because of my migraine, chances are I will not be doing anything that day or even the next. There will come a time when the pain is just too much, and being active could make the pain worse.
5. I am sorry I do not look like I have a migraine
Then again, what is someone who suffers from migraines supposed to look like? After getting migraines for years it gets easier to hide the fact that you have one. Trust me, what I express versus what I am actually feeling are polar opposites.
6. Never ever suggest the sufferer "drink water." If drinking water would get rid of my migraines I would drink an ocean a day.
Chances are I have tried whatever you are about to suggest, so just stop while you are still ahead. No, really, I do not want to hear it.
7. If the lights are off, please keep them off
That not only goes for lights but the TV, radio, and anything else that makes noise or causes light. Just keep it off.
8. Never say they cannot kill me
Yeah, you are right there, but migraines can tear families apart and cause you to lose your job, fail classes, and become withdrawn. So they can still ruin your life.
9. Migraines are worse than you think
Migraines have made the top 20 list of most debilitating illnesses, so no, it is not just a simple headache.
10. I cannot control when I get a migraine
Sorry, but as much as I would like to have some control, the migraine gods decide when I get a migraine.
So basically, migraines suck. They are the least funded neurological disorder in the country, although 36 million Americans suffer from migraines. Chances are a majority of people you know suffer from them. All migraine sufferers want is your love and support
