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Living with Headaches and Migraines

Aurélia Bickler

By Jennifer Brown


Living with Headaches and Migraines

Headaches and migraines are widespread among many different populations. Per Onan et al. (2023), tension-type headaches (TTH) and migraines are the most common primary headaches in the United States’ classification system. Onan et al. (2023) specify that people can have TTH and migraines simultaneously, indicating that those more prone to one may also develop the other.


While migraines tend to occur more in females, genetics, physical activity, exercise habits, and stress can also contribute to attacks (Onan et al., 2023). In contrast, however, in some cases, these attacks can occur without a known cause. In my case, I have always had occasional headaches during adolescence, likely from too much computer screen use and television use, a lack of hydration, and being exposed to extreme heat (I grew up in Florida). However, as an adult in her late 20s, I must wonder what caused me to develop migraines in the first place.


The progression of headaches

Halfway through my contract in the United States Navy, I started having frequent headaches. When I first noticed reoccurring headaches, it was at the beginning of 2020, during a transition of commands. When I did have headaches, I often experienced tension around my forehead, which felt like a constant dull ache that lasted for hours. At first, I tried to ignore it and continue with my daily activities. At this point, I only used pain medication as a last resort if my pain became unbearable. My idea was that if I could handle the pain, it would take its course and go away with time. I felt pain was how my body told me that something was off. Thus, taking pain medication might diminish my ability to detect and notice pain when seeking further care. However, I reevaluated my theory when my pain went from mild to moderate and severe.


At this pain level,  I initially tried to increase hydration and get regular exercise, hoping the subtle changes would help reduce pain. However, the pain persisted and worsened over time. I found it more challenging to do daily tasks. I also noticed that I was more apt to be emotionally distraught over little things when I was in severe pain. My pain felt more intense and debilitating if a comfort food or drink was unavailable. If there were traffic on the way home, I would feel on edge, desperate to get to my bed for relief. In my eyes, my room became where I needed to go to find relief. I pictured myself in that dark and comforting environment; every additional inconvenience worsened my pain and suffering.


How migraines led to lifestyle changes

As time passed, I realized my "typical" headaches may not be so typical. While I did not get a formal diagnosis until many months later, I developed many signs and symptoms of migraines. (As a side note, from 2020 to 2022, I developed what is now known as functional neurological disorder (FND), a misunderstood health condition that likely played a significant role in my symptomology and pain). Nonetheless, by the end of 2021, my symptoms had expanded to pain beneath my right eye, ringing in my ears, and sensitivity to sounds and lights. My migraine attacks were often later in the day, so I began to take naps to “sleep off” the pain. However, patterns of napping during the day led to poor sleep at night and instances of oversleeping.


These small changes to my lifestyle often led to more extensive changes. Laying down during bad headaches makes me spend a significant amount of time in bed. Spending more time in my room led to a more sedentary lifestyle, especially when my FND symptoms worsened. During this time, I became isolated, afraid to go out and do anything for fear of aggravating and worsening my condition. Not surprisingly, sedentary lifestyles, dehydration, poor sleep quality, excessive caffeine use, and high stress correlate with higher migraine attacks (Agbetou & Adoukonou, 2022). All these factors ultimately contributed to my poor quality of life, making me desperate for relief.


COVID-19 and medication dependence

Dealing with constant pain increased my pain tolerance tremendously. However, by the summer of 2022, I dealt with my worst physical ailment yet: contracting the coronavirus. While I felt I became used to being in pain, I was not used to having infections. In some ways, having COVID-19 was like having migraines and chronic illnesses. I experienced the same mental fatigue and distress with the virus as migraines and FND. I did notice, however, that when both the coronavirus and migraines led to sleepless nights, I was constantly begging for relief; relief not to have no pain but to have less pain. Looking back, as much as I realized I needed the medications to help heal my body, I also know I did not (always) need them. That is, my body still was and is intelligent and knows what to do when I am ill. Nevertheless, if I continue to take pain medication every time I am in pain, I may never stop to see if I am actually in pain or if my mind is playing tricks on me. In other words, in my experience, continually taking pain medication can also deepen the psychological and physical dependence on them to provide any relief at all.


Importantly, as much as I desire to be in no pain, pharmaceuticals may not always be our best answer. Schwedt et al. (2021) note that meeting the criteria for acute medication overuse (taking specific medications for over ten days per month) can lead to medication overuse for headaches and future migraine attacks. Thus, even when individuals have the best intentions, it can still lead to unforeseen problems. Further results from the Schwedt et al. (2021) study show a pronounced disease-related burden among those who overuse medication for migraines. Like Onan et al. (2023), these results also indicate that migraines and TTH contribute to higher usage of economic resources and medical costs. This indicates that individual decisions can ultimately impact neighborhoods and cities.


With this in mind, and better late than ever, I am currently working on utilizing fewer migraine medications, specifically over-the-counter medications. Migraines and headaches are a condition everyone is likely to encounter at some point. However, how it is dealt with is imperative to our future health and well-being and the life around us. The following are a few resources for helpful guides and information on migraines, headaches, and over-the-counter medications.

 

To learn more about the safe use of over-the-counter pain medications, go to:

 

Medication overuse headache information:

 

To learn more about migraines, migraine relief, staying active, and more, go to:


References

Agbetou, M., & Adoukonou, T. (2022). Lifestyle modifications for migraine management. Frontiers in Neurology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2022.719467


American Migraine Foundation. (2016, July 9). Medication overuse headache. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/medication-overuse/


American Migraine Foundation. (2023). Patient guides. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/patient-guides/


National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2017, August 10). Using medication: The safe use of over-the-counter painkillers. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK361006/


Onan, D., Younis, S., Wellsgatnik, W. D., Farham, F., Andruskevicius, S., Abashidze, A., Jusupova, A., Romanenko, Y., Grosu, O., Moldokulova, M. Z., Mursalova, U., Saidkhodjaeva, S., Martelletti, P., & Ashina, S. (2023). Debate: Differences and similarities between tension-type headache and migraine. The Journal of Headache and Pain, 24(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s10194-023-01614-0


Schwedt, T. J., Buse, D. C., Argoff, C. E., Reed, M. L., Fanning, K. M., Hussar, C. R., Adams, A. M., & Lipton, R. B. (2021). Medication overuse and headache burden: Results from the CaMEO study. Neurology Clinical Practice, 11(3), 216. https://doi.org/10.1212/CPJ0000000000001037

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