What It's Like Being a Mom With Migraines
Migraine headaches are horrible. They make you feel like doing nothing else but resting. The lights bother your eyes. Loud sounds are disturbing. Smells make you nauseous. The quick movement of characters on television is difficult to follow. Lights in a grocery store are so bright you want to run out as soon as you go in. I decided to probe to learn more about this debilitating illness and to my surprise, I found out more than what I was looking for. I’m glad I did my research because now I know what symptoms to look for at early onset.
Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause multiple symptoms. It’s frequently characterized by intense, debilitating headaches. In many people, they happen in stages which may include prodrome, aura, attack, and postdrome. The most interesting part of these stages is that some of the symptoms remind me of pregnancy and how you have various stages in each trimester.
Prodrome is before the actual attack of the full blown migraine, where you will be “warned” that something is going to take place. It’s amazing how the body is so intelligent that it wants us of certain things. According to WebMD, hours or days before a headache, about 60% of people will notice symptoms.” You might also notice a certain food craving. My favorite used to be chocolate, but since having tachycardia events I was advised not to have anymore. So now I crave pineapples or salt. You may also suddenly feel tired and just want to rest but not sure why or become constipated all of a sudden.
The auras of migraines are “reversible symptoms of the nervous system,” according to the Mayo Clinic, and “they’re usually visual, but can also include other disturbances.” Personally, I have noticed that if I have small any type of fish, like salmon or tuna or fry bacon, the odor it gives off make me nauseous suddenly, and let’s me know there is something going on. God has created our body with such intricate details that I believe it knows when something is not quite right. Our nervous system gets an alert and some people may experience ringing in the ears, pins and needles in the lower extremities, visual disturbances, etc.
During the attack, or migraine stage, the pain can “range from mild to severe, which can lead people with mild pain to not recognize that they’re having a migraine.” This is where I am at during the time of writing this article. It has been this way now for about three days. I exercised for two of the days but the third day was the worse, I wasn’t able to do any physical activity, so I took this day to rest throughout the day while still being a mom. This includes looking over homeschool work, working, preparing dinner and all the things that come with parenting. The throbbing pain is intense, it feels like to the right of my temple is on fire. This is the phase where you feel it all hot flashes, cold flashes, throbbing pain in your eye, temple or head, neck pain, etc.
The Postdrome stage, or “Migraine Hangover,” happens next. “The postdrome has been defined as the time between headache resolution and feeling completely back to normal.” During this time you may still continue to feel tired, and have pain in the neck, etc. It’s so strange because it’s like you feel free of the pain you have had over the last few days, but still feel tired from having to go through it in the first place.
Dr. Josh Axe, a certified doctor of natural medicine and clinical nutritionist, has suggested that there are foods that can Get Rid of a Migraine Naturally including fruits, vegetables and omegas-3 foods.
A single mom’s duty doesn’t stop because she gets a headache, she has to keep going. I have had migraines for a while and have sought traditional and holistic treatment for relief. While many people take some over-the-counter pain relief medications (which I have too), my secret to pushing through a migraine is applying cool packs on any area that it feels good on (like my head, neck and shoulders), lying down in a dark quiet room to rest, massaging my temple, staying hydrated, eating small meals throughout the day (even if I don’t feel hungry), avoiding hunger, and avoiding migraine trigger foods. I just wait it out until it has passed and I can get back to my normal routine. I call this a time of rest period. A time to pray, rest and meditate on God’s word. Ecclesiastes reminds us of these times. We are reminded there is a time and season for everything.
Migraine headaches are horrible, and there are causes and in cases seeking medical attention is required. Sometimes it may be coming from something only a CT scan can display for you, so I would recommend speaking with a medical profession before trying anything mentioned as I am not a physician. If you are having migraine headaches my heart is full of compassion for you. It’s my prayers that the Lord heals you from these debilitating episodes, in Jesus name I pray … Amen.
Are you experiencing migraines? What is a remedy that works well for you?
A version of this story originally appeared on Tiffanyceverett.com
Photo submitted by contributor.