For as long as I can remember, starting at a very, very young age I have suffered from chronic migraines and cluster headaches. It wasn't until I was about 8 or 9 years old when I finally started seeing specialists and learned that the road to finding a solution was going to be a long one.
http://www.headachejournal.org/view/0/Neuroimaging...
(fMRI of the occipital cortex in response to visual stimulation in a non-migraine control subject (upper panel) and an interictal migraine subject (lower panel). There is wider cortical activation in the migraine patient at all three light intensities.)
What people don't realize (unless they themselves are going through the same thing) is how excruciating and indescribable the pain is. The worst part of not only having Chronic Migraines is a daily headache on top of it, or otherwise known as a Cluster a headache. Every single day by 12-1 PM, I could only anticipate the same migraine. Every. Single. Day. Middle school is hard for everyone, but having these hampering your day, it made my life worse because they were completely consumed by migraines. My friends never understood, and they assumed I was overreacting and would say the same old stuff that everyone else would "did you drink water?" , "did you eat?" , "maybe if you ignore the migraines then they'll go away." I missed out on so many things, parties, dances, sleepovers, etc. Eventually, you stop getting invited, which it doesn't really matter because when you even try to go out and do things while having a migraine, you can't even remotely enjoy it. I've thrown up at school and while hanging out with friends (multiple times) when trying to go out and have fun aside from feeling like garbage. My freshman year of high school I missed 52 days of school. Out of 180 some school days, I missed 52 of them.
Most people harassed me for missing so much school, thinking I was being weak and they would make excuses saying I was lazy and was just trying to skip school. One morning I left for the Emergency room, was put on fluids for hours with painkillers trying to bring down my blood pressure due to the intense pain. It got to the point where I was close to failing my classes by missing such excessive amounts of time and trying to catch up.
Living life in a relentless, continuous cycle day after day is wearing and brings down your quality of life.
What it feels like/ Symptoms
- The throbbing, like a heart beat pattern but with a pounding sensation.
- Like your entire brain ( or left, or right side) Is being squeezed with heavy pressure.
- Your entire upper body ( shoulders, neck, head) Is incredibly tense and tight.
- Like the actual veins in your forehead are being constricted ( because, they actually are)
- Loud , harsh, sharp noises can actually make you need to throw up.
- Change in vision, sometimes almost complete vision loss in one eye or an " Aura".
-Cyclative vomiting.
- Overheating/ Cold chills.
What helped Aid through the episodes (didn't fix, but slightly eased the pain)
- BATHS are you best friend.
-Cold compress ( especailly while taking a bath)
- Anti-nausea medication, followed by painkillers, that way you won't have the urge to throw up and avoid a sick stomach.
- Someone massaging with heavy pressure, your neck, head, forehead, back.
- SLEEP, sometimes all you can do is sleep it off. ( Even when it lasts over 24 hours).
Over a period of 5 years, I have gone and visited countless specialists that have " diagnosed" me with every possible illness imaginable. At a very young age, I started being prescribed endless medications and treatment from ENT ( ear, nose, and throat), Sports Medicine, Endocrinologist, Neurologist, Psychologist, Chiropractors, X-rays, CAT scans, MRI's, and Acupuncture.
By the time I had gone through an Endocrine specialist, it finally lead us to a Functional Medicine specialist. In all of my treatment over the years, caused a lot more problems than I needed to have ( especially as a young teenager), that were really able to be fixed by balancing out extremely unbalanced nutrient levels in my body.
For anyone who struggles, or have struggled with Chronic Migraines and/or Cluster headaches and can relate to it, you are not alone. I am truly so sorry and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, I really hope this can help more people understand it is so much more than just having an average headache (which sucks as it is) and help those who suffer themselves.
