I come from a long line of migraine sufferers. So when I turned 13, it didn’t surprise anyone that I started to get migraines too. They really didn’t get super intense until my thirties, although I did have them off and on throughout my teens and twenties. But for the last 15+ years, I’ve battled frequent and longer migraines.
Triggers
As a migraine sufferer, one of the most important things to know are your triggers. After 40 years, I have gotten pretty good at knowing mine: food (shellfish, tomatoes/sauce, processed foods, cauliflower, chocolate, wine), smells (perfume, gasoline, ammonia), environment (hot temperatures, being in the sun for a long time, barometric pressure, rainy days), stress, and most importantly hormonal fluctuations. Click here to read more about migraine triggers. Since so many different things trigger me, I tend to have migraines several times a month. I know there are a lot of sufferers who battle migraines on a daily basis. I feel for you! I am glad mine aren’t that frequent, although once I get one it usually lasts for a couple of days.
Symptoms
Along with triggers, it is a good idea to learn your symptoms. These include dizziness, auras, light sensitivity, and nausea. To read more about migraine symptoms, click here. And to learn about the latest migraine treatments, click here. Over time, I have also narrowed down my symptoms, much like my triggers: a runny nose, aura, light/noise sensitivity, throbbing pain, and nausea. But over the past year, I have also added chills, blurred vision, and vertigo to my list. Vertigo is really not fun!
Migraine Tracker
It wasn’t until my last doctor’s appointment that I had ever thought of actually tracking my migraines. My doctor has referred me to a neurologist to see if they can narrow down my migraines to see which medicine will be best for me. She suggested I start tracking them to give a good overview for my neurologist. I’ve been using a really great app on my phone to track them easily. Migraine Buddy is a free app where you can track your migraines, triggers, and symptoms. It has helped immensely. But I thought not everyone has a phone with apps, so I made my own monthly tracker that anyone can print and use.
When I am suffering through a migraine, I tend to grab for two things: a blanket and a large cup of tea. My go to tea is either British Breakfast or Earl Grey from The Republic of Tea. My blanket is whatever is close by. I really need to make myself a destash blanket. I think I’ll add that to my 2022/2023 to make list. Bella Dia’s Vintage Vertical Stripe Crocheted Blanket is a really good destash pattern and one that I can work on while watching TV. The last blanket I made was for my cousin’s baby. I used the Catch Some ZZZs Crochet Baby Blanket from One Dog Woof. It turned out really cute, and she loved it.
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