Sujata Awale
Kathmandu
Severe half headache, nausea, unbearable eye pain and vomiting. These are typical signs of my migraine pain. This pain comes in a weekly, bi-monthly or monthly basis depending upon what kind of lifestyle I carry. I don't remember since when I started getting this migraine pain. I am sure it's not hereditary – there is no history of migraine in my family. Seven years ago when I had a severe headache, going to sleep was the only remedy to pain. It was only four years ago I came to know it was migraine, and I have now learned to live with it.
While I was unaware of this neuro-vascular disease, I suffered a lot. My mother suffered even more. Every time I had a migraine attack, my mother used to get a panic attack. The symptoms – severe headache followed by eye pain and then vomiting – can scare anyone. The pain is so intense that you cannot perform your regular work. Everything around you will irritate you and you become highly sensitive to light and smell. My worried mother would do everything possible to put me to sleep.
When I had consulted my doctor, he had told me: “There is no cure for migraine. You should learn to live with it.” Migraine being a neuro-vascular disease – a disease related to neurons and blood vessels – it is incurable. Medicines prescribed for migraine do not treat the conditions, they can only minimise the frequency of migraine attacks and prevent neurons from getting damaged further.
Being extra careful and noting down the migraine chart helps a lot to prevent frequent attacks. I track my migraine attacks in a chart, and in these years I have learned that peanuts, fizzy drinks, noodles, oily food, junk food, cheese, butter, red wine and alcohol trigger migraine. Fasting for long, exposure to direct sunlight, sleeping disorder, stress and even hormonal imbalance also trigger my migraine. I have accepted that migraine is now part of my life and it had made it easier for me to live with it. I avoid circumstances and foods that trigger the attack.
Somehow this pain has been helpful to correct my eating habits. I don't eat oily and junk foods. It saves me from unhygienic eating behaviour and prevents me from putting on those extra calories. I don't consume frizzy drinks, hence I am not getting those extra sugars. If you are having a headache like mine, it could be migraine. Consulting your doctor is the best idea.
