Zircon.

Understanding Migraine 

Migraine is the third most common disease globally, but it is rarely understood - it is not "just a headache", rather, it is a complex neurological condition.

According to The Migraine Trust, in the UK, approximately 190,000 migraine attacks happen daily, impacting people with varying degrees of severity, and 43 million work/education days are lost yearly. Living with migraine can be a veritable minefield of managing triggers, keeping diaries, maintaining routines, and trying medications to find something that works. In addition to explaining the impact migraine can have to other people and the stigma of brain fog and things like missing appointments/work and cancelling plans. Unsurprisingly, this can take a toll on mental health, with recent research from the American Migraine Foundation noting that migraine can be comorbid with depression or anxiety disorders.

No two people experience migraine the same way, but a general understanding is that migraine involves severe headaches which are characterised by their one-sided nature. The pain can be described as pulsating or throbbing that gets worse when one moves. One can also become sensitive to sound, smell, or light while experiencing nausea and/or vomiting (Mayo Clinic, n.d.). While not everyone experiences these symptoms together, they can come all at once and the pain can be debilitating.

These symptoms can lead the sufferer to want to stay in a dark, silent room until the attack ends. For some, this can take hours, but for others, it could be days.

The brain of someone with migraine likes balance so migraine can be ‘triggered’ by different things. Typical aggravators are hormones, stress, red wine, fluorescent lights or chocolate (The Migraine Trust, n.d.). Understandably, migraine can potentially impact one’s ability to work or engage in other day-to-day activities.

The classic four stages of a migraine include (Mayo Clinic, n.d.):

Prodrome

A prodrome happens before the aura and can include symptoms such as fatigue, food cravings, issues concentrating, light and sound sensitivity and difficulty speaking (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).

Aura

An ‘aura’ is a warning that the migraine is approaching and can vary between individuals. Some may see flashing lights, others may have blind spots in their vision, some may feel dizzy or experience pins and needles or smell things that are not there, e.g., smoke or gas.

Attack

During the attack, one can experience severe one-sided head pain and may be intolerant of light, sound, and smell. They could experience high levels of nausea, vomiting and/or chills.

Post-drome 

Following the attack, one may feel intense fatigue, struggle to concentrate or understand things and could feel depressed. This stage is often described as a ‘migraine hangover’ (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).

A Migraine can also occur without aura to provide warning signs that the migraine attack is approaching. Some people experience distinct phases with migraine, but some people do not (The Migraine Trust, n.d.).

The Categories of Migraine

Commonly, migraine is separated into two categories: migraine with aura and migraine without aura (The Migraine Trust, n.d.), but there can be a further breakdown. Cleveland Clinic (n.d.) explains that there are many types of migraine:

• Silent migraine: no head pain but there is an aura
• Ocular migraine: loss of vision that is usually temporary
• Chronic migraine: suffering for 15 or more days in a month
• Hemiplegic migraine: experience temporary paralysis
• Status migrainosus: a rare type that can last over 72 hours

Living with Migraine

Some people find that they can effectively manage their migraine with medication or lifestyle changes, but for others, it can impact on their ability to work. According to research by The Migraine Trust (n.d.), 43 million work/education days are lost per year in the United Kingdom due to migraine.

Even more worrying is that they found migraine impacts the mental health of 71% of people with the condition. These statistics suggest that many people live with migraine, but some may suffer silently. There can be a stigma around speaking up, especially at work. However, we believe that every individual has the right to be heard and has value to offer and so we encourage everyone to learn more about migraine and consider how to make working life easier.

Workplace Recommendations

At Zircon, we have implemented accommodations that support employees who are impacted by migraine and encourage other employers to consider doing the same. For example, reducing flashing on screens, offering some flexibility around working times, or positioning desks near natural light in offices where possible.

By increasing understanding, we can offer better support and in turn, create stronger personal connections.

Here are some suggestions that may help migraineurs and non-migraineurs alike:

• Check out the ‘night light’ function of your computer or device – blue light can be difficult to look at.
• Remember to drink enough water.
• Try to stay on top of stress – whether that be by talking it out, going for a walk, or decompressing by doing your favourite hobby.
• Speak to a trusted friend or colleague if you feel comfortable to – this could be to organise accommodations, manage stress/blow off some steam or to begin sharing information about migraine and its impact with more people.

If you are interested to learn more about migraine and how you can support someone with migraine, we recommend checking out The Migraine Trust’s page at:

https://migrainetrust.org/