It was recently reported that nearly one billion people around the world suffer from migraine. And since migraine and more neurological conditions are considered some of the world’s most widespread illnesses, their impacts on the lives of people are becoming alarmingly apparent.
Getting important tasks done is hard when you suffer from severe throbbing pains in your head. Top that off with feelings of nausea and sudden sensitivity to light that makes it hard to even open your eyes.
Productivity and migraine are not a good match and the implications can now be observed at a macro-level in the aspects of health and economics.
Migraines, along with other health conditions, are the main causes of the worsening impacts of absenteeism in workplaces. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that absenteeism in the U.S. alone costs employers $225.8 billion in losses annually.
How Do People Treat Migraine?
Despite the prevalence of migraine, awareness and sufficient knowledge of its causes, effects, and treatment seem to be inadequately explored still. Countless myths, self-medications, and superstitions still flood the internet which makes proper management of migraine more confusing and inaccessible.
A lot of people treat their migraine attacks by simply pumping up on painkillers. Fairly enough, if you suffer from pain, the easiest course of action will be to combat it with a painkiller.
Migraine, however, is much more complicated than the more occasional aches you experience temporarily. You have to remember that migraine has no proven cure up to this day and with how it’s being detrimental to overall productivity, it should not be taken lightly.
So, if you’re one of those people who are overly reliant and make painkillers their go-to in relieving their migraine, here’s why you should rethink your actions:
You Might Be Pregnant
Being pregnant especially when health risks are prevalent is hard. Extra precautions should always be taken to avoid complications, but this becomes more problematic when you’re not aware of it.
To set the record straight off the bat, taking medicine to relieve the pain brought by migraine is not wrong. But it also doesn’t mean that you can just reach out to anything available to you and take it mindlessly. So, before you take your trusted medicines, step back and analyze your body and overall health.
Pregnancy puts your body in a more complicated and sensitive condition and the last thing you want to do is take excessive intakes of chemicals that would do more harm than good in the long run.
It was studied that migraines can trigger and get worse during the first months of pregnancy. If you suddenly experienced migraine along with the common signs of pregnancy, it is better to get tests done and visit your local physician for a safe treatment plan.
You’re Disregarding a Serious Neurological Condition
Migraine is a neurological condition; the painful sensations of migraine are linked to your brain and nervous system. And while opting for over-the-counter medications is the easier route, there might be underlying issues in your system that can’t be addressed with simple medications.
If you’re suffering from severe pain you could not handle, get migraine attacks more than 15 times a month, have changes in vision, or experiencing seizures, it would be better to take it as a sign to visit a neurosurgeon.
As much as some medicine helps ease the pain, they don’t necessarily address the causes leading to it. Migraines happen to every person differently. Therefore, a treatment fit for you and your needs is a more productive way to deal with it.
With professional help, more rigid and innovative solutions like nerve blocks and nerve decompression surgery can be proposed as long-term solutions for your bothersome migraine episodes.
You Don't Make Lifestyle Changes
It has been proven that the main cause of migraine is genetics. And although some people are born with it, it doesn’t mean that they have to live with it as well.
Various studies have established that making lifestyle changes can contribute to less frequent and severe migraine attacks. This means that you only have to make some adjustments and look after your overall health to alleviate it.
Life factors like adequate sleep, yoga and exercise, massages, and healthy eating are all claimed to be helpful in combating the worst cases of migraine. Avoiding long periods of time in front of a computer, moderating caffeine intake, and having good mental health are also advised.
At the end of the day, just like any other illness, being healthy requires effort in taking care of your body. Health is always holistic and so making sure that your overall well-being is at its best state should always be your main goal.
Key Takeaway
Migraine is one of the most common conditions among people and the collective suffering from it is becoming more and more evident in both personal and professional aspects of life. Being sick leads to less time at work, less time with family and friends, less time for sleep, and less overall quality of life.
While it is normal to have varying ways to deal with migraine as it also manifests differently for people, it is also important that having knowledge about it should come first. Self-medication might seem cheaper and easier at first glance but the long-term impacts are often disregarded for temporary relief.
Mindful consideration of factors such as pregnancy, neurological conditions, and lifestyle habits should also be an important part of decision-making. Listening to superstitions, myths, or “internet doctors” is counterproductive and would often lead to nowhere. This is also true for any other health issues you’re suffering from.
Overall, a holistic approach should be the right approach. Experiencing health issues can help you analyze practices you might be doing wrong or details you often overlook. Take them as reminders that self-care and awareness are key to a sound body and mind.
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