Migraine happens as attacks and can last for hours to days, and the pain can be so severe that it interferes with someone’s daily activities.
Common migraine triggers include:
- hormonal changes – migraines are more likely to happen around the time of menstruation
- stress
- missing food
- dehydration
- specific foods and drinks, including alcohol
- environmental factors such as loud noise, heat or bright/flashing lights, and exposure to synthetic chemicals, especially pesticides
Symptoms
The symptoms experienced by someone living with migraine can disrupt their daily lives. Migraine attacks may last many days and hinder a person’s ability to succeed at work or home. The extent to which migraine can disrupt the lives of those living with the condition is vast and therefore often comes with feelings of hopelessness and helplessness, which can lead to depression. Here are some challenges that people with migraine may have:
- lack of support offered by people who do not understand when they have to cancel plans or a lack of empathy from employers and colleagues when frequent migraine attacks prevent them from excelling at work
- misconceptions of migraine such as “migraine is just a headache,” “over-the-counter medications can stop migraine” and “migraine is your fault”
- missing important events and social activities
- anxiety and worry about when the next attack might come and what it will impact
- impact on work and school may be affected
- concerns over financial well-being from decreased work hours
Like other non-visible disabilities, migraine can differ for people living with the condition, and each person may be affected differently. How can you help?
- find out as much as you can about migraine and be aware of what the symptoms might be
- do not make assumptions about how migraine affects someone
- be understanding, as migraines hurt – take people’s pain seriously, and let them know you are there to help
- listen before offering advice – each person with a migraine has different experiences, triggers, and types of migraine
- understand that it is not the person, but the condition that is unreliable and unpredictable
- say “no problem” when plans get cancelled
- don’t assume the migraine attack is over just because the pain phase has passed
- ask them if they have any triggers and what to avoid or not
A reasonable adjustment would include showing consideration when choosing meeting locations, opting for quiet locations with natural daylight, rather than noisy locations under fluorescent lighting. If you have a team member working in a noisy environment, recognise that loud noises and flickering lights can be a trigger for migraine, and be flexible in allowing colleagues to use headphones or loop noise reduction ear plugs to reduce ambient noise.