migraines

the first time i had a migraine i was seventeen years old . when i told the doctor about the aura , slurred speech and pain above my right eye not unlike a sword being chiseled into my skull he dismissed it as "just" a migraine. its not that i wasnt relieved to find out that i was going to live, it just that the migraine experience is so otherworldly its hard to hear a doctor call it a "just" .
bright lights , change of season, stress (but of course) , stuffy airless rooms and floral perfumes are my major migraine triggers. citrus perfumes dont really bother me. i have a few friends who wear very heavy floral perfumes. aside from the fact that i abhor strong perfumes, the odor could send me into major migraine mode. fortunately these friends are more once in awhile friends so its not such an issue.
im one of the "lucky" ones. i see the aura first and if manage to quickly take two alleve it goes away within twenty minutes. migraine aura kind of looks like when someone takes your picture with a flash and you keep seeing the spots for several minutes later. migraine aura alone doesnt hurt, but it will if you dont nip it in the bud.
before i found the right medication as well as realized what the aura was signalling i experienced full blown migraines. i would lie down in a dark , cool bedroom , clench my forehead and try to sleep it off. which was not easy. if i would get to the point that i was nauseous enough to throw up it would hasten recovery time.
ive heard that migraine sufferers are more likely to get strokes, which spooks me. i can see why . some stroke symptoms are similar to migraine symptoms. i suppose one just has to be careful if one is getting migraine symptoms that seem starkly different from the usual ones and seek medical advice then.
for women migraines can be hormonally related. my mom stopped getting migraines after menopause.
if you are lucky enough not to get migraines you should try to appreciate how lucky you are. for those of you who do have migraines --- i feel your pain.