Taylor Siebert

As Madeline Proudfoot ’20 sat in class,  a sharp pain began to stab the top of her head. It was the beginning of her eighth-grade year and she had no idea

what was going on. Gathering her stuff, Proudfoot stumbled down to the office to head home. Struggling to speak, she tried to ask the front desk lady about her coat that she left in her locker. “It was cold, so I was trying to ask her if I could go get my coat and I kept saying, ‘My locker is in my coat, my locker is in my coat. I need to go get it,’” Proudfoot said. 

 

After getting home, Proudfoot struggled to get rid of the pain. It wasn’t until she fell asleep that it finally stopped. She had just experienced her first migraine.

 

After years of studying migraines, researchers, such as those at the Migraine Research Foundation, have determined that a migraine is a neurological disorder

associated with the nerve pathways and chemicals found in the brain. Consequently, the symptoms that come from a migraine are much more severe than those typically seen with a normal headache. Lasting anywhere from four to 72 hours, migraines can come with a variety of effects. The symptoms can include but are not limited to, sharp pain, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, and sensitivity to surroundings. Despite the research, there is still much to learn about the nature of migraines. 

 

Migraines can last for several agonizing hours, but there are a few things that students such as Keyshawn Gunn ‘20 have found to help relieve or reduce the pain.

“Usually I just lay down, but when that doesn’t work I just go to the hospital and they give me fluids,” Gunn said. “They usually give me Benadryl and give me an IV and stuff like that.” 

 

For Proudfoot, sleep has proven to be the best solution to her migraines. In addition to rest, she has also tried several prescribed medications, including

Amitriptyline, Topamax, and Sumatriptan. “Now I’m on a blood pressure medication that’s supposed to open up your blood vessels or something,” Proudfoot said. “So I’ve been on a lot of medication and this is the only one that ever really worked. But this one I have only been on for a week, so I don’t know.” 

 

Numerous home remedies can also be found online, though there have been mixed responses as to the usefulness of them. “I’ve tried an ice pack before, it

usually helps a little bit but never makes it go away,” Proudfoot said. “I have this essential oil stuff, it’s like Icy Hot. I put it on my temples and on the back of my neck, cause that’s where I get pain. At first, I thought it wouldn’t help, but it actually does.” 

 

According to Mayo Clinic, the direct causes of migraines are not understood, although they do have many triggers. Hormonal changes in women, food, drink,

stress, and changes in sleep patterns have been known to aggravate or trigger migraines. While doctors can’t give a general cause, some people have learned what their personal triggers are. “Mine are probably just hereditary because my mom gets them and my grandma gets them,” Gunn said. 

 

While there is still much to learn about migraines, it is clear that they are significantly different than headaches. “Headaches, most of the time when I get them, I

can still function and they are just annoying,” Proudfoot said. “But migraines are like I can’t do anything and sometimes I can’t even talk or walk or anything.”