Migraine at work? What to do about it

Introduction

Migraines are common and can be debilitating. They often strike when you’re at work, resulting in lost productivity and missed deadlines. While not everyone gets migraines, they affect almost 12 percent of Americans – that’s 36 million people! So it’s important that we understand how to deal with them.

Migraine is a medical condition, not just a headache.

A migraine is a medical condition, not just a headache. Migraine is a neurological disorder that affects approximately 12% of the population and has an average age of onset at 28 years old. Because it can be difficult to diagnose and treat, migraine often goes undiagnosed or misdiagnosed—and even when correctly diagnosed, treatment may be delayed for months or years due to lack of effective acute treatments options.

Migraines are more than just headaches: they’re also visual disturbances (aura), numbness in extremities, tingling sensations over the body (paresthesias), nausea and vomiting; patients may experience sensitivity to light and noise as well as difficulties concentrating on tasks or reading text; cognitive impairments like memory loss are common during migraines too!

Migraine triggers are different for everyone.

Migraine triggers are different for everyone. Your migraine may be triggered by a specific food or substance, or you may have to deal with this annoyance every time the weather changes. Migraines can also be triggered by stress, noise, light, smells and physical activity.

Some of the most common migraine triggers include:

  • Foods: Chocolate and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are two foods that people with migraines should avoid completely. Most other foods are fine as long as they don’t bother you when eaten in moderation.
  • Stress: It’s common for people with migraines to notice their symptoms begin just before an important meeting or interview — even if they’re not worried about it! This is because stress hormones like cortisol make blood vessels more sensitive to pain signals like those sent out during a headache attack.

Talk to your doctor about having an in-office treatment plan.

The first step to managing your migraines is to talk to your doctor about having an in-office treatment plan. Once you’ve established that the migraines are indeed migraines, what is the best way to manage them? What’s the most effective treatment plan for you? Your doctor will be able to tell you what medications are right for you, as well as how often and when they should be taken.

It’s important not only to ask these questions, but also pay attention and make sure that they’re answered properly by your doctor so that they can help alleviate any pain or discomfort caused by migraine attacks.

Keep a migraine diary and track your symptoms.

Tracking your symptoms is an important step toward treatment, especially if you are trying to work with a doctor to find the best medicine for you. Keeping a migraine diary can help you track your symptoms and triggers, so that you can see patterns that could lead to treatment options.

  • Use a calendar or spreadsheet to keep track of when your migraines occur. This will help you notice patterns in the types of migraines that are happening, as well as what might have triggered them. For example, if one month all of your migraines occur on Wednesdays after dinner at 4pm every week, then it makes sense to avoid eating dinner at 4pm on Wednesday nights until there’s no chance of another headache coming later in the day! If none of these things work out for whatever reason (for instance because they’re too far out there), then try something else! Maybe talking about this stuff helps relax me enough so I don’t get so stressed out all over again; maybe reading about others going through similar experiences gives me hope for my own future… The possibilities are endless here—and if nothing else works then just go back onto those medications again!

Ask friends and loved ones to help you out when you’re going through a migraine.

If you’re at work and know that a migraine is coming on, ask someone close to you to help you out. You can ask them to drive you to the doctor or pharmacy, pick up your medication for you, or make sure that you’re eating and drinking enough throughout the day.

Prepare yourself on the days leading up to work that way you’re not scrambling to get ready.

You can prepare yourself for a migraine before it hits. This means making sure your work environment is ready to accommodate a possible attack and that you’re not scrambling to get ready.

  • Have a plan of action for when you start feeling the symptoms: If you know what works for your migraines, have it ready when the time comes. For example, if taking a hot shower helps relieve the pain, make sure there’s time during your lunch break or at home so that when symptoms come on in the office that particular day, you’ll have time to run home and take one without feeling rushed or pressured by others waiting around with their arms crossed impatiently while they wait on line behind you at Starbucks (or wherever).
  • Make sure everything is easy-to-reach: A lot of times we get tired at our desks because we’re trying too hard not only do our jobs but also multitask by running errands during lunch hour which usually involves driving somewhere else away from where our coworkers are located so they don’t see how much those little tasks actually impact us negatively later down line due to lack sleep due lack energy needed throughout day thanks lack energy gained thanks lack energy regained over past weekend spent recovering from previous week’s illness caused by spending too many hours sick due poor diet associated with poor exercise habits created because we had no time left over after work spent trying recover from  not having enough time during working day due being kept busy recovering from previous week’s illness caused by spending too many hours sick due bad diet associated with poor exercise habits created because we had no time left over after work spent trying recover from

If you know you’ll be facing bright lights or loud noises, take precautions to avoid them if possible. Wear sunglasses and earplugs. Take medication or use ice packs if needed.

If you know that your migraine is triggered by bright lights or loud noises, take precautions to avoid them if possible. Wear sunglasses and earplugs. Take medication or use ice packs if needed.

For example, say you know that when the lights turn on at work, your migraine will start in a matter of minutes. In this case, ask a friend for help by finding another way for them to let people know about the change in plans without alerting everyone else to what’s happening with you!

If these steps don’t work and getting through an episode of migraines is really important, consider asking someone else if they mind taking over so they can keep the room dark while everyone takes over responsibilities like answering phones or ordering food instead of cooking themselves (which may be difficult).

Don’t ignore that feeling that something isn’t right — men and women often have different symptoms of heart attack and stroke. Pay attention to what your body is telling you, don’t wait for pain, pain is too late! If you think something might be wrong or notice unusual symptoms, call 911 immediately!

  • The signs of a heart attack and stroke can sometimes be confusing. Some symptoms are similar, but they can also look very different between men and women. The most important thing to remember is to not ignore that feeling that something isn’t right. Don’t wait for pain — pain is too late!
  • Seek medical attention if you have: Chest discomfort or pressure; Discomfort radiating to one or both arms, the back, jaw or stomach; Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort; Sudden dizziness, weakness or fatigue (may appear as an impending sense of doom); Severe headache with no known cause; A sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (may indicate stroke), Numbness in any part of the body (can mean a transient ischemic attack). Call 911 immediately!

The American Heart Association recommends that all adults 18 years of age or older with blood pressure at or above 120/80 mmHg should have their blood pressure checked at least once every 2 years by a health professional using appropriate measurement techniques.

The American Heart Association recommends that all adults 18 years of age or older with blood pressure at or above 120/80 mmHg should have their blood pressure checked at least once every 2 years by a health professional using appropriate measurement techniques.

Healthy Blood Pressure

  • Systolic (the top number) is the maximum pressure in your arteries when your heart beats. Normal range is less than 120 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
  • Diastolic (the bottom number) is the minimum pressure in your arteries between heartbeats when your heart rests. Normal range is less than 80 mmHg.

Take steps to prevent attacks before they ruin your day – and possibly your career.

Take steps to prevent attacks before they ruin your day—and possibly your career.

If you’re prone to migraines, it’s important to have a plan for dealing with them when they strike at work. You can also get in touch with your employer and ask that they consider accommodations for migraine sufferers under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for employees who are disabled.

If you get a migraine on the job, though, there are still things you can do:

Conclusion

It’s important to know what your triggers are and how to avoid them. It’s also important for employers to understand that migraines aren’t just headaches.