Some people have migraines from when they are children, but migraines can develop in our teens, twenties, or later. Whenever you begin experiencing migraines, there is a tendency to panic because the pain and other symptoms can be so severe and disabling.
But “Don’t Panic!” is always good advice, and here’s how you can keep panic under control when your migraines start.
It’s Not a Tumor
We understand that everyone’s mind has a tendency to jump to the worst possible conclusions. Add that to the availability of medical and pseudo-medical information on the Internet, and you’ve got a recipe for panic. But your migraine is just a migraine. Not to say that it isn’t painful, even disabling — more so than a tension headache — but it’s not a tumor. It’s not a stroke. It’s something you can live with and even overcome. True, symptoms like blurred vision, tingling in the arms, and others are shared with a stroke, but that doesn’t mean you’re having a stroke.
Make an appointment with your doctor to confirm the diagnosis, rather than just living in pain and fear. The answer will give you relief.
Take Control
Although we don’t fully understand migraines, we do understand the role of triggers in setting off your migraines. Start keeping a headache journal. This journal will help you identify what sets off your migraines–even if it’s something that seems unlikely–and help you avoid misinformation that might keep you from enjoying life. That way you can reduce your migraines, and sometimes even reduce their intensity.
Being in control of your migraines helps control your panic. Panic is a natural response when you’re powerless, but once you have the power over your migraines, you not only control them, you understand them.
Keep Pursuing Treatment
For many people, being aware of and avoiding your triggers can reduce or eliminate migraines sufficiently that you don’t need more treatment. Others, though, still need treatment to help control migraines.
Unfortunately, for many people, it’s hard to find a migraine treatment that works. That’s partly because there are many different causes of migraines. If the treatments your doctor or neurologist recommend aren’t working for you, it can put you back in panic mode: you’re out of control again and it seems hopeless.
Don’t let yourself get to that point. Instead of giving up on treatment, consider alternative approaches to migraine care. Some people see good results with acupuncture or meditation.
In our practice, we have helped many people with migraines experience dramatic reduction of migraine frequency and severity. If other treatments aren’t working for you, TMJ treatment might be the answer.
If you are looking for help with migraines in the Hilton Head area, please call (843) 706-2999 for an appointment with Beyond Exceptional Dentistry.
