for anyone who suffers, there is no need to explain the misery associated. for anyone who doesn’t there is simply no way to convey how awful it is.
in my case, i suffer from something called a Hemiplegic Migraine. that means that right before the headache part comes on, one side of my body goes completely numb. it happens to be my left side, and the first time it happened i thought i was having a stroke. my grandfather and more than one uncle died young of cardiovascular disease and had strokes very early in life, so this was not so far-fetched as it might seem at first blush.
while the numbness itself does not cause undue discomfort, it does tend to send me into something of a panic knowing what it heralds. i have learned however to be grateful for it in that sometimes, on very lucky days, if i take medicine RIGHT when i go numb, it can forestall the onset of a full-blown migraine and just leave me with a low-grade but tolerably terrible headache.
the last time i had one, as i lay there with towel wrapped around my head for darkness, earplugs and fan for quiet, medicine not having done it’s magic, i thought about all the various folk remedies that have been suggested down the years to try and prevent or treat migraine and thought it would be interesting and somewhat amusing to list a few…
Fresh Cut Green Apple: i got this one from my mother, who also suffers. she never gets to the super awful headache stage, but she does have the numbness part. she claims if you cut open a green apple and hold it close to your face and inhale the scent, it can help ward off the headache. migraine vs aromatherapy? i’m skeptical. i’ve never tried it. i don’t usually have green apples lying around, and cutting anything open when i’m pre-migraine seems like a bad idea since the temptation would likely be to plunge the knife into my own eye to put myself out of my misery. seems best to keep away from sharp objects…
Hot Feet, Cold Head: this one comes via my friend Stephanie who suffers migraines at least as frequently as i do, and suggested the medication that (sometimes) staves off the full-blown monster. She mentioned that putting your feet in hot water and an ice pack on your head helps contract the capillaries in your head while dialating them in your feet. it helps divert blood flow that would otherwise increase the intensity of the headache. i’ve had reasonable success with this tactic. though usually it just takes the edge off rather than curing it altogether.
Lean, Mean, Caffiene: this is a well-documented way to combat headache in general. the stimulant helps dilate those pesky contricted blood vessels and relieve the pressure causing the pain. of course, i am not a fan of most caffienated beverages and so this one has always been a bit tough on me. i’ve taken to keeping caffiene pills around for the purpose so i dont have to try to choke down a mocha when my head is pounding.
A More Unorthodox Approach: turns out the human body is itself quite a remarkable little pharmacological factory. and one of the substances the body produces that has both a pain-relieving and calming effect is a hormone called Oxytocin. this hormone is released during two related but distinct experiences: orgasm and direct nipple stimulation (as would be produced during breastfeeding). so. i heard somewhere there were studies (STUDIES!! it MUST BE TRUE!!) which indicated that oxytocin could be very effective in helping relieve migraine. and though the onset of a migraine is not exactly my idea of sexytime, i have tried this method and had excellent results. far better than any other remedy i’ve tried. suddenly “honey i have a headache” turns out to be a come on…
wondering if anyone else has any remedies that have worked for them over the years? i’m willing to try most anything (obviously) so if you have any suggestions, they would be most welcome!
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