Post Classifieds
Many suffer migraines, stress
By Jasmine Peterson
On April 21, 2012
Angela Zych vividly described the symptoms of the headache she experiences twice
a month.
"Pressure points, sometimes in your neck or in your temples," said the junior math
major. "Light sensitivity, aggravation."
Zych experiences a migraine about every two weeks, she said. She has dealt with the
headaches since the beginning of high school.
And she's not alone. Students come into the health center frequently for headaches,
according to Weigel Health Center director Theresa Stephan Hains. Sufferers can
use a variety of medicines and other techniques to treat the headaches and their
symptoms, said Cheryl Smith, a local pharmacist.
Though some common symptoms of migraines are light sensitivity and nausea, not
all migraines are typical, Hains said.
Some migraine sufferers experience aura, which occurs before the headache and can
include visual signs, like seeing dots or wavy lines, or olfactory symptoms, she said.
Anything from certain foods to stress can trigger migraines, she said.
Hormonal changes can also cause migraines. In fact, when students come into the
health center asking for birth control pills, they're asked if they have a history of
migraines, said Hains.
Some migraine sufferers are sensitive to foods like Ramen noodles or Chinese
food, which include the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate, also known as
MSG. Tyramine, found in a multitude of foods from bananas to turkey, is another
ingredient known to be problematic, said Hains. Other people, she said, may be
triggered by hunger, stress, or fatigue.
To combat her migraines, Zych said she sometimes waits them out by lying down
with a cold rag over her head and drinking water.
But when under time constraints at work or school, Zych said she takes Excedrin
and her headache subsides within 25 minutes.
Over-the-counter pain relievers like Excedrin or Aleve are fine for those who,
like Zych, only suffer from the occasional migraine, said Smith, a pharmacist at
Walgreens in Amherst.
But those who suffer from migraines more than once a week are advised to seek
medical attention.
"If it's more than a couple times a week, then that's usually when you want to go to
the doctor to get something stronger," she said.
Not only will a doctor be able to better treat the migraines, there are also dangers to
overusing over-the-counter drugs.
"If you take the over-the-counter medicines too frequently, it can sometimes cause
the migraines to be even more severe," she said.
A doctor will likely prescribe a medicine from the category of Triptan drugs for
relief, she said. If that still doesn't do the trick, doctors may add a maintenance
medication to the patient's treatment, which can reduce the number of migraines a
person experiences, she said.
"Most of these drugs have an indication," said Smith of the maintenance
medications. "Their first indication isn't to treat migraines, that's a secondary
indication. Like Elavil, which is actually a medicine to treat depression."
Occasionally, doctors will prescribe patients steroids, which can lessen the tension
that adds to the pressure of the migraine, she said.
Smith also suggests some simple go-to methods for sufferers.
"Lay down, turn the lights off," she said. "Being in a dark room will help if the lights
bother you. Sometimes sound bothers people, so go in a quiet room. Some people
put sunglasses on. And drink plenty of water."
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