August 11, 2009

Headache

I love thunderstorms. I like to watch as trees bend in fierce winds, rain turns the world grey and misty, and lightning breaks the whole sky open. It feels luxurious to snuggle in a dry bed with a down quilt while thunder crashes outside the window and rain cascades down from gutters filled too quickly.

But the hours before a thunderstorm can be painful. Low-pressure systems wreak havoc with my head, triggering migraines that send me into a dark closet with an ice pack and an inability to handle anything.

I’ve learned some tricks to warding off migraines: getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, eliminating meat and dairy from my diet, meditating to reduce stress, running hot water on my hands and feet, staying away from triggers like cigarette smoke or new plastic, doing reiki on myself, drinking sports drinks with electrolytes, taking a nap as soon as I feel one coming on. Because I’ve gotten pretty good at anticipating migraines and taking care of myself, I don’t get them as often as I used to.

But still, this has been a difficult summer. We’ve had so many dramatic changes in weather that I’ve been fighting off headaches constantly. On Sunday, I had the worst migraine I’ve had in a few years; it was relief when the thunderstorm began that night, and the pressure in my head began to lift while I lay in bed and listened to the rain.

8 comments:

Loren said...

There are some possible causes of my infrequent migraines that I hadn't considered but seem quite probable now that you've mentioned them.

Thanks for the advice.

Michelle said...

I feel for you. Really. Some of my
migraines are weather induced, the
rest appear to be influenced by hormones. I never thought I would look forward to menopause as much as I do.

KathyR said...

Gosh, that sounds nasty. Like a weather system in your head! Glad you got some relief.

chichimama said...

It has been an awful summer for the headache suffers. I feel your pain, but glad you got the storm. Ours will hopefully arrive tomorrow...

Liesl said...

It has been a funny summer weather-wise. I'm sorry the storms have been aggravating your headaches, but I'm glad you end up getting some relief with the storms' arrivals.

AliceAcademic said...

Sorry to hear that Joe. I get migraines before rainy weather too. Have you tried trigger point therapy? It has done wonders for me.

Here's a link: http://www.triggerpointbook.com/headache.htm

Anonymous said...

I get weather headaches but nothing as bad as that. I can't imagine what a migraine must feel like.

jo(e) said...

AliceAcademic: Thanks for the link. I don't know much about trigger point therapy -- I'll have to try it.