Ruth Clausen started having severe headaches when she was 14 or 15 years old. At first they didn't happen very often, but as time went on, they became more frequent. The headaches usually started at night, waking her up with an excruciating pain in her head. She would also feel sick to her stomach and throw up. During her headaches, Ruth was extremely sensitive to smells and tastes, which could make her vomit. Her headaches tended to be triggered by changes in the weather. The headaches would last for as long as three days.
Getting a diagnosis of migraine was a long process for Ruth. At first, her doctors thought her headaches, which were not very frequent at the time, were due to the flu, hormones, or a food allergy. She was referred to a chiropractor to see whether the headaches were related to a problem in her neck. She also saw an allergist to investigate whether her headaches were allergy-related. It was Ruth's allergist who eventually put the pieces together and referred her to a neurologist (a doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating conditions of the brain and nervous system), who diagnosed her with migraine. By this time Ruth was nearly 30.
Once the cause of the problem was identified, Ruth worked together with her neurologist to develop a plan for managing her migraine attacks. To learn more about how Ruth and her doctor found a treatment, see "Finding a migraine treatment that works."
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Ruths-Story-Managing-Migraine
For Ruth, migraine attacks took a toll on every aspect of her life. Her work as an assistant manager for a major corporation was affected, as she often needed to take time off because of her headaches. She would start her vacations knowing that she would lose at least one day just due to her migraine attacks, which are triggered by changes in the weather.
Ruth's family life also suffered. As part of a large extended family with nieces, nephews, and grandchildren, family activities such as birthdays and hockey games are an important part of Ruth's life. Because of her migraines, Ruth was often unable to enjoy these special occasions, finding herself in bed with a migraine attack while everyone else carried on with their family activities. For Ruth, the toughest thing was missing Mother's day, Father's day, and 2 or 3 days during the Christmas holidays because of her headaches.
As Ruth says, "there are so many things you miss that you can't ever get back." But Ruth's story does have a happy ending - thanks to working with her doctor, she has found a treatment for her migraine attacks, which makes a big difference in her life. To learn more, see "Finding a migraine treatment that works."
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Ruths-Story-Managing-Migraine
In her fight against migraines, Ruth has had a trusty ally: her neurologist. Ruth has "all the confidence in the world" in her neurologist, who has helped her manage her migraine attacks for the past 20 years. During this time, they have seen a number of exciting developments in migraine management, and Ruth and her doctor have participated in a number of clinical studies to evaluate different treatments.
Ruth's journey towards finding an effective treatment for her headaches started when she was a teenager. At that time, she had not yet been diagnosed with migraine. She tried a number of non-specific medications for pain relief. Although these medications helped, they did not provide full relief from her headaches.
Once Ruth received her diagnosis of migraine, she began using migraine-specific medications, as recommended by her neurologist. When she first started migraine treatment about 20 years ago, there were not as many options available for treating migraine attacks as there are today. Ruth and her neurologist actually helped play a role in the development of some medications used today by participating in clinical studies to help evaluate these treatments. Ruth was glad to be a part of the studies because "even if the treatment didn't help me, it might help someone else."
After trying a variety of treatments, Ruth and her neurologist arrived at a treatment plan that works for her: one medication that Ruth takes regularly to help prevent her migraine attacks, plus another migraine-specific medication that she takes as needed when a migraine attack starts. Ruth's migraine-specific medication belongs to the family of medications known as triptans, which work by narrowing swollen blood vessels in the brain and balancing brain chemicals. Migraine-specific medications come in a variety of different forms and just like Ruth, you and your doctor can find the one that's right for your migraines.
Ruth finds that her migraine treatment makes a big difference in her life. By relieving her migraine symptoms, Ruth feels she can now work effectively and enjoy her family life. It also gives her peace of mind to know that if a migraine strikes, relief is available. She carries her migraine-relief medication with her at all times, and she no longer worries about headaches.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Ruths-Story-Managing-Migraine
Based on her experience in coping with migraine attacks, Ruth has some advice to offer other migraine sufferers. The most important thing, Ruth says, is to know that there is help - you just need to go and get it. Many people don't realize they have migraines and that migraine-specific treatments are available. Ruth encourages people who have headaches to visit their doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.
Ruth also advises migraine sufferers to let their doctor know if their current treatment is not working as well as they would like. If you feel you're not getting the treatment you want, she says, "ask to be referred to a specialist." For Ruth, seeing a neurologist made all the difference in finding a treatment that was right for her.
And finally, Ruth urges people with migraines not to let headaches rule their lives. "Don't dwell on it," she advises. "If you sit at home worrying about getting a migraine, you'll miss out on even more of your life." Instead, she encourages people with migraine to speak to their doctor about finding a treatment that works for them, so they can spend less time dreading a migraine attack and more time doing the activities they enjoy.
All material copyright MediResource Inc. 1996 – 2024. Terms and conditions of use. The contents herein are for informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Source: www.medbroadcast.com/healthfeature/gethealthfeature/Ruths-Story-Managing-Migraine
