It happens every year like clockwork .
By April 1 , Jessica Kubasak has run out of sick days at work . By New Year ’ s Eve , she has 20 illness-related absences on the books .
Kubasak , a 30-year-old health care provider from California ’ s San Fernando Valley , has been a migraine sufferer for more than 15 years . She says her migraines occur eight or nine times a month and last two or three days at a time — that ’ s at least 384 hours worth of nausea , headaches and light sensitivity every month .
“ It tortures every part of your body ,” says Kubasak , who relies on provisions in the Family and Medical Leave Act to acquire the unpaid sick days necessary to treat her condition .
Unlike most migraineurs , Kubasak isn ’ t affected by common triggers , such as chocolate , citrus-packed foods or even hormonal shifts brought on by her menstrual cycle . Unfortunately , her migraine ’ s accelerant — like a match to dry brush — is stress .
“ Migraines look for change and tend to get people when the boat is rocked ,” says Jason Rosenberg , MD , a neurologist and director of the Johns Hopkins Headache Center at Bayview in Baltimore . “ On average , people who have very frequent headaches are suffering disproportionately from mental health issues , ranging from anxiety and PTSD to major life stressors and counterproductive coping skills .”
In several medical studies , migraine patients have reported stress as a serious trigger , often edging out missed meals , bright sunlight and weather changes as the most common precipitant . Chronic stressors , such as economic uncertainty , career difficulties and family issues , can wreak havoc on anybody , but they ’ re especially tough on migraineurs , who already walk an emotional tightrope . “ The body was not created to handle that kind of stress on a regular basis ,” says Kathleen Hall , PhD , noted stress expert and founder of the Stress Institute in Atlanta .
The body ’ s response to stress is to reduce body temperature and dilate blood vessels , which makes patients more susceptible to other migraine triggers , according to Hall . However , by embracing a stress reduction and relaxation plan , she says migraine sufferers can impact brain function and spur the release of pain-blocking chemicals , such as serotonin , dopamine and endorphins .
Relief is possible , but it requires a coordinated plan of attack . Here are seven essential moves every migraine sufferer should master .
32 HEAD WISE | Volume 1 , Issue 2 • 2011