hiya bucks in Bourne End, Flackwell Heath, Marlow, Wycombe, Wooburn September 2017 | Page 14

Migraines and Me I was eleven when I got my first migraine. This is my story about migraines and me. This month has been my worst in a very long time. It would be easier for me to count the days I haven’t had a migraine than the days I have. If I don’t have a migraine it will be a headache, along with dizziness and a feeling of nausea. I managed to travel around the other side of the world for two and a half months and only have two migraines. Yet when I come back to the comfort of my own home I manage to immediately go back to square one. I recently received an email from someone who had read my articles. He asked if I knew about PFO? Have you ever heard it? It is Patent Foramen Ovale which can also be known as a hole in the heart. Unfortunately, several members of his family have had a PFO. When a baby is born, and it takes its first breath, the foramen ovale closes. Within a few months the hole has sealed completely. However, for about 1 in 4 people the hole doesn’t close. Most of those people go a lifetime without knowing about it. Some people find out about it during a routine check-up for something else. Before this reader found out they had a PFO they had suffered with migraines. Since having an operation to close the hole the migraines have dramatically decreased (from having one every month to one every six months). Migraines and Me 14 | hiyabucks.com It amazes me how widely spread the cause of migraines are and it has made me wonder if, perhaps, I have a PFO. I don’t want to scare anyone, but I do believe the more we are aware of, and have an idea of what could link in with migraines, the closer we will get to preventing them for good! If you have come across anything, and made a change in your life that you’ve found has changed your migraines for the better, please let me know. I love receiving your emails and researching what else in this world could be the cause of my migraines, as well as hearing the stories of how you have overcome your suffering. If you suffer from migraines I would love to hear from you. [email protected]