Coleraine woman opens up on life with migraines since she was just 11
A NI woman has opened up on living with migraines since she was just 11.
50-year-old Jenny Benham says her symptoms have varied over time, and last month she was diagnosed with chronic migraine.
The Coleraine woman says the condition affects her everyday life, and says more awareness is needed.
READ MORE: Plea to give NI dad 'a chance' as he's refused treatment at brain injury unit
READ MORE: NI mum determined to ‘fight with everything she's got’ after cancer diagnosis
It comes as The Migraine Trust launched its findings during Migraine Awareness Week (September 23-29) after surveying 2,028 people with the condition.
The Trust says it "found high numbers of people with migraine report not being believed or taken seriously, including in employment and when accessing healthcare. Over half say their mental health has been significantly affected as a result of living with migraine and sadly a third have had thoughts of suicide."
It added: "90% of people with the condition believe most people think migraine is just a bad headache."
Jenny told Belfast Live when her symptoms began. She said: "I first had them when I was 11. It started off with a visual aura at that time, so I would lose like half my vision. And then it developed into headache with nausea and vomiting, etc. But my mum and dad both have migraine.
"I've had it ever since then. It's varied over time. From that age to maybe about 30 it was quite manageable. I was able to manage it myself and just take over the counter medication, etc. But in my thirties, it got a lot worse.
"Probably in the last year or so, it's got worse again. And I think, sort of best evidence is that that's probably related to perimenopause. I recently actually just last month [was] diagnosed with chronic migraine, so I have some sort of symptom every day.
"I can have up to maybe about 12 days in the month where it is the blinding pain, but on other days, a variation of symptoms. I have things like tinnitus, vertigo, nausea, fatigue, trouble with word finding..."
Jenny added how “it really does” affect her everyday life. She got in touch with the Migraine Trust when living in England in her 30s and has kept in touch with them since.
She explained: “I use their website quite a lot, even now, just for up to date information and advice and guidance.
“Even though it's quite a common condition there's a lot of misunderstanding about migraine, what it is and how it affects people. And of course, most people just go, ‘well, that's a bad headache’.
“I do try to say 'no, it's so much more than a headache', and sometimes I might not even have a headache. But I have a whole constellation of other symptoms which affect every part of your life. It affects your relationships and your work and your social life.”
Jenny believes more awareness is needed, “particularly about things not to say to somebody that has a migraine”.
She said: “I had a particular incident which stuck with me - sometimes if I end up in a migraine crisis, where I've maybe had intense pain for 72 hours and none of the medication is working, I end up in A&E.
“And I remember one time going to A&E in this situation. Thankfully, the doctor was very, very empathetic and provided me with a lot of treatment, but a nurse said to me, ‘Do you normally come to A&E with a headache?’
“I find that really disappointing especially [as] I used to be a nurse myself. I felt too ill to challenge her, unfortunately.”
The Coleraine woman added that she wants employers to have more understanding.
Jenny continued: “I've been quite lucky throughout my work and career that my line managers have been quite understanding. But sometimes you feel like you're having to explain things over and over again. Things like [if] you work in an open office, actually that can, for a migraine brain, be too much stimulation.
“It's hard to explain things like, it's too much light or too much noise, I even get affected by odours as well.
“You always kind of think that you sound like you're making it up or, it sounds a bit weird.
“[You want people] just to believe you that actually, today you might have started off quite well. But by lunchtime, you might not be.”
The Migraine Trust say Migraine is a common condition, affecting around 10 million people in the UK.
It added: "Symptoms of a migraine attack can include head pain, nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to lights, sounds or smells and fatigue. Around one third of people will experience aura before an oncoming migraine attack, most commonly in the form of visual disturbances."
The charity continued: "Despite so many people experiencing migraine, the condition is poorly understood. A key theme throughout the research was migraine being dismissed or invalidated, with many respondents referring to migraine being mischaracterised as ‘just a headache’.
"When asked ‘how does migraine make you feel’, anxious was the most common response (62%). Followed by depressed, hopeless, lonely and angry.
"A third of callers to The Migraine Trust’s helpline report a decline in mental health due to their migraine. The charity is highlighting the need for the condition to be taken seriously so that those living with it get the support and care they deserve."
Robert Music, Chief Executive, The Migraine Trust: said: “This research paints a stark picture of the reality for many who live with migraine. It is far more than just a headache. Not being taken seriously is having a significant impact on the lives of those with the condition. Many spoke of social stigma, as well as poor understanding of migraine, and it’s clear that these are contributory factors in the reduced overall wellbeing of people living with migraine. It is essential that we change the perception of migraine and increase understanding about the true impact of living with the condition.”
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.