Disclaimer: This article and its survey findings were made possible by Novartis Consumer Health, Inc., the makers of Excedrin® Migraine. Respondents of the survey were diagnosed migraine sufferers. See your doctor for diagnosis of migraines and migraine treatment options.
If you’re a migraine sufferer, you’ve been there: maybe you’ve experienced pain throbbing in your head, sensitivity to light, hazy vision—migraines pretty much assign us a “useless” label for the day. If you aren’t a migraine sufferer yourself, you might not understand how debilitating a migraine can be. That’s why the makers of Excedrin® Migraine commissioned the Millennial Migraine Report to raise awareness of the condition and to better understand how millennial women, including suffering collegiettes, are managing their migraines. Sixty-two percent of millennial migraine sufferers say they would give up social media just to never experience a migraine again! Can you imagine experiencing the kind of serious pain that makes you want to leave Instagram and Yik Yak for good?
In our own little world on the plains, it can be hard to remember what stress and other life events can do to our bodies. Migraines are often written off as nothing serious; in actuality, 81 percent of millennial migraine suffers surveyed say they are held back from doing things they’d like because of their migraines. Can you imagine missing the Kick Six play at last year’s Iron Bowl because of a migraine?! Many times migraine suffers are told they won’t have as many episodes if they just de-stress. That’s not entirely true, and only half of millennial migraine sufferers say they are trying to reduce stress to stave off episodes. And as collegiettes, it’s nearly impossible to completely rid our lives of daily stress.
Academics are the center of life in Auburn. Between projects, papers, exams and general assignments, most of us spend countless hours held up in RBD or staring at our computer screens. While it may seem like an unavoidable activity, glaring into the bright lights of our laptops could actually be a migraine trigger for some, and for others stressing over that major exam you need to pass to bring up your midterm grade could trigger a migraine. Yes, ladies, that does include those beloved Netflix binges. Another major trigger for migraine sufferers is stress. Both are unavoidable in our college lives, so what’s a collegiette to do?
Now that midterms have passed and fall break is over, we’re nearly all experiencing the semester wind-down rush. Our professors have realized the end is near and are piling on assignments before the Thanksgiving holiday. All of the extra work takes time away from our exercise routines and healthy sleep patterns; and that healthy lifestyle is one way of managing migraines. While the end-of-semester rush can cause even more stress, which can lead to more migraines for some, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The saying “there’s an app for everything” isn’t short of truth when it comes to your migraine health! Only 10 percent of migraine suffers utilize an app on their smartphone to track their conditions, but the makers of Excedrin® Migraine have created a potential saving grace. The My Migraine Triggers™ App helps you keep tabs on your condition and allows you to share your records with your doctor so you can receive better care. Better yet, the app is free and available on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
It can be easy to forget just how important our health is among (what seems like) the million other things that feel like just as much of a priority. However, just a few simple steps can help you feel better and get back to that lengthy to-do list before it grows a few more inches. Remember to stay smart about your medication, and be sure to always use as directed (and of course consult your doctor)! College doesn’t last forever, but your health is lifelong. Don’t ignore managing your migraines for a few percentage points on your next exam.
To find out more head to Excedrin.com/stories.