Has this ever happened to you: you have a date you’ve been looking forward to all week, but a few hours before you’re supposed to meet up, a migraine starts?
While completely stopping a migraine in its tracks can be difficult, there are a few expert-approved tricks that may help you get out the door and actually enjoy your date.
Migraine Symptoms
A migraine is different from a typical bad headache because it involves neurological symptoms that often come with a severe throbbing pain on one side of the head. While symptoms can vary from person to person, some include throbbing or pulsating pain on one side of the head, nausea, sensitivity to sound and light, visual disturbances, and vomiting.
Know Your Triggers Beforehand
If you deal with migraines, it’s important to understand your personal triggers so you can try your best to plan accordingly.
“If one suffers from migraines, it’s important to identify what triggers might be causing them,” Excedrin migraine expert and clinical psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Seng, MD, says. “Identifying your triggers can help ensure a smoother dating experience for all involved. This will help you to develop an effective plan of action that will hopefully help offset any future recurrences.”
Common migraine triggers include hormonal changes in women (such as during a period, pregnancy or menopause), as well as any medications that affect hormone levels such as oral contraceptives, stress, and sleep disturbances can also trigger migraines.
Treat Your Migraine Immediately
If you’ve done your homework around your triggers, and a migraine is still threatening to ruin a great date, make sure you have supplies to help you start treating it immediately.
Try an Over-the-Counter Medicine
The combination of ingredients in Excedrin Migraine is recommended as a first line of migraine treatment by the American Academy of Neurology and should be taken at the first signs of migraine symptoms. You might need to take some kind of medication before or during your date, and that’s OK! If the person you’re out with is really as cool as you think, they won’t judge you one bit. For some, Excedrin Migraine can relieve migraines in just 30 minutes.
