A Nurse’s Guide to Managing Migraines: Migraine Awareness Month

As a nurse, you’re no stranger to hard work and long hours with large amounts of stress. During these shifts, do you often experience pounding headaches? It might not just be a ‘headache’. When alarms are constantly sounding in patient rooms and tons of bright lights are beaming in your eyes, this can cause a nasty migraine.

When you’re responsible for the health and wellbeing of others, it’s important to manage your own health first so you can care for others effectively. Read below to learn how to manage migraines while working as a nurse. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a new nurse, these tips can help you manage those nasty migraines.

What is a migraine?

A migraine is a neurological condition characterised by severe headaches or head throbbing, along with various limiting, sometimes debilitating symptoms. Migraines can be present with nausea, vomiting, fatigue, brain fog and vision changes. The pounding or pulsing pain usually begins in the forehead, the side of the head, or around the eyes.

Women may be more susceptible to migraines during their menstrual cycle, referred to as menstrual migraines. It is often associated with falling levels of oestrogen. It is most likely to occur in the two days leading up to a period and the first three days of your period. This kind of migraine is believed to affect around 60% of women who have migraine, or up to 10% of all women.

Migraines affect up to 1 in 5 people. It isn’t a temporary condition or something that will go away on its own. It is an invisible disability without a cure; however, it can be managed with the right treatment plan in most cases.

What are the symptoms?

A migraine headache has different symptoms from other types of headaches. Migraine symptoms can include:

• Numbness of the face or extremities (hands and feet)
• Sensitivity to smell and touch
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to sound
• Sensitivity to light
• Affected vision
  

How can I manage a migraine while at work?

Drink water and don’t skip meals

As a nurse, it’s easy to neglect the simple things while you are busy with patients. But when you’re susceptible to migraines, taking care of your body is important. By taking breaks to rehydrate and eat meals, it can really help ease symptoms. Don’t be afraid to request a short reset and refuel break.

Track your symptoms

I know the last thing you want to do as a nurse is have another diary, but a migraine diary can be a great way of identifying triggers to manage future migraines. You can document the events leading up to a migraine, like what you ate, how you slept and your menstrual cycle.

If you’re more of a digital diary lover, you can do this on your mobile. Our favourite is Migraine Buddy – a free, easy-to-use, and reliable app right in your pocket that helps you track symptoms and can also share them with your doctor.

Because migraines vary in symptoms and severity by person, it's important to know how your migraine will affect your work as a nurse. When a migraine hits, do you need to go home for the day, or can you return to work after a few minutes of rest? Ultimately, you need to listen to your body while at work! If you know you slept poorly, watch for symptoms of an impending migraine at work.

Practice relaxation exercises

Stress as a nurse can sometimes be unavoidable, but it’s important to commit to regular self-care to try and calm your nervous system down. Aerobic exercise, yoga, meditation, and breathwork can all prove beneficial in preventing migraine attacks.

Our top favourite self-care apps that you can keep on your phone are:

• Balance – Balance is a meditation app that adapts to you. It focuses on improving sleep, stress and more.
• Calm – this app’s goal is to help you improve your health and happiness, whether it be improving your sleep quality, reducing stress or anxiety and improving focus.
• Breeze – this app tracks your mood to fight off feelings of anxiety and depression, as well as offers relaxing games.
• Headspace – Headspace is meditation made simple. It offers guided meditations, which only take a few minutes out of your day.
  

Consult your doctor

Sometimes a simple Panadol isn’t enough to cover the pain a migraine brings. It’s important to establish a partnership with your primary care provider. Together you can discuss the best treatment plan for you. Your doctor may suggest you take certain supplements to help ease symptoms and the frequency of migraines. Although it’s important to remember, a migraine treatment plan should involve more than just medications.

How can I manage a migraine at home?

It can be easier to manage migraines at home when you’re in the comfort of your bed. When you’re experiencing symptoms, it’s best to take care of yourself and not push on, causing more pain.

Here are our top tips for managing a migraine at home:

Lie down in a quiet, dark room

This removes any triggering elements such as bright lights or loud noises.

Place a cold cloth or ice pack over your forehead or behind your neck

This may provide some temporary relief to the pulsing pain you may be experiencing.

Stay hydrated

Keep your fluids up by grabbing a good old-fashioned glass of water which can help as much as an electrolyte-containing beverage such as Hydralyte, Gatorade, or Powerade.

How can employers help migraine sufferers?

As an employer, you should allow nurses to take uninterrupted breaks and keep water at the nurse's station. You can also be mindful of extra stimuli by silencing alarms and dimming the lights when staff come to you with an onset of migraine symptoms.

Managing migraines as a nurse can be challenging, but it’s not impossible. By taking care of your health and being proactive about managing your symptoms, you can continue to provide high-quality care to your patients. Remember to stay hydrated, take breaks when needed, and talk to your doctor if you’re experiencing frequent migraines. With the right strategies in place, you can continue to thrive as a nurse – even in the face of migraines.

To find out more about Migraines, click here.

*Please note: the information in this blog is general in nature and should never replace advice from your GP or specialist.