What People Who Think a Migraine Is ‘Just a Headache’ Need to Hear

I don't know about you, but I have had so many people throughout my life telling me that I'm overreacting and that my migraine is just a headache. I feel like it's time for us to speak out and let these people know that it is a lot more than a headache.

From my personal experience, I've been having migraines since about the age of 11. They did start just as a headache, but it's not a normal headache.

It's generally directed on one side of my head, and it's usually behind my eye and really, really in my brain. It's tough to describe.

Visual Disturbances

It started off as headaches, and then visual disturbances. The only thing I can compare it to is when you take a photo with a camera, and it has a flash, and you see the little spots – that is what I have in my eyes as I'm getting a migraine.

It's not like it doesn't wear off, it's constant.

I always have some blurriness, and I know a lot of different people experience it in different ways. Some people get tunnel vision to like where the blurriness is on the outside. I get it on one side and then it kind of starts to look like things are disappearing. It's bizarre, disorientating, and quite scary.

I remember the first time that it happened and it was scary. Usually, when I tell people about this experience, all they say is, "Oh, sorry yeah, I see that it's not just a headache."

Tingling Sensations – Like Pins and Needles

I also developed tingling sensations – like pins and needles, and I get it in my fingers. The first time it ever happened I thought I'd just been laying on my hand funny. It turns out that's a side effect to me having a migraine.

I get like pins and needles in my fingers, and my fingers go numb, and then it also goes up into my mouth. Again, it's usually on the one side of my face.

Obviously, it has something to do with my brain and how it's been affected. So, it kind of just goes down one side of my body. It's so strange, and it's probably my least favorite part of it.

Migraines and Sickness

I sometimes get sick, a lot. I'll end up throwing up and usually after I've thrown up, it does make me feel a lot better. However, like my body really retches, and it hurts a lot.

When I fall asleep, the headache could be going, and the eyesight problem is probably gone, and the tingly feeling in my fingers is presumably gone. Then at the end of it is usually me throwing up violently, and it's not fun.

So, yeah, that is my personal experience of what a migraine is like for me. I've had them all in different orders, but all these symptoms seem to happen pretty much every single time.

Change Your Perspective About Migraines and Headaches

The headache part is the tiniest part of having a migraine. The more traumatic parts for me are the eyes, the tingling, and the throwing up is definitely more to it than just a headache.

So, if you are guilty of presuming that migraines are just headaches, please take this into account before you say that to someone because as someone who suffers from migraines super, super frustrating. Hopefully, now you can see a little bit more.

If you are a migraine sufferer yourself and have had an experience with people presuming it's just a migraine, or if you've got any stories, please do leave them down in the comments below. I hope you did find this video helpful.