Imagine waking up on a Monday morning determined to go to school with a smile – even if the weather is nasty. Then, imagine a sharp pang in your head, even if that pain is only in one half of your head. If you’re like me, you know that this is a migraine. Migraines are horrible headaches which happen because of the Trigeminal Nerve. According to Associations of Migraine Disorders, the Trigeminal Nerve is the “largest of the 12 cranial nerves. It sends sensations from the face to the brain. [It is] involved with the pathophysiology of migraine.” So, when these sensations happen, there are a few things that we can do to tell whether it is a migraine or just a very painful headache. According to the Mayo Clinic, before getting hit by a migraine, our body gives us a warning, an aura. Auras are, according to Mayo clinic: “reversible symptoms of the nervous system. They’re usually visual but also can include other disturbances. Each symptom usually begins gradually and builds up over several minutes, up to 60 minutes.”  Some of these symptoms include: blurry vision, bright flashes or black dots in vision, numbness in one half of your body. During these migraine ‘attacks,’ one can experience severe throbbing pain in one side of one’s head, sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, as well causing a degradation in performance and daily activity. There are many effective ways for dealing with these mental monsters such as taking pain killers, sleeping or sometimes, if the symptoms are severe enough, going to see the doctor. Mayo Clinic says that migraines can last from to four to 72 hours, and, after dealing with a migraine, it is normal for people to feel exhausted and confused. So, the next time you wake up with a nasty pang, on one side of your head, don’t push yourself. Stay home and take a nap so that the migraine can pass and you can wake up rejuvenated and do your work to the best of your abilities! 

By Tvesha Patel ‘27 ,Science Editor

27tpatel@montroseschool.org