The cohosts of Migraine World Summit, Paula Dumas and Carl Cincinnato, are out to change all that. On Wednesday, March 11, they kicked off their fifth annual online education program with MWS OnStage, a live event in New York City. They were joined by three migraine experts, William B. Young, MD, Dawn Buse, PhD, and Amaal J. Starling, MD, as well as the comedian Whitney Cummings and the former Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard for an evening of information and empowerment. Wendy Bohmfalk, the director of operations of the Migraine World Summit, moderated the Q&A portion of the evening. Here’s a sampling of what was covered at the event, and if you’re hungry for more, you can watch the entire presentation on Facebook.
‘I’m Not Fine’: The Admission Is Empowering
Migraine disease has more than 40 symptoms, says William Young, MD, a neurologist and the director of the Jefferson Headache Center in Philadelphia. It’s not just a headache. Symptoms of migraine can include yawning, nausea and vomiting, vision loss, memory lapse, and more. Because migraine is symptom-based and can’t be identified by lab tests or scans, Dr. Young says people who have it often feel stigmatized, and many end up pretending to feel fine despite being in immense pain. It’s no way to live, and there are a variety of migraine treatments that can help. That’s why Young encourages those suffering in silence to seek proper medical care, as well as share what they’re going through with family, friends, and even employers. “Opening up is hard, but it can be transformative,” Young says. “People with migraine deserve empathy — not judgment or trivialization. It’s okay to say you’re not fine to yourself, and you’ll feel more empowered.”
‘Self-Care Isn’t Selfish’: Seek Help if You Need It
Not only is migraine underdiagnosed by doctors, but many people don’t realize they should bring their symptoms to their doctor’s attention in the first place, says Dawn Buse, PhD, a clinical psychologist and a professor of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. If you have severe headaches, nausea, and sensitivities to light, smells, or sounds, Dr. Buse says you probably have migraine. Migraine is the third most common disease worldwide and among the top 10 leading causes of disability, but the lack of awareness around the disease continues to be a challenge in properly diagnosing and treating it, notes an study published in April 2018 in the journal Headache. Because migraine symptoms are different for each person, Buse says the key to alleviating them is to work with healthcare professionals to create a customized treatment plan specific to your needs. “You deserve to live the life you want to live. If you’re suffering with migraine in a way that’s negatively impacting your life, all of us here really encourage you to seek treatment,” Buse says. “Self-care isn’t selfish. In fact, it’s often the best gift that you can give others.” RELATED: What Happens in Your Body During a Migraine Attack Dr. Starling encouraged those living with migraine to stop telling their doctors that they’re fine, and instead go to appointments with a headache diary that details the number of days of work they miss because of migraine, the social plans they have to cancel, the number of emergency department visits they make, and any of the other ways migraine interferes with their lives. Beyond self-advocacy at the doctor’s office, Starling also encouraged people with migraine to get involved in the migraine community — the American Migraine Foundation is one place to start — to help raise awareness and erase stigma as a group, not just alone.
Whitney Cummings: ‘Asking for Help Is Cool’
The comedian and actress Whitney Cummings knows all too well what it’s like to live with migraine — and to not be taken seriously about it. Cummings, who is known for creating the sitcom Two Broke Girls and her Netflix special Can I Touch It?, says she first started having migraine episodes as a child. They would always start the same — nausea, dizziness, vision loss — before escalating to full-blown attacks that left her incapacitated for days. The episodes were excruciating, but especially as a kid trying to fit in, Cummings says, she didn’t want to come across as emotional or weak. So she sucked it up, and until she was about 25, told herself, “It’s just another headache.” After years of hiding her pain, Cummings finally realized she wasn’t doing anything to help herself — nor was faking it helping anyone else, either. “Us suffering through a migraine for five days and martyring ourselves doesn’t benefit anybody,” she says. “Asking for help and admitting you’re in pain is cool. It empowers everybody else to take control of their mental and physical health and creates an environment where everybody is healthier.” RELATED: Whitney Cummings Speaks Up to Fight Migraine
Amanda Beard: ‘The Best Thing Is to Open Up and Educate Myself’
Like Cummings, the former professional swimmer Amanda Beard, a seven-time Olympic medalist and author of In the Water They Can’t See You Cry, hid her migraines most of her life. As an Olympic athlete training six times a week on a rigorous schedule, Beard had little time to investigate what was causing her attacks or how to treat them. Missing even one practice would have cost her dearly, she says, so Beard pretended she was fine. But the gold-medal-winning smile she kept planted on her face was just a Band-Aid over the pain going on inside. “It was also me not completely identifying what I was going through and making excuses,” Beard says. “What I’ve found has been the best thing for me is to open up, share my story, and try to educate myself more about it.” RELATED: Swimmer Amanda Beard Tames Migraine Symptoms With Mindful Meditation
Next Up: The Virtual Migraine World Summit
For those who missed the Migraine World Summit OnStage event, you still have a chance to learn from more than 30 of the world’s top migraine and headache experts, and all from the comfort of your own home with your computer, tablet, or smartphone. You do this by registering for the online 2020 Migraine World Summit, which runs from March 18 to 26. During these eight days, you will have free access to four video interviews per day, with topics including the causes of migraine, triggers, symptoms, medical treatments, alternative treatments, insurance issues, and dealing with migraine at work. The videos will continue to be available after March 26, but you will need to pay for access after that date.
