By: Ashley Myers Henderson
Unable to handle the throbbing anymore, Jennifer Funkhouser gave up and decided to sleep the pain away. She rested her head gently on her pillow, knowing tomorrow's test score would reflect her inability to study that night.
A case of senioritis? Not this time. Funkhouser is one of an estimated 30 million Americans who suffer from migraines, according to the American Council for Headache Education official Website. This is equal to one person in every four households.
'I know I have a migraine when one side of my head gets a throbbing pain,' said Funkhouser, 21, a senior from Bonners Ferry, Idaho, majoring in sociology. 'First my neck gets incredibly tense and then I become overly sensitive to light, which makes me feel dizzy and nauseous. It's an absolutely terrible and debilitating problem.'
According to the headache council, migraines tend to run in families, and three-fourths of Americans who suffer from migraines are female.
Dr. L.E. Hoffman, clinical director at the BYU Student Health Center, said that although migraines are related to the constriction of blood vessels in the head, factors such as stress, lack of sleep or possessing a migraine-type personality might increase susceptibility.
The headache council adds that diet, environment, hormones and medication may also prompt a migraine.
Funkhouser said the stress of school is often a trigger for her, recalling one particularly difficult experience.
'One day I was so stressed that I had a migraine for pretty much the whole time I was awake,' she said. 'Anytime anyone would turn on a light, my whole head would pulsate. It wasn't a fun experience. I wasn't able to do anything, which just made the stress worse.'
Joel Mitchell, 25, a senior from Woodland Hills, Calif., majoring in public relations said his wife's migraines make life extremely difficult.
'When Weedle gets a migraine, she goes and lays down in bed,' he said. 'She needs it to be quiet and dark so she can try and sleep it off. It's difficult because I'm trying to do homework, and there are two kids running around all over the place. It's inconvenient for everyone.'
Although migraines are sometimes debilitating, others are able to fight through it.
'It depends on the severity of the migraine and people's responses to medications,' Hoffman said. 'It is common for the migraine to be disabling to the point where the sufferers can't concentrate or work on what needs to be done. On the other hand, there are people who get migraine headaches and just carry on with life.'
There is not much migraine sufferers can do to rid the pain besides rest and sleep. Funkhouser and Weedle Mitchell said they each take medication as soon as they feel the onset of a migraine.
Funkhouser takes as much Excedrin as she can, while Mitchell takes Imitrex, a doctor-prescribed medication that helps alleviate some of her symptoms.
'There's just not a lot you can do to solve the problem,' Mitchell said. 'I try to suck it up even though I prefer to hide in my bedroom. It's just something I have to learn to deal with. We all have our struggles. This just happens to be one of mine.'