For San Francisco readers keeping up-to-date on world news, we are pleased to present this story from The BBC.

By Jane Elliott
Health reporter, BBC News

Angela Taylor will be having a quiet Christmas this year – with just her husband and two children.

Everything is planned to be as low-key as possible, no alcohol, sensible eating and as little excitement as possible.

Angela knows her Christmas might sound boring to some, but she says the low key approach is vital to ensure she does not have a debilitating migraine, which would ruin Christmas for her and her family.

“About four years ago I had a terrible migraine and it ruined Christmas Day,” said Angela, aged 50, from Kent.

Avoiding stress

And all it took was one glass of champagne.

“I had felt absolutely fine. I opened the presents with the children.

“But when my family arrived at about 11am, we had smoked salmon and champagne – within half an hour I felt very sick.

"I felt cheated and so did my young children"
Angela Taylor

“By the time Christmas lunch was being served I was being sick. It really was the end of the day.

“I can remember trying to come downstairs a couple of times but feeling too ill and running upstairs to be sick.

“I knew alcohol could be a problem, but you always think it is going to be all right – even though a bit of you says it won’t.

“I felt cheated and so did my young children.”

Now Angela, who has suffered migraines since puberty, is on strong medication and tries to avoid anything which might trigger her headaches – including skipping meals, drinking alcohol or getting too exhausted.

HOW TO BEAT MIGRAINE

• Eat regularly and avoid sugary snacks
• Have alcohol in moderation and stay hydrated
• Talk to your GP in advance to discuss how to manage and treat your migraine attacks
• Make sure you have medication in the house
• Don’t alter your sleep patterns – having a lie in can trigger a migraine
• Recognise the early symptoms of an attack so that you can take action sooner rather than later
• Plan ahead as much as possible and delegate jobs to friends and family
• Try to take some time out each day to relax and try to do a little exercise

And she admits Christmas is a tricky period to negotiate.

“I make sure I have lots of regular sleep and don’t get too excited.

“I do find there is an adrenaline rush with the excitement of people arriving for Christmas and the children being excited.

“What we do now is just have the four of us. It makes it more manageable, as having people round and cooking a big meal is a stress factor for me.

“It will be a quieter more manageable day.”

Dr Manuela Fontebasso, a York GP who also runs a specialist headache clinic at York District Hospital, said a busy period like Christmas had many potential triggers for the 16-18% of women and 6-8% of men who get migraine.

“With Christmas you have a steady build-up of practical things that need to get sorted, such as problem solving and trying to keep everyone in the family happy – all of these are triggers which push at your headache threshold.

“So it’s a question of stepping back and thinking ‘what things at this time of year do I find stressful and challenging’ and ‘can I do anything to modify them in a way that has a positive outcome or can I avoid them all together if that is not going to create more problems than it solves’

“I am a great believer in everything in moderation. If you are going to have a busy and stressful time, make sure you eat regularly.

“If you are going to be drinking a lot of alcohol drink the equivalent amount of water to keep hydrated.

“Try and keep a regular sleep pattern as much as you can.”

Wendy Thomas, chief executive of the Migraine Trust, agreed that Christmas is a stressful period.

“It is a classic time for a migraine to strike, due to stress and changes in routine, so it’s a good idea for people who suffer from migraine to plan ahead and follow some basic guidelines.

“It can be a disaster if an attack ruins your Christmas and yet research shows many people with migraine miss out on celebrations because of their condition.

This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation

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