We already know the devastating havoc which catching the coronavirus can result in. Reduced lung capacity, fever, difficulty breathing – the illness is incredibly serious.
It’s not just the catching the virus itself that is causing people damage though. The effects of staying inside and distanced from friends and family has been shown to be having a marked impact on the mental wellbeing of society as a whole and on an individual level.
Migraine sufferers have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic in an additional way. Migraine sufferers have reported that they are experiencing more frequent and more severe migraines since the beginning of the coronavirus crisis.
A new survey conducted by the Migraine Association of Ireland, alongside pharmaceutical company Novartis, detailed this finding via their sample group of 120 adults living with migraine in Ireland. 58% of the survey respondents reported that they had been suffering from more frequent migraine attacks. 69% of the group said that their migraines symptoms have worsened since the coronavirus crisis began.
It’s no coincidence that migraine attacks have increased in number and severity at the same time as the pandemic has struck. Of the 58% of sufferers who reported having more frequent attacks, 84% said that this was because of the stress caused by the pandemic.
Other migraine exacerbating factors are cited as being; disrupted daily routines, increased screen time, disturbed sleep patterns, and many other triggers being encountered on a more regular basis as a result of lockdown.
Although there is no easy solution, some advice which has been offered to try and reduce the migraine increase has been to try to reduce stress through meditation and yoga, taking regular breaks from screens during the day, and creating a new daily routine and sticking to it as much as is possible.
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