But don’t tell a migraine sufferer that they just have a headache. Migraine affects one in eight of us, though more women than men: één vrouw op vier, één man op twaalf – one in four women, one in twelve men. One difference from hoofdpijn is that uw maag van streek is – your stomach is upset.

The only treatment is to take your medicine and lie down in a darkened room; yet even that may not be enough. Some suggest you should wear een zonnebril – a pair of sunglasses, even at night. The reason is that de kleinste hoeveelheid licht kan de pijn doen toenemen – the smallest amount of light can make the pain increase. Look cool in bed – let Ray Ban hide the pain.

That may sound improbable, but what about this remedy: twee kopjes sterke, zwarte koffie drinken – drink two cups of strong, black coffee. It narrows the bloedvaten – blood vessels and stimuleert je hersenen – stimulates your brains, though why this should help beats me. And doesn’t caffeine provoke the problem?

One remedy that might attract those of you with timelines around your eyes is botox: een injectie kan de spieren verlammen – an injection can paralyse the muscles. Sounds like overselling to me, and apparently if you’re going through the menopause it’s useless (though it will help the wrinkles).

Perhaps better is to get to grips with the migraine yourself. By keeping a migraine calendar you can see if there’s a cycle and so almost see it coming. Herken wat bij jou migraine uitlokt – Recognise what provokes your migraines. You may have to change your eetgewoonten – eating habits. Or the attacks may be caused by stress, slaapgebrek – lack of sleep, chocolate, oude kaas – mature cheese.

The list goes on: rode wijn – red wine, smaakversterkers – taste enhancers. Het kost wat moeite, maar het resultaat loont – It requires an effort, but the result is worth it.

Sufferers can turn to mother nature. One natural remedy that people have been taking for centuries is moederkruid – feverfew (“mother herb”). This you can use knowing that it’s safe and that het nauwelijks bijwerkingen heeft – it hardly ever has side-effects.

Some suggest getting on your bike: een fietstocht vermindert je symptomen – a bike ride reduces your symptoms. Fresh air probably helps, but if all you can see are weird flashing lights inside your head, it might be best to stick to a home trainer. Perhaps the Ray Bans would help.

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