ATHLEISURE MAG OCT 2019 | Something You Should Know Migrain with Dr. Elizabeth Seng + LaLa Anthony

SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW

Migraine with Dr. Elizabeth Seng + LaLa Anthony

When a headache hits, it makes doing the most rudimentary of tasks so difficult! All you can think about is the pounding in your head. For those that suffer from migraines, the affects are even more apparent and can really alter their day to day lives. Whether you or someone that you know is affected by this, we sat down and talked with Dr. Elizabeth Seng to find out about what migraines are, how they are started and why they are so problematic. In addition, we sat down with STARZ's Power and FOX's BH90210's LaLa Anthony to find out how she works through migraines and how she is able to cope when they take place!

ATHLEISURE MAG: What is a headache and what are the symptoms when one is coming up?

DR. ELIZABETH SENG: A headache is a neurological attack characterized by head pain. Depending on the headache type, there may be other neurological symptoms as well. Depending on head- ache type, the head pain can be caused by pain receptors in head and neck mus- cles or in the membrane around the brain and blood vessels. There are many different triggers for headaches and symptoms can vary from person to per- son.

AM: What is the difference between a headache and a migraine?

DR. ES: There are many different types of headache disorders. Tension-type headache, the most common type of headache, is typically a pressing pain on both sides of the head. A migraine attack typically includes a pulsing pain on one side of the head and is accom- panied by a variety of additional symp- toms from your average headache in- cluding pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smell. Anyone can suffer from migraine, but they are more likely to occur in women, ages 20 to 45. Three out of every four migraine suffer- ers are women, and roughly 39 million Americans suffer from migraine.

AM: What are the symptoms of a mi- graine and how do you know when one is coming on?

ing a migraine, talk to your doctor to get the proper diagnosis and treat- ment plan.

DR. ES: A migraine attack typically includes a pulsing pain on one side of the head and is accompanied by a variety of additional symptoms from your average headache including pain, nausea, and sensitivity to light, sound, and/or smell. For both ten- sion-type headache and migraine, the fac- tors that trigger attacks vary widely from person to person. Determining what trig- gers your migraine attacks can help you better manage them. Regular stress man- agement and keeping a consistent sleep and eating schedule can help sufferers avoid a migraine attack. You should also keep an acute medication on you, such as Excedrin Migraine, to take at the first sign of a migraine attack could do that.

AM: What is it about a migraine that makes people have to miss events or even to change aspects of their lives?

DR. ES: Most of my professional re- search has a focus on head pain and specifically, migraines, and most peo- ple don’t realize that migraines can disrupt a person’s everyday life and pull them away from important mo- ments. Some days my patients are completely bedridden due to a mi- graine and other days they’ll power through an event but won’t truly feel present even if they are physically there. That’s because while on the outside they may “look fine,” on the inside they are managing much more which pulls them away from being mentally present in the moment.

While not often discussed, unfortunately, this is very common. A recent survey from Excedrin found that nearly 9 in 10 migraine sufferers have had to miss an important event, like a wedding or graduation, due to a migraine, and 91% of people with mi- graines would like a second chance at all of the moments they’ve missed.

That’s why I’m excited to partner with Excedrin on Excedrin Take Two (Oct 7th - Oct 18th) to help shine a light on the phys- ical and emotional toll that migraines can take, and to help sufferers relive the mo- ments they’ve missed – this time without the migraine.

ment: acute treatments are used at the moment of the attack to reduce the at- tack severity. Some people may use over the counter medication, like Excedrin Migraine, whereas others may use pre- scription medication acutely to treat the attack. All people with migraine, of any frequency, should have an acute migraine treatment plan. Preventive treatments are taken routinely to reduce migraine frequency, such as daily medications, in- jections every three months, or lifestyle changes. People with migraine who are experiencing 4 or more attacks per month should talk to their doctor about preven- tion options.

AM: In the category of migraines, are their varying levels?

DR. ES: Yes. The biggest category of mi- graine is different frequencies. About 10% of people have migraine that we consider episodic, which occurs on fewer than half of the days of the month. However, about 2% of people have chronic migraine, or mi- graine on which headache attacks occur on 15 or more days per month. Chronic mi- graine is particularly disabling. There are also different symptoms you can get with migraine: some people experience an aura prior to the head pain onset, which often manifests as visual symptoms like geometric patterns, flashing lights or pos- sibly a shimmering effect (sort of like heat waves). If you think you have migraine, be sure to talk to a doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

AM: Is there a number of migraines that one may have where a person suffering from them may feel that they need to vis- it their doctor to ensure that there isn’t something else that is going on?

DR. ES: We consider a person to have the disease of migraine if they have experi- enced five or more attacks in their lifetime. If you have experienced several headache attacks you think might be migraine, it is a good time to go to your doctor to get a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. There are two typed of migraine treat

AM: What is it about Excedrin that helps those that suffer from migraines?

DR. ES: Excedrin Migraine is a combination of three components: acetaminophen, aspirin, and caffeine. Excedrin Migraine is an FDA-approved over-the-counter medi- cation for migraine.

After chatting with Dr. Seng to find out about the differences between a head- ache and a migraine, how they start and the need to diagnose this condition, we sat down with LaLa Anthony to give us more information on how she handles this while living a busy life as a mom, actress and more!

ATHLEISURE MAG: We've enjoyed watch- ing you in Power and I loved that you were in Beverly Hills 90210 Revival and hope that you and the show will be back for another season - what's your process like when you go about selecting shows that you will be apart of?

LALA ANTHONY: I like to pick characters that I’m drawn to and feel like I can bring to life. I try to look for different roles so I’m not always playing the same type of character. 90210 was definitely something that was different for me and I had a great time doing it.

you're a part of have migraines affected those experiences?

trating that migraines can get in the way.

LA: Migraines have definitely affected many experiences and caused me to not feel present for certain moments. I always power through for work or to shoot – you have to because when you’re on set there is a whole production crew relying on you to show up. But there have been other days I can’t function or get out of bed.

I get really upset when a migraine impacts moments with my family. There have been events at my son’s school that I couldn’t go to because of a migraine and I had to rest in bed all day. Kiayn is in middle school now and with school, basketball practice and hanging out with friends, family mo- ments are even more important. It's frus

Luckily, I’ve learned my triggers and to treat my migraine as soon as I feel it coming with Excedrin Migraine. It’s a brand that has really helped me get my life back.

AM: Many battle issues with mi- graines, what are your triggers when you know that it's coming on and what are you able to do to alleviate it?

LA: I know immediately when a mi- graine is coming. Changes to my rou- tine including not sleeping, eating certain foods and stress will trigger a migraine and I'll be on edge all day. It starts off feeling like a mild headache

but gets rapidly worse. I try to catch it and treat it right away with Excedrin Migraine so it doesn’t disrupt the rest of my day and I can continue to be present.

AM: Do migraines create situations where you're not able to participate in something or be at a 100%?

LA: All the time. I get a migraine about once a week and unfortunately, migraines can really leave me exhausted and with no energy. Even if I’m having a great day, a migraine can come on suddenly and make it difficult to feel in the moment. I was struggling with a migraine at a fami- ly reunion once and it was so hard to feel present. It was really disappointing since family reunions only happen once every couple of years and it’s something I was

AM: What is the Excedrin Take Two pro- gram?

LA: This partnership with Excedrin was so authentic for me because, like I’ve said, it’s a brand that really does help me get back to myself when a migraine is trying to sideline me. And I’m not alone at all in that – in fact, almost 9 in 10 migraine sufferers say they have had to miss an im- portant life event due to a migraine and 91% of them would like a second chance at their missed moments. So that’s what Excedrin Take Two is all about! Excedrin is giving migraine sufferers a second chance to relive and enjoy a moment missed by a migraine. All you have to do is share your story at for a chance to win a “Take Two!”

AM: As someone who spends a lot of time traveling, what are 3 things that are in your carryon or maybe a kit that you keep on set that you have at the ready to either make you comfortable or to feel like you have a bit of home with you.

LA: I always like to pack a candle and I al- ways keep my favorite snacks (like trail mix / Crunch bars), and Excedrin Migrane, just in case!

PHOTOS COURTESY | LaLa Collection NY

@LaLa