.jpg)
On any given day at work, you probably encounter a ton of annoying situations. Maybe it’s cranky customers, merciless deadlines, or just that person in the next cubicle who shrieks into their mouthpiece. Those (often inescapable) parts of any job might be a nuisance for the average person, but if you have migraine, they can—quite literally—cause actual pain. That’s because these kinds of stimuli can lead to head-splitting aches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue.
While it’s impossible to avoid every trigger you might encounter on the job, knowing what aggravates your symptoms can help you find ways to cope. Here are five things at work that can sometimes cause a migraine attack and how to deal.
1. You’re surrounded by bright, intense lights.
Ever caught sight of yourself in the office bathroom mirror and wondered “Is that what I actually look like?” You’ve got fluorescent bulbs to thank for that—a staple in many workspaces, and something that can absolutely play a role in your migraine symptoms. While the bizarre hue—is the light white, yellow, or some gross hybrid?—might seem like the issue, it’s actually a tiny, almost imperceptible pulsing that’s problematic, Elizabeth W. Loder, MD, MPH, vice chair for academic affairs in the department of neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, tells SELF.1 “When you turn on a fluorescent light, there’s a low-level flicker,” she says. “That visualization can be distressing for people with migraine.”
It’s not just overhead brightness that is to blame, though—your computer probably also has a glare that can strain your eyes. As SELF has previously reported, blue light—the kind that emits from screens, including smartphones—can make symptoms worse, too.
What you can do about it: If your monitor or iPhone is the issue, it’s important to give your eyes ample rest throughout the workday, Nicholas Tzikas, MD, a Yale Medicine neurologist who specializes in the medical and interventional management of headaches and other facial pain syndromes, tells SELF. You can try the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, focus on something 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. Opting for blue light-filtering or anti-glare glasses, and putting some space between you and your computer (ideally two feet), can also ease the intensity, per Dr. Tzikas. You can also opt for sunglasses if you’re outdoors (and your job is OK with them). Oyindamola Ikepo Ogunlaja, MD, a neurologist and assistant professor at the Stanford Headache Clinic, tells SELF, that anti-glare or tinted screen covers can sometimes be easier on your eyes.
As for overhead lighting, that’s a bit trickier. Dr. Loder says that if you can, try to move next to a window and place an incandescent lamp near your space. However, if you can’t move, or your workplace is primarily illuminated by fluorescent bulbs (say, you’re in a warehouse or hospital) with minimal natural lighting, know that you have some rights via the American Disabilities Act (ADA). This means your employer needs to provide you with “reasonable accommodations,” a.k.a. resources, to get your job done; this might look like a flexible schedule that allows for more frequent breaks or a workspace with softer lighting. Dr. Loder says that your doc (either a primary care physician or neurologist) can help you craft a letter to give to your boss or HR department.
2. Your coworker bathes in body spray—and laughs like a hyena.
People with migraine tend to be a bit more sensitive to the outside world than other folks—and that includes smells and sounds, too.2 In one 2023 study from Scientific Reports, roughly 78% of participants were most triggered by odors, with perfume, tobacco, garbage, hair products, and B.O. and sweat topping the smelly culprit list.3 Certain noises can be a major issue, too.4 While research shows that long-term blaring tends to be the worst—like police and ambulance sirens or even railroad crossing alarms—any prolonged or sudden burst of sound can be a trigger.