Show Notes
Do you feel like your brain notices everything — every noise, smell, emotion, light, or tiny body sensation — since living with migraines? In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme explores why chronic migraine sufferers often become hyper-aware and constantly “on alert.” Through a blend of neuroscience and holistic healing insights, this episode unpacks how repeated overstimulation can reshape the nervous system over time. You’ll discover: 💡 Why living with chronic migraines can keep your brain stuck in a heightened state of alertness 💡 How overstimulation may increase sensitivity to noise, stress, smells, emotions, and physical sensations 💡 Simple ways to calm hyper-vigilance and help your nervous system feel safer and more regulated again If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the world around you — or frustrated that your brain seems unable to “switch off” — this episode will help you better understand the protective patterns behind migraine sensitivity. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on migraineheroes.com
References: Migraine Pathophysiology: Lessons from Mouse Models and Human Genetics (Ferrari et al., 2015): This review links human migraine genetics with mouse models, showing how inherited mutations can increase brain excitability, glutamatergic signaling, and susceptibility to cortical spreading depression. Read more here. Pathophysiology of Migraine: A Disorder of Sensory Processing (Goadsby et al., 2017): This major review explains migraine as a disorder of sensory processing involving trigeminovascular pathways, altered brain excitability, brainstem mechanisms, neuropeptides, and pain modulation. Read more here. Migraine: A Chronic Sympathetic Nervous System Disorder (Peroutka, 2004): This paper argues that migraine may involve chronic sympathetic nervous system dysfunction, including altered norepinephrine activity and autonomic features between and during attacks. Read more here. Habituation and Migraine (Coppola, Pierelli, & Schoenen, 2009): It explains how migraine brains often show reduced habituation to repeated sensory stimulation. Read more here. Habituation and Migraine (Coppola, Pierelli, & Schoenen, 2009): This review explores how people with migraine show abnormal responses to repeated sensory stimuli, suggesting altered brain processing may contribute to migraine susceptibility. Read more here. Migraine: Multiple Processes, Complex Pathophysiology (Burstein, Noseda, & Borsook, 2015): This review describes migraine as a disorder involving trigeminovascular activation, sensitization, cortical spreading depression, and altered pain processing across multiple brain networks. Read more here.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not substitute for providing medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before making any health-related decisions. For women, men, and children who suffer from migraine disease, Migraine Heroes is your go-to resource for understanding, managing, and overcoming migraine attacks. We cover all types of migraines and related headaches, including primary and secondary migraines, chronic migraines, and cluster migraines. We dive deep into the complexities of migraine with aura and migraine without aura, as well as rarer forms like hemiplegic migraine, retinal migraine, and acephalgic migraine (silent migraine). Our discussions also extend to cervicogenic headaches, ice pick headaches, and pressure headaches, which often mimic migraine or contribute to overall migraine burden.
More from Migraine Heroes
For some people, COVID ends, but the headache does not. Long COVID can bring a new headache pattern or make an existing migraine condition feel very different. In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme explores why migraine, fatigue, poor sleep, dizziness and brain fog can sometimes appear together after COVID and why it may help to look beyond the head alone. You’ll learn: 💡 Why Long COVID may trigger new headaches or worsen an existing migraine pattern 💡 Why fatigue, sleep problems, dizziness, brain fog and exercise intolerance may sometimes travel alongside migraine 💡 Why recognizing your new post-COVID migraine pattern can be more useful than assuming your old triggers still explain everything When the pattern changes, understanding what has changed can be the first step toward making sense of your symptoms. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on migraineheroes.com
What if one of your biggest migraine triggers is something you have never thought to notice? In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme takes you through a practical “trigger scan”: from sleep, hormones and food to weather, sensory overload, posture and more without turning migraine management into a life of avoidance. You’ll learn: 💡 How to spot less obvious migraine triggers across your everyday routines, environment and body 💡 How to observe patterns without obsessing or eliminating everything and identify the few things that may actually matter for you The goal is not a smaller life built around avoiding triggers, but greater awareness of what helps your body become more stable. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on migraineheroes.com Few of the trigger episodes mentioned: Indulgence or Insight? What Chocolate, Cheese & Wine Reveal About Your Brain The Fasting Paradox: Why Skipping Meals Can Spark Migraine and Stress Why Red Wine Triggers Migraines for Some People And What Science Reveals Kombucha for Migraine: Healing Tonic or Hidden Trigger? 5 Reasons Why Fragrance & Perfume Smells Are Triggering Your Migraines & What To Do About It When Light Hurts: The Hidden Link Between Screens, Stress, and Migraine Hidden Sugar and Blood Sugar Spikes: The Silent Migraine Trigger
Seeing flashing lights or strange visual changes on one side does not always mean the problem is coming from one eye. In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme explains the important difference between migraine aura and true retinal migraine and why knowing whether your symptoms affect one eye or both can matter. You’ll learn: 💡 Why migraine aura comes from the brain, even when the visual change seems to be on just one side 💡 What makes true retinal migraine different, why it is so rare, and why other causes of temporary vision loss need to be ruled out 💡 A simple one-eye-at-a-time test that can help you describe your visual symptoms more clearly to your doctor When it comes to visual migraine symptoms, one eye versus both eyes can be a very important clue. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on migraineheroes.com
Have a migraine question you wish you could ask Diane directly? Every other Thursday, Diane opens the door for a small, informal live Q&A, bring your question or simply come and listen. The next sessions are October 22 and November 5, 2026. They are not recorded, so the conversation stays with the people in the room. 👉 To join, register at migraineheroes.com/live
Could your jaw be quietly adding fuel to your migraine attacks? In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme explores how jaw tension, clenching, and TMJ dysfunction may interact with migraine, especially if you wake with headaches or feel pain around your temples. You’ll learn: 💡 How to recognize signs that jaw tension or clenching may be contributing to your migraine 💡 Why teeth and tongue position at rest matter and why a mouth guard may not solve the clenching itself 💡 A simple jaw-reset routine you can try at home to release tension and calm the system Sometimes, a small change in how you hold your jaw can make a surprisingly meaningful difference. 🎧 New episodes every Monday and Wednesday 🔗 Discover our work on migraineheroes.com