Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade competes with migraine headaches as well as the 76ers in NBA playoffs.
For Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade, migraine headache pain is a constant companion; as with other migraine sufferers, exposure to bright lights and strikingly white surroundings is a source of excruciating pain for him. And in order to beat the Philadelphia 76ers this season, Dwyane Wade is going to have to spend a lot of time in the spotlight…and glaringly white basketball stadiums.
Says the Miami Heat star about his chronic migraine symptoms, “I have fear for it, not just in the mornings, but all during the day. I have fear of it a lot of times. It’s something that consumes the mind. It’s something that’s unfortunate.”
Wade says he’s been suffering migraine headaches since he was a child. He’s been through rounds of MRIs, prescription migraine headache relief medication and occasionally wears tinted goggles specially designed to deflect the light waves which migraine sufferers find so unbearable.
Some of the symptoms of migraine headaches include nausea, throbbing head pain, light and noise sensitivity, dizziness, vomiting and confusion. Usually, when a migraine sufferer feels a headache coming on, his best tactic is to lay down in a quiet, dark, relaxing environment for several hours with the cell phone turned off, practicing deep breathing and meditation.
Also read: Relieve Your Headaches With Yoga: Try These Moves!
Unfortunately for Dwyane Wade, when his migraines threaten to approach, he is usually on the basketball court, surrounded by bleached white t-shirts and sport sneakers, in a very well-lit arena amidst thousands of screaming fans, hecklers, teammates, sportscasters, and very loud music. Not to mention the opposing team, who are tuned in to his every move, keen on stealing the ball, the game and his reputation at the same time.
Migraines have taken their toll on this Miami Heat player; he has missed practices, performed when he wasn’t at his best and possibly disappointed some fans. Occasionally he has the opportunity to sit in a quiet room between games with the light turned off, his head throbbing impatiently, his stomach churning from migraine nausea, waiting for his symptoms to abate. But those precious moments are few and far between. The worst part, he says, is having nobody to talk to about it.
“There’s nobody really else in my family that I can talk about it because they don’t deal with it,” says Dwyane.
Still, there’s room for optimism. Wade has been fortunate enough to compete in some games between migraine attacks; when he returns home from playoffs he plans to visit his doctor and inquire about new headache relief treatments, and possibly try out some new contact lenses. In time, Dwyane Wade might win his battle against migraines…and take home a trophy at the same time.
Also read:
Is it a Cluster Headache or a Migraine?
4 Headaches that Require Emergency Intervention
Sources:
USA Today, NY Daily News, Chicago Tribune, Livestrong
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