I can usually feel them coming when the dull pain starts just behind and above my left eye starts starts and tightens. Then I start to see a multi-colored circular pattern that blocks a small portion of my vision. Sometimes the circular shape is a sharply defined line. The pain continues to draw in towards a focal point and worsens. As the pain intensifys the optical disturbance increases. In a few minutes I can no longer make out characters on a printed page or computer screen.
One Thing Makes it Better
Fortunately that is about as bad as my symptoms get. I am lucky my optical migraines don’t include any nausea or vomiting. When I start to feel the pain and see the visual oddity I head straight for the faucet. I need water. Usually 16 ounces is enough. Minutes later I begin to feel better and my vision improves, although a dull headache stays with me for most of the day.
Easy Access to Clean Water
I am lucky I have easy access to clean and plentiful water. In my modest sized house I have six taps that can freely flow with an unlimited supply of fresh and clean water. Nearly 1 billion people in the world don’t have access to clean water. That is one in eight of us lacks access to fresh and sanitary water. Contaminated water is a frequent cause of disease and lack of access to water for drinking, cooking, and cleaning can exacerbate many diseases.
Blog Action Day
Today I am joining thousands of other bloggers to write about water. Learn more about blog action day and clean water facts and figures.
