On any given day at work, you most likely encounter a ton of annoying conditions. Possibly it’s cranky clients, cruel deadlines, or simply that particular person within the subsequent cubicle who shrieks into their mouthpiece. These (typically inescapable) components of any job is likely to be a nuisance for the common particular person, however when you have migraine, they’ll—fairly actually—trigger precise ache. That’s as a result of these sorts of stimuli can result in head-splitting aches, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue.

Whereas it’s inconceivable to keep away from each set off you may encounter on the job, figuring out what aggravates your signs may also help you discover methods to manage. Listed here are 5 issues at work that may generally trigger a migraine assault and the way to deal.

1. You’re surrounded by vivid, intense lights.

Ever caught sight of your self within the workplace rest room mirror and puzzled “Is that what I really seem like?” You’ve received fluorescent bulbs to thank for that—a staple in lots of workspaces, and one thing that may completely play a task in your migraine signs. Whereas the weird hue—is the sunshine white, yellow, or some gross hybrid?—may look like the difficulty, it’s really a tiny, nearly imperceptible pulsing that’s problematic, Elizabeth W. Loder, MD, MPH, vice chair for educational affairs within the division of neurology at Brigham and Ladies’s Hospital, tells SELF.¹ “If you activate a fluorescent mild, there’s a low-level flicker,” she says. “That visualization could be distressing for individuals with migraine.”

It’s not simply overhead brightness that’s accountable, although—your laptop most likely additionally has a glare that may pressure your eyes. As SELF has beforehand reported, blue mild—the type that emits from screens, together with smartphones—could make signs worse, too.

What you are able to do about it: In case your monitor or iPhone is the difficulty, it’s essential to provide your eyes ample relaxation all through the workday, Nicholas Tzikas, MD, a Yale Medication neurologist who specializes within the medical and interventional administration of complications and different facial ache syndromes, tells SELF. You possibly can attempt the 20-20-20 rule: Each 20 minutes, deal with one thing 20 toes away from you for 20 seconds. Choosing blue light-filtering or anti-glare glasses, and placing some house between you and your laptop (ideally two toes), may also ease the depth, per Dr. Tzikas. You may as well go for sun shades in case you’re outdoor (and your job is OK with them). Oyindamola Ikepo Ogunlaja, MD, a neurologist and assistant professor on the Stanford Headache Clinic, tells SELF, that anti-glare or tinted display covers can generally be simpler in your eyes.

As for overhead lighting, that’s a bit trickier. Dr. Loder says that in case you can, attempt to transfer subsequent to a window and place an incandescent lamp close to your house. Nonetheless, in case you can’t transfer, or your office is primarily illuminated by fluorescent bulbs (say, you’re in a warehouse or hospital) with minimal pure lighting, know that you’ve got some rights through the American Disabilities Act (ADA). This implies your employer must offer you “affordable lodging,” a.okay.a. sources, to get your job executed; this may seem like a versatile schedule that enables for extra frequent breaks or a workspace with softer lighting. Dr. Loder says that your doc (both a major care doctor or neurologist) may also help you craft a letter to provide to your boss or HR division.

2. Your coworker bathes in physique spray—and laughs like a hyena.

Individuals with migraine are typically a bit extra delicate to the skin world than folks—and that features smells and sounds, too.² In a single 2023 research from Scientific Reviews, roughly 78% of members have been most triggered by odors, with fragrance, tobacco, rubbish, hair merchandise, and B.O. and sweat topping the smelly perpetrator record.³ Sure noises could be a main difficulty, too.⁴ Whereas analysis exhibits that long-term blaring tends to be the worst—like police and ambulance sirens and even railroad crossing alarms—any extended or sudden burst of sound could be a set off.