Even the best medical technologies can’t see or “measure” migraine. Doctors rely on patient reports to tell them what is wrong, but pain is subjective. Pain scales are little help: one person’s “8” migraine might be another’s “5”. Is there any objective way to measure the impact of migraine on a person’s life?

One potential way to get around this problem is to report the “disability” associated with migraine. Instead of telling your doctor how much your migraines hurt, try talking about the ways that migraine interferes with your life. Tell your doctor if your migraines are making you miss work or school. Are you too scared to schedule time with friends because you might get a migraine? Tell your doctor! There is evidence that doctors are more sympathetic to reports of disability than they are to reports of pain.

Recognizing this, headache specialists have developed a questionnaire called MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment) to help patients quantify the number of days lost to headache disability. You might have been asked to take this test at your doctor’s office, but if not, you can try it out here: http://www.achenet.org/midas/.

MIDAS is a relatively simple tool. It asks you to count the number of days over the last three months that you have missed work, school, housework, and social events. Your total score reflects the severity of your migraines. It can be a helpful way to track the effect that your migraines are having on your life. It can also be a useful questionnaire to bring to your doctor’s office.

That said, MIDAS is probably a better questionnaire for those who have episodic migraine than those who have chronic migraine. Some of the questions that MIDAS asks might not make a lot of sense to a person who has a migraine almost every day. For example, MIDAS asks, “How many days in the last 3 months was your productivity at work or school reduced by half or more because of your headaches?” How would someone answer that whose entire life – including his or her career choice (if, indeed, they are still able to work with their migraines) – has been shaped by chronic migraine? Or question 5, “On how many days in the last 3 months did you miss family, social or leisure activities because of your headaches?” How would someone answer this if they have no longer schedule leisure activities because their migraines are so bad?

We need better ways of communicating pain and disability to doctors. MIDAS offers one solution, but I don’t think that it meets the needs of people who have chronic migraine.

Chronic Migraines

Finding the right migraine preventive medication
What to do when nothing is working
Expert Answer: Intractable Chronic Migraines
Botox Approval for Chronic Migraine
Nerve Stimulation for Chronic Migraine
Surgery for Chronic Migraine

Living with Chronic Migraines

Recommendations for Chronic Migraineurs
Chronic Migraine & Stigma
Chronic Migraine & Social Security Disability
Chronic Migraine & Child Custody
The Family Medical Leave Act & Migraine

Related Migraine Stories

My Story: Chronic Migraines & A New Life
Cindy’s Journey with chronic migraines

They are also accountable for nine percent of all United States lost labor productivity and The World Health Organization reports that Migraine alone is responsible for at least one percent of the total United States medical disability burden. Those of us with severe Migraine attacks and head pain are well aware of these figures, but how does Migraine and headache disorders affect our productivity on a personal level?

A Migraine can strike when we least expect it – while working, driving, sleeping, eating, and/or during our favorite activity. If we aren’t able to abort the attack quickly, it may linger for hours or even days. This puts a damper on our lives, our work suffers, our sleep is interrupted and plans or projects are have are temporarily put on hold. As I look around my house, I can see almost 11 years with of started projects – still not complete – because of my chronic head and neck pain.

Productivity loss has been an issue for me since the day I fell – almost 16 years ago. Pre-fall productivity for me included working, caring for my family, keeping up with my home, volunteering and teaching piano lessons. Somehow these things got accomplished and I’d have spare energy to quilt almost every day. I now long to paint my kitchen, volunteer, care for my family, quilt once a week and work as a patient advocate/educator simultaneously while not suffering additional pain and injury. Coping with these differences has not been easy for me, and some days are better than others. I’m not thrilled to be “fully disabled.” For me, on days like today, it means not productive.

Not being productive in my mind bores a hole deep into the core of who I am, or used to be. I find it frustrating when I’m not able to accomplish a task or project on a timely basis, whether in my personal life or online work, or to make matters worse, not at all. I remember back to pre-fall when this wasn’t an issue. Pre-fall my kitchen would be painted, the garage door opener would be installed, the stairs would be painted, my home would be completely decorated and the light switch in the attic stairway would be fixed. And that’s just on the inside.

So I will continue to make my “to do” list and attempt to get some things checked off. And try to be as productive as I can, within my limitations.

Features of the new Migraine Meter include:

• a new and improved Migraine.com journal that makes keeping a migraine diary easier than ever
• access to the Migraine.com report – a summary that can be easily shared with a healthcare provider (or anyone else for that matter)
•  access to the latest Migraine.com news and headlines

As always, the Migraine Meter is free for unlimited use. To use the journal feature, a free Migraine.com account is required. If you have an existing Migraine.com account and use the journal on Migraine.com, your journal will be accessible from the app – and any changes or entries you add will be available on Migraine.com as well.

If you have the previous version of the Migraine Meter, be sure to update to the new edition; and if you haven’t downloaded it yet, install it today. The Migraine Meter for iPhone can be downloaded at:  http://migraine.com/iphone-app/ and for Android phones from  http://migraine.com/android-app/ .

So get started with the Migraine Meter today!

Today, there is still a sense of mysticism attached to crystals for some people, but for others, there is a firm scientific theory behind their belief that crystals offer true healing therapy. This is the vibrations theory, and it’s based on the a very basic principle of physics, that all matter vibrates on a unique frequency. The belief is that certain crystals vibrate on frequencies that can interact with the frequencies of the human body and heal.

There are several crystals associated with relieving Migraine. To some extent, as with other therapies, different experts will make different recommendations. I go with the crystals that are most commonly recommended and are recommended by the most established people in the field.

Amethyst

• healing for the brain
• strengthens the central nervous system and circulatory system
• relieves fatigue and exhaustion
• relieves headache
• aids in relaxation and relieving stress

Rose quartz

• relieves anxiety
• strengthens the central nervous system
• helps relieve pain and headache
• relieves fatigue
• relieves vertigo

Lapis lazuli

• vomiting
• vertigo
• pain

Rhodochrosite used to be recommended for Migraine because it’s thought to dilate blood vessels, and people mistakenly thought that would be good for people with Migraine. Now we know that although vasodilation isn’t the first step in the Migrainous process, it does usually occur, and it’s not something we would want to deliberately cause. Therefore, the use of rhodochrosite is no longer recommended.

Crystal therapy:

Healing with crystals is gentle and noninvasive. It’s not going to cure Migraine disease. In my experience, it’s not going to be the magic preventive or even stop a Migraine in progress. Crystal therapy or crystal healing is often called an alternative therapy. I prefer to call it a complementary therapy. I use it in combination with my other treatments; it complements them.

Can I show evidence that I have fewer Migraines because of these crystals. No. I studied crystal therapy and started using crystals at the same time that I started treatment with my first Migraine specialist, and I’m not willing to stop my medications and see if crystals would “pick up the slack.” Anecdotally, I can tell you that when I compare times that I’ve traveled, times when I’ve forgotten to take my crystals with me, I’ve had more Migraines than times when I’ve remembered them. Those periods of travel haven’t been long enough for the difference in the number of Migraines to be what scientists would consider “statistically significant,” but the evidence is good enough for me.

I can also tell you that my Migraine pain levels do decrease when I use crystals. The pain doesn’t stop, but it does decrease. The use of crystals during a Migraine also helps me feel less stressed and relax while I’m waiting for my medications to work and / or for the Migraine to end, and they help me with the fatigue I often experience during the postdrome.

Some ways I use amethyst and rose quartz crystals:

• Some of my favorite jewelry is made with amethyst and rose quartz.
• There are amethyst and rose quartz on the head board of my bed and on my desk where I spend most of my day.
• There are small amethyst and rose quarts crystals in a soft leather pouch in my purse.
• When I have a Migraine or headache, I hold an amethyst crystal.

What’s meant by “crystal?”

In crystal therapy, we mean a naturally occurring stone that’s used to heal as opposed to the form or structure of the stone.

Forms, quality, where to find crystals:

Some crystals can be expensive because they’re more rare than others. It’s not necessary to spend a great deal of money on crystals. In some cases, it’s not necessary to spend any money at all. One of my favorite pieces of rose quartz is one I picked up myself on a mountain in Colorado. Amethyst, rose quartz, and lapis lazuli are all fairly common stones, so they needn’t be expensive. It is recommended that the crystals you choose be “pure,” which means that they be good specimens of that one stone, not some that you find that have been cut where two are close together or have veins of other minerals running through them.

You can use tumbled, rough cut, naturally formed crystals, or cut stones set in jewelry, but it is recommended that stones touch the skin, so keep that in mind if you decide on jewelry. Some people feel that some of us are “sensitive” enough to the vibrations of crystals that it’s best to select crystals in person; that when you touch the crystals, you will be able to feel which ones are right for you. There may well be some merit to this, and I have some crystals that I find feel very comfortable in my hand and that I’m quite drawn to. Still, many of us, myself included, don’t live in areas where it’s easy to find or buy crystals. There are some very reputable online sellers, including some on eBay. I’ve purchased many of mine on eBay. If you choose to do so, check out the seller’s feedback and buy only from established, reputable sellers.

Summary:

Crystal therapy or crystal healing can be an excellent complementary Migraine treatment for some of us. Amethyst and rose quartz are the two most commonly used crystals for Migraine. Lapis lazuli can also be helpful, especially for vomiting and vertigo associated with Migraine.

As with any non-traditional treatment, crystal therapy has its detractors, it’s doubters. There are those who believe that any positive effects it may have are merely placebo effects. To me, it makes perfect sense that the vibrations of the crystals can interact with our bodies in gentle, healing ways. For those of us who are experiencing the pain, nausea, and other symptoms of Migraine that crystal therapy can help, does it really matter how it works as long as it works without harming us? I think not.

Live well,

© Teri Robert, 2012

The purpose of the Treatment Series is to share personal experiences with migraine management techniques. Do not start, stop or change any treatment program without the advice of a qualified healthcare professional. For clinical data and safety information, please visit our Migraine Treatment pages.

Resources:
1. Hall, Judy. The Crystal Bible. London. Godsfield Press. 2012. 2. Hall, Judy. Crystal Prescriptions. Ropley, Hants, UK. John Hunt Publishing. 205. 3. Scialla, Janelle. “A Brief History of Crystals and Healing.” CrystalAge.com.

It is also the chemical used in research to trigger the pain response because it is universally, and powerfully effective in doing just that – evoking pain.

Capsaicin is extremely potent.  When applied to the skin it has lingering effects and can last literally for days.  I have had back trouble most of my life and have used strong capsaicin creams when my back was especially bad.  To reactivate it after a day or so, simply sweat, or get it a little wet in the shower and *wheeeee!*

Directions on the labels of capsaicin creams generally tell the person applying the hot stuff to wear gloves.  There is a very good reason for this.  It is difficult if not nearly impossible to wash off with any ease at all, and if you use your fingers to apply it then accidentally touch the corner of your nose or eyes, you’ll know it and remember those gloves the next time.  (Can you tell I’m speaking from experience?)

I am generally not considered an especially crazy person, but when I was faced with 2 doctors who told me my chronic intractable Migraine was “hopeless” and there was nothing else they could do to help me, I gave up.  At first that is.  But my pain was unbearable, so in desperation I figured, what have I got to lose?   Nothing.  I began to look for alternative methods of treating my daily pain which was so bad that yes, I even tried – and for a while used – capsaicin nose spray.

There are a couple brands currently available over the counter or through the mail.  All contain varying amounts of the active ingredient – capsaicin.  The literature on it says that capsaicin helps to inhibit substance P and this is how it supposedly treats cluster headache and Migraine.

Substance P is a protein found in the brain and spinal cord and was discovered in 1931.  Although it is involved in several physiological functions, its primary function seems to be the transmission of pain signals.  The theory is, if we can find a way to inhibit substance P or the body’s reaction to it, we might be able to treat pain.  Massage therapy also inhibits substance P, but I digress… This is where capsaicin comes into play.

Apparently, by purposefully sniffing pepper spray up my nose it might help stop the transmission of pain signals currently using my trigeminal nerves as a super highway.  Of course, some of the literature I was reading said this could take months to actually occur.

It was fairly inexpensive, required no prescription and wouldn’t interact with the meds I was currently taking.  I was in such pain I couldn’t imagine life continuing on much longer like that, so I had literally nothing to lose by trying it.

I admit that when it arrived I was both excited and afraid.  I was not anxious to purposefully snort pepper spray (especially after my previous experience with topical cream – I had a pretty good idea what I was in for) and despite the pain that was already ruining my life, it took me a little while to get up the nerve to take my first sniff.

But I did.

It took far fewer guts to order the bottle with the highest amount of capsaicin in it I could find, than it did to actually use it.

The first sniff and I thought someone had rammed a red hot poker up my nose and through my brain behind my eye.  Thankfully the feeling only lasted a minute or so.  While that poker was up my nose, I forgot about my Migraine.  Actually, I have to admit that the spray kind of helped me because for a little while (minutes) after using it, I did feel somewhat better.

It was a moment’s pain for a couple moment’s relief.   It was enough for me.  I would take that little relief, that tiny respite from my pain and put up with the whole hot poker up my nose thing.

I continued using the bottle until it and the next 2 bottles that came in my box were gone.  By the time they were used up, I had a new neurologist who I had finally convinced to test my B12 level.  We’d found a problem and I was feeling a little better with injections.

I can’t tell you if the spray was really doing what it was supposed to (inhibit substance P) or just that it was such a shock to my nerves that they didn’t know what to do with themselves for a few moments.  The relief never lasted long, but sometimes it was enough that I could survive a few hours until my next dose.  For me, that was enough.

I’ve been asked if I would suggest other patients try it.  I guess my reply would still be – check with your doctor.  If they give the okay, and you have the guts to try it, then why not?  Now that I know massage therapy does the same thing I’d personally give that a go first, but if you are like I was, and you have nothing else to try and nothing to lose, then there is nothing but the potential for gain…

Or a red hot poker up your nose and into your brain.

Source:1. Substance P – Compound Summary.National Library of Medicine. http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=36511. Accessed May, 2012.

Sleep issues and migraine are a vicious cycle: lack of sleep is known to trigger migraine attacks, but often when we’re experiencing migraine attacks or a great deal of anxiety our sleep is seriously disrupted. Your sleep will probably never be perfect, but the good news is that there are things you can do to improve it. As with so many aspects of migraine disease, routine is the key.

Experts Recommend 5 Principles for Better Sleep:

(1) Establish a routine & stick to it.

Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays. It’s common to talk ourselves into thinking it’s okay to sleep during the day if we didn’t sleep well during the night. It’s best to get up at your normal time even when if you didn’t sleep well to stay on your normal schedule.

(2) Create an environment that is conducive to good sleep.

You’ll want to address two main issues: light and temperature.

Try to keep your sleeping area dark while you rest, but allow sunlight to come in as the sun rises so your body naturally responds to the trigger to wake up at the right time. Avoid sleeping with a TV on. If you feel you can’t fall asleep without the TV on, set a timer so it will turn off automatically after you fall asleep.

Most people sleep best in a cooler room, so having a fan on hand is a good idea. It can double as white noise, which also helps with sleep.

(3) Move a little bit every day.

Exercise can be difficult for people with migraine, but if you can get in a little walking and stretching it will help so much in improving the quality of your rest. Don’t overdo it when you’re starting out. Just do a little bit at a time and see if you can work your way up to more vigorous exercise.

(4) Have a bedtime routine.

Try to start doing something every evening as you prepare for bed that relaxes you and gets you in the right head space to rest and recover. Reading, stretching, yoga, meditation and chatting about a neutral topic with your partner are all good options.

(5) Avoid caffieine.

Try to limit your intake of caffeine within a few hours of your bedtime or cut back earlier in the day if you have trouble getting to sleep at a good time. Some people can tolerate more caffeine than others without it disturbing their sleep, so it’s important to determine how much you can stand and stick to that limit.

What helps you get better sleep? Please share in the comments.

Source: How to Get a Good Night’s Sleep. Kansas State University. http://www.k-state.edu/counseling/topics/life/sleep.html. Accessed April, 2011.

Dystonia is a neuromuscular disorder of the brain.

It is a disorder of the brain that affects the muscles, but is not a disease of the muscles or nerves.  The dysfunctional part of the brain is called the Basal Ganglia. 

Its job is to tell voluntary muscles what to do.  In Dystonia, it is thought that the part of the brain that tells the body’s muscles to relax isn’t working properly.

Dystonia is categorized as a movement disorder.  Another example of a movement disorder people are often more aware of is Parkinson’s Disease.  The physicians best trained to diagnose and treat Dystonia are called Movement Disorder Specialists.

What causes Dystonia?

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) describes Dystonia like this:

“Dystonia is a disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions that cause slow repetitive movements or abnormal postures. The movements may be painful, and some individuals with dystonia may have a tremor or other neurologic features. There are several different forms of dystonia that may affect only one muscle, groups of muscles, or muscles throughout the body. Some forms of dystonia are genetic but the cause for the majority of cases is not known.”

15 genes have been found to cause Dystonia so far, and research continues into its cause and treatment.  Additionally, a specific type of Dystonia called Tardive Dystonia can be caused by medicines, many of which are used in Migraine treatment and/or prevention.  This makes Dystonia an important subject in which both patients and physicians should be educated.

Dystonia may be primary (not caused by another disease or disorder) or secondary (caused by another disease or disorder).

Dystonia may appear suddenly or over a period of time.  It is not particular who it attacks, and patients range in age from newborn to old age.

The level of disability caused by Dystonia ranges from slight stiffness in a single muscle which may come and go, to constant generalized body-wide spasms and complete disability.  Spasms can be severe enough to tear tendons and ligaments and fracture bones.  Level of pain associated with Dystonia symptoms ranges from none at all to extremely severe.

Dystonia is not well recognized even among neurologists.  Although it is one of the most common movement disorders, it is thought to take an average of approximately 15 physicians and 5 years for appropriate diagnosis.

Dystonia and Migraine

Many with Dystonia find their spasms are a significant trigger for their Migraines.  Headache specialists in the know are finding many un-diagnosed cases of Dystonia in the Migraine population, making the condition important to look for and rule out.

One of the most common types of Dystonia found in Migraineurs is cervical Dystonia, also called torticollis.  Torticollis can be primary or secondary.  This type of Dystonia can involve the muscles of the cervical spine, neck and upper body including shoulders and upper chest.

Treating Dystonia

One type of genetic Dystonia called Dopa Responsive Dystonia often affects children and is frequently misdiagnosed as cerebral palsy which can be profound.  When properly diagnosed, these children are given medicine (Sinemet aka carbidopa/levadopa) which can almost eliminate their symptoms, changing their lives forever.

Secondary Dystonia is treated first by treating the primary condition causing the Dystonia symptoms.  If results are insufficient, the symptoms are treated similar to primary Dystonia.

Primary Dystonia is often treated with onabotulinumtoxin A (Botox).  The injection of toxin paralyzes the muscles that are in spasm.  The release of spasm results in a reduction of or end to the patient’s associated pain.  In those patients for whom Botox is insufficient, or for those patients who have become immune to the toxin, there are other similar toxins such as Myobloc that can be utilized.  These injections are only useful when a small area is affected with spasms however.

Other systemic medicines such as anti-spasmodics can be used with some success in patients.  Some find the side effects difficult to live with.  These patients will sometimes find relief with a pump that delivers medicine directly into their CSF (cerebral spinal fluid).  For those that are refractory to these treatments or cannot utilize them, DBS (deep brain stimulation) may be an option.  DBS involves the implantation of neurostimulators deep inside the brain.  Wire leads run down the neck to batteries located usually below the collar bone in the chest.

Some patients agree to have surgery to *release* muscles that are in spasm.  In this procedure, muscles (and nerves)are permanently cut to relieve the symptoms.  This surgery is only useful to a small subset of patients, often those with cervical dystonia.

Dystonia in the 2011 Scottsdale Headache Symposium

The 2011 Scottsdale Headache Symposium this past November specifically addressed Dystonia in Migraine patients, particularly the identification of patients needing further evaluation and possible treatment for their comorbid condition.  As a Dystonia patient who has worked for years toward awareness, I was thrilled to be there to see the presentation Head and Neck Examination of a Migraineur bring focus to a problem the presenter, Dr Jack D Schim MD stressed was being missed too often.

The importance of diagnosis

Fortunately the use of injectable toxins such as Botox for chronic Migraine may help some Dystonia patients who remain un-diagnosed, however appropriate diagnosis of this comorbid condition would assure the patient receives appropriate treatment which may include additional or different specific injections for their Dystonia, or other adjunct treatments such as those mentioned above.

One patient’s experience with Dystonia and Migraine

I have Dystonia (genetic) and Tardive Dystonia (the result of medication that was given to me during surgery and to treat my Migraines).  I had generalized (body wide) storms for about a year which went undiagnosed.  When I was taken to the emergency room for them the doctor didn’t recognize what was happening and it was assumed I was drug seeking.  After surgery I had a tardive reaction in the hospital where many doctors and nurses rushed to see what was happening to me.  None could diagnose me until a neurologist was consulted a day later and I was told that most physicians can’t recognize it when they see it, even in a teaching hospital.  I did not believe my diagnosis and suffered an additional year before seeing the neurologist again after an EEG.

I was lucky.  I don’t know how many doctors saw me before my diagnosis, but it only took about 2 years which is much less than many of my Dystonia friends.  I have several ruptured discs as a result of my storms, but I am now well controlled and rarely have problems that interrupt my life.  My biggest issues are related to tardive reactions as they severely limit the medications I can take for my frequent Migraine attacks.  This diagnosis also is a red flag for ER and other physicians who often ignore me or consider me a drug seeker and deny treatment or try to trick me into taking medications that will further hurt my already damaged brain.

My Dystonia is a trigger for my Migraine attacks.  I hope soon to see if Botox may be a solution to my chronic Migraines as well as my cervical, facial and shoulder spasms.

Sources: 1. National Institute of Health (NIH). href=”http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dystonias/detail_dystonias.htm. Dystonias Fact Sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Last updated October 27, 2011
2. Schim, Jack D, MD. “Head and Neck Examination of a Migraineur”. Scottsdale Headache Symposium. November, 2011.

This worsening is caused by regularly using acute pain or migraine medications three or more days per week. About 65 percent of people with medication overuse headache have migraine as their underlying headache disorder. Discontinuing overused medications is the first step in treating medication overuse headache. For many people, headache frequency will decrease significantly after stopping medication overuse.

Medications most commonly causing medication overuse headache:

• Butalbital combinations
• Aspirin-acetaminophen-caffeine combinations
• Opioids
• Triptans

Regularly using pain pills or acute migraine medications causes changes in the nervous system. Researcher from Italy reported data from a new study using CO₂ laser-evoked potentials to study how the brain processes pain signals in people with medication overuse headaches. The laser specifically activates pain fibers. Researchers can then study how the brain responds to pain sensations. Normally, nerves get bored of the same stimulation over and over again. So the brain reaction tends to decrease as the signal is repeated. This is called habituation. Earlier research showed that people with migraine tend to lose this habituation ability. Compared with people without migraine, the migraine brain is revved up and over-sensitive to pain signals. Another way to say this is that the migraine brain tends to be over-excitable to pain.

In the new study, CO₂ laser-evoked potentials were studied in people with medication overuse headache while they were still overusing medications and then again after medications were no longer being overused. Researchers found loss of habituation when people were overusing medications. After medication overuse stopped, headaches decreased for about 60 percent of the people in this study. Testing found that habituation ability had improved as headaches decreased from daily headaches to infrequent headaches. Among those patients whose headaches did not improve after discontinuing overused medications, there was no improvement in habituation.

This study teaches several important lessons:

• Pain processing is different in people with migraine. Migraineurs are more sensitive to pain signals than people without migraine.
• Overusing pain medications or acute migraine drugs aggravates pain processing.
• Medication overuse further decreases the migraine brain’s ability to habituate to pain signals, making the brain even more sensitive to pain.
• Discontinuing overused medications can result in headache reduction that coincides with improved pain processing.

Sources:Ferraro, D., Vollono, C., Miliucci, R., Virdis, D., De Armas, L., Pazzaglia, C., Le Pera, D., Tarantino, S., Balestri, M., Di Trapani, G. and Valeriani, M. (2012), Habituation to Pain in “Medication Overuse Headache”: A CO2 Laser-Evoked Potential Study. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 52: 792–807. doi: 10.1111/j.1526-4610.2012.02151.x

As you probably know, migraineurs tend to be hypersensitive to the world around them.  Bright lights, harsh smells, loud noises, and the like can be hard to tolerate, even when the migraineur is not in the midst of an attack.

I, for one, opt to skip on the hand-drying or use tree-killing paper towels in lieu of the high-powered, ultra-loud automated hand dryers in many public restrooms.  But I also have other weird habits when it comes to avoiding loud noises.

I wear earplugs at the movie theatre (when I actually remember them), and I never go to a music performance without some squishy earplugs in my pocket.  I often wince when the music in the car is too loud and have to be the party pooper who turns it down to a level that doesn’t throb or pierce my eardrums.  And I run from loud toilets.

You heard me right: I run from loud toilets.  There’s one in particular I’m thinking of, a toilet in a downtown Athens business establishment that is so loud I will bend my head to the side to protect my left ear with my left shoulder and will protect my right ear with my right palm. I’ll pick up my bag and open the door with my one free hand and run from the stall so I don’t have to hear the deafeningly loud flush. I’ve only been caught doing this once and I just smiled at the seemingly confused girl who was waiting to use the toilet after me.

Have any of you had issues with the loudness/harshness of public restroom hand dryers or toilets? I see I’m not the only one who’s noticed this but wonder what you think. Have you ever been “caught in the act” as you do something kind of silly to avoid harsh noises, lights, or smells?