For University of Alberta student Kearyn Hall, migraines can be debilitating.
“I’m completely incapacitated when I get a migraine,” she said. “You can’t really deal with that on your own. Advil and Tylenol doesn’t touch it.”
She reports having up to 20 migraines a month, some lasting a day while others can last through an entire week.
“I get migraines with aura, so I get tunnel visions and then my vision goes totally blank,” Hall explained.
“I can’t do schoolwork. I can’t go to school. I can’t function as a living adult.”
Drastic temperature and weather changes over the last year in Alberta have also increased her symptoms, and their severity.
Large snowfalls, for example, can trigger her symptoms.
“Probably since the winter started, my migraines have been pretty bad, especially compared to other years.”
The 22-year-old is one of around five million people in Canada, or 14 per cent of the population, who suffer with migraines.
At WestEd Medical & Esthetic Clinic in west Edmonton, physician Dr. Neeraj Bector routinely treats people with migraines. He says they are so much more than “just headaches.”
“The nerve starts to become irritable. It spills out some really inflammatory and irritative neuropeptides that acts in the immune system,” he said.
“Then the immune system basically creates hives on the lining of the brain.”
Those “hives” are caused by inflammation in the protective lining around the brain, triggering pain and other symptoms.
“It’s predominantly started by the nerve, and the nerve just becomes irritable through all these different trigger mechanisms.”
Doctors caution weather is often one trigger among many, not the sole cause. Things like hormone changes, a lack of food and hydration and stress can all have a major impact on symptoms.
“I don’t think we are seeing more patients,” Dr. Bector said.
“I think we are seeing more severity because of the change in pressure and weather.”
He calls it a “hypersensitivity syndrome,” where every kind of stimulus in your body is ramped up. That includes things like sensitivities to pain, sound, light and smell.
Symptoms can include severe, throbbing pain, nausea and vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, changes in vision, mood changes and fatigue.
While migraines are one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, they are often dismissed as stress or ‘just a headache’ — a misconception doctors say leads many sufferers to delay treatment.
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“This is one of the biggest causes of absenteeism from work,” Bector said. “Not showing up for events, not being able to do housework, not showing up with family.”
If you notice your headaches happen more than once a week, last longer than 24 hours, come with new or worsening symptoms or are interfering with your ability to work attend school or take part in social activities, you may want to consult a doctor.
“This isn’t a disease they have to put up with,” Bector added.
“You just need the right treatment.”
Lifestyle changes and medications can help, and doctors hope by spreading awareness, more people will understand that there are options out there.
Bector said over the last few years, medication and research have come a long way.
He encourages people to keep a diary of what may trigger their headaches, and when they come on to better treat the symptoms.
He said carrying an emergency medication kit for when it strikes is also important, adding people often underestimate how big of an impact it’s having on their life.
“A lot of people with migraine tend to not really seek care, they just try to sleep it off, take some medication, especially over the counter stuff,” he said.
“Don’t underplay how bad these headaches are in terms of impact in your life “
There are also several apps, such as Migraine Buddy or the Migraine Tracker App that can help patients catch triggers and monitor weather.
Research released in 2025 also recommended occipital nerve blocks be offered in emergency rooms to treat acute migraine attacks.
The use of intravenous Prochlorperazine, which blocks dopamine receptors in the brain, is recommended but is not readily available. That leaves the greater occipital nerve block — where a local anesthetic and a corticosteroid are injected near the greater occipital nerve.
For Hall, her symptoms have meant a lot of missed school. She’s pushed through and will be achieving her undergraduate degree but says it has been difficult.
She’s trying a Botox treatment for the first time.
A major clinical trial published in 2010 found chronic migraine patients treated with Botox experienced fewer headaches with little to no side effects.
Patients are treated every few months with a series of injections to the forehead, temples, the back of the head, the back of the neck and the back of the shoulders.
While it can take weeks to kick in, Hall is hopeful it can help her long-term deal with the symptoms she’s had for more than six years.
“I’m just hoping that we’ll make them a little bit more manageable so I can actually attend my classes and get my master’s degree,” she said.
Treatments like Botox aren’t an option for everyone — they often require specialist referrals and insurance approvals. In some cases, patients end up paying out of pocket.
The cost can be prohibitive for many.
Dr. Madison Young specializes in the treatment of migraines through her practice at My Migraine Clinic in Calgary — known as the migraine capital of Canada due to the drastic weather changes from Chinook winds.
From her experience, Young said migraines disproportionately affect people in their 30s, 40s and 50s and women more than men.
Her treatment of patients involves everything from “lifestyle education” to their dietary habits, exercise and sleep, along with “full service migraine management of all pharmaceutical medications.”
Young said there is limited support for the medications she can prescribe that are covered by the government.
Patients in Alberta have raised concerns about the coverage for medications offered by the province.
When contacted by Global News about what migraine treatments are covered by the province, a spokesperson for Alberta Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange provided an email statement that said:
“Like other provinces, Alberta covers migraine treatments recommended through the national expert review process. Health Canada assesses drugs for safety, quality and effectiveness, while Canada’s Drug Agency and Alberta’s Expert Committee on Drug Evaluation and Therapeutics review clinical and cost-effectiveness.”
The statement claims several migraine treatments are included on the Alberta Drug Benefit List, including oral triptans, as well as medical Botox and other inhibitors, while other forms of treatment are available “through special authorization, meaning patients must meet specific clinical criteria to access coverage.”
Patient advocates say access can still be challenging, particularly for newer treatments or those without private insurance.
For those living with migraine, doctors and advocates say recognizing the condition, and seeking care early, can make a life‑changing difference.
Support and information are available from Migraine Canada and the Canadian Headache Society.