Episode Details

Do you feel like your brain notices everything — every noise, smell, emotion, light, or tiny body sensation — since living with migraines?

In this episode of Migraine Heroes Podcast, host Diane Ducarme explores why chronic migraine sufferers often become hyper-aware and constantly “on alert.” Through a blend of neuroscience and holistic healing insights, this episode unpacks how repeated overstimulation can reshape the nervous system over time.

You’ll discover:

💡 Why living with chronic migraines can keep your brain stuck in a heightened state of alertness

💡 How overstimulation may increase sensitivity to noise, stress, smells, emotions, and physical sensations

💡 Simple ways to calm hyper-vigilance and help your nervous system feel safer and more regulated again

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the world around you — or frustrated that your brain seems unable to “switch off” — this episode will help you better understand the protective patterns behind migraine sensitivity.

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🔗 Discover our work on migraineheroes.com

References:

• Migraine Pathophysiology: Lessons from Mouse Models and Human Genetics (Ferrari et al., 2015): This review links human migraine genetics with mouse models, showing how inherited mutations can increase brain excitability, glutamatergic signaling, and susceptibility to cortical spreading depression. Read more here.
• Pathophysiology of Migraine: A Disorder of Sensory Processing (Goadsby et al., 2017): This major review explains migraine as a disorder of sensory processing involving trigeminovascular pathways, altered brain excitability, brainstem mechanisms, neuropeptides, and pain modulation. Read more here.
• Migraine: A Chronic Sympathetic Nervous System Disorder (Peroutka, 2004): This paper argues that migraine may involve chronic sympathetic nervous system dysfunction, including altered norepinephrine activity and autonomic features between and during attacks. Read more here.
• Habituation and Migraine (Coppola, Pierelli, & Schoenen, 2009): It explains how migraine brains often show reduced habituation to repeated sensory stimulation. Read more here.
• Habituation and Migraine (Coppola, Pierelli, & Schoenen, 2009): This review explores how people with migraine show abnormal responses to repeated sensory stimuli, suggesting altered brain processing may contribute to migraine susceptibility. Read more here.
• Migraine: Multiple Processes, Complex Pathophysiology (Burstein, Noseda, & Borsook, 2015): This review describes migraine as a disorder involving trigeminovascular activation, sensitization, cortical spreading depression, and altered pain processing across multiple brain networks. Read more here.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only an