Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is often summarized down to a key concept: “survival of the fittest”. Given this fact, I have often wondered why – given how much migraine reduces functionality – why has migraine not been “bred out” of humanity…?
Surely when our ancient ancestors needed to pack up and run from a wildfire, the migraineur who was trying to sleep off a pain-attack in some dark bushes might get left behind, or struggle to keep up with the others as they all ran away (I honestly can’t imagine myself running very far or fast with a migraine).
Surely when there was a significant danger that required a daylight race and a leap of faith, the migraine patient would be stuck in a cave, whimpering in the darkness, refusing to face the sunlight, let alone race or leap…!?
Perhaps the body reacts differently during calamities.
My migraines HAVE been known to be “considerate” and “polite” and not turn up when I’m really busy facing down significant stresses (which is ironic given stress is one of my biggest triggers!)… so maybe, just maybe, they take a back seat when times get tough, and that’s why migraineurs aren’t necessarily the first to go in a catastrophe.
While looking for something completely different about migraines, I found a reference to this conundrum in an Australian newspaper article from 2020 that suggested migraine might actually be an “evolutionary benefit”.
First up though – it’s important to those who are new to this area to quote some facts from the article: “About 50 per cent of the time people who suffer from migraine have another close relative that also suffers” – and because the relationship-link is so convincing, scientists went looking for, and found, genes related to hereditary forms of migraine (including the paralyzing/hemiplegic ones I get) – and because there is a genetic link from a parent, you can also “pass the gene mutation to your children who each have a 50 per cent chance of developing migraine too.”
[I try not to think about being a “mutant” too much… or that I am a carrier-risk… but so far, my 16- and 17-year-old daughters remain migraine-free… phew.]
So then, how long has migraine been passed down through the generations??
According to the article, “Archaeologists have found references to migraine in ancient human civilizations” and as such, acknowledge it has been around for a long time. Harvard neurologist Elizabeth Loder hypothesized the evolutionary benefit of passing on migraine was: “If migraine was triggered by an incoming storm or an approaching herd of wild animals then the migraineur hiding in the back of the cave had a survival advantage.”
I’m torn.
The sicko in the cave is safe from storm and stampede… but what about fire, flood and other fight-or-flight-fiascos?
I acknowledge that migraine-people really are human-barometers, and I absolutely CAN feel weather changes coming in my head before I can see them through the window. I also accept that in some instances being bed-bound in your cave helps, but in plenty of others it just doesn’t make sense to me.
Here’s a quick walk-through history to test it out (my (intuition-only) way):
+ The cave-lady’s chances feel less than great to me… I can’t imagine her fellow cave-dwellers would be super-empathetic of her plight; if people today still think we’re being lazy, can you imagine a hairy-hunter grunting, “you rest – I’ll pick your berries today darling”…?!?
+ A Roman gladiator with a migraine would be doomed.
+ A medieval princess lounging on her furs is probably going to survive just fine and keep breeding, but surely a sick peasant is going to have a really hard time of it.
+ Those living in the Renaissance era would have benefitted (I like to think) from herbal concoctions, but the doctors of the day were apparently still experimenting with life-threatening trepanation (you don’t want to know).
+ The 19th century Bronte sisters and their generation showed that fainting and swooning and wasting diseases were well recognized, (but unfortunately, they didn’t last long enough to raise families of their own).
+ A 1950s housewife was unlikely to die from her migraines… unless you count her shame (based on some of the outrageous advertisements I found from that era).
+ A woman in the 2000s can access medication that potentially means her migraines have a low-impact on her ability to raise a family, so the debate becomes more personal than genetic… (although the idea that chronic migraine is “low-impact” in any way is debatable).
+ In the year 3000 the genes that cause migraine will no doubt have been identified, and, assuming humans still exist, science will be able to override the issue completely – migraines (let’s pretend) will cease to exist.
The problem is, according to the article above, migraine is “the most neglected, worst managed and most under-recognized medical disorder worldwide” attracting only 0.07 per cent of medical funding…
So, perhaps I’m overly optimistic that science will prioritize genetic-advancements for migraine patients…
Perhaps survival of the fittest will remain a thing in the future.
For survival-in-the-past… I remain confounded.
Maybe we just got lucky.
Maybe our pain makes us more resilient than others.
Who knows?
Any ideas?
Take care taking care (while I keep w(o/a)ndering way out there lost in history and my weird thoughts),
Linda xx
The Mindful Migraine 
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