Simon Cowell has opened up about the real reason behind his choice of eyewear, and it’s not just a fashion statement. The Britain’s Got Talent judge, who was recently back on set for auditions, had previously addressed speculation around a ‘mystery illness’ that caused him to miss some filming.
“I just found out according to the internet, I have a ‘mystery illness’,” he said on Instagram last year. “For anyone concerned, I missed two auditions at the end of one day, two weeks ago, because I do get migraines after long days in the filming lights.”
Later, he clarified: “PS. This is why I wear these glasses! ” Migraines, which are often mistaken for regular headaches, involve intense throbbing pain, typically on one side of the head, and can persist from a few hours to several days.
Frequency varies greatly among sufferers, with some experiencing attacks multiple times a week and others only occasionally. Additional symptoms may include fatigue, food cravings, mood swings, and increased urination, with many finding that the condition eases as they get older.
While the exact cause of migraines remains unknown, factors such as stress, hormonal changes, dietary patterns, and excessive caffeine intake are known to trigger episodes.
Speaking to the NHS, TV Doctor Dawn Harper, once explained: “Migraine is an incredibly common problem that affects around six million people in the UK and two-thirds of those are women. I do see a lot of people who describe their headaches as migraine and, in fact, I think we have to be careful that as miserable as headaches are, they are not all migraines.
“And migraines classically are one-sided headaches often associated with nausea, quite often actually make you sick. Usually, people feel they have to just lie down in a darkened room.
“They don’t like the lights and they feel, they really are severe headaches, which last for several hours. And then some poor folk will last for two or three days. A migraine can be very frightening.”
For those suffering from migraines, GPs may offer medical treatments such as nausea stoppers and ‘triptans’ to alter pain signal reception in the brain. However, it’s also worth trying a few relieving techniques at home.
Getting more sleep, managing stress and cutting caffeine intake may help, in addition to lying down in a darkened room and resting. NHS guidance adds: “If your migraines are severe, you might be offered other things to help, such as learning relaxation techniques and acupuncture.
“If these treatments do not manage your migraines, you may be offered a new type of medicine called a gepant. These work in a different way than other migraine medicines, so may be of more use to you.
“If none of these treatments help your symptoms, or they’re getting worse, you may be referred to a specialist for further tests and treatment.”