Those who suffer from migraine disorders often display a collection of symptoms and reactions that can be misinterpreted by others at home or in the workplace easily. Although migraines are common, they are not always obvious.

What would you think of someone who had a tendency to wear sunglasses even when indoors and felt the need to regularly lie down somewhere where things were dark and quiet? Suppose the same individual displayed slurred speech or had the need to visit the restroom frequently to vomit.

Those of us who have engaged in a bit of late night revelry from time to time may conclude that the individual is suffering the after-effects of too much "partying." In reality, that headache and the sensitivity to both sound and light may not be a hangover–it could be symptomatic of migraine headaches.

Migraine disorders can make one remarkably sensitive to both noise and bright light. The quest for dark environments and silence may be a means of trying to mitigate the pain of a migraine attack. The severe pain associated with the neurological disorder may cause erratic speech and can be so intense that it creates nausea and vomiting, too.

It may seem unthinkable that someone with a diagnosable medical condition could be mistaken for someone who is irresponsible, intoxicated or drug addled. Surely, our awareness of migraine disorders is sufficiently elevated to avoid that turn of events, we might think.

One migraine expert, however, tells us otherwise. Dr. Sheftell, for instance, has stated that "patients with the most intractable migraines experience a downward spiral in terms of income and contributions to society at large." Misinterpretation of migraine symptoms undoubtedly contribute to that unfortunate circumstance.

Those who have migraines may be doubted. Some of the symptoms and reactions to the disease can appear to be an outgrowth of poor decisions or addiction. Our society's focus on drug abuse at home and in the workplace can lead even well informed people to wonder whether one's explanation of suffering from migraines is the truth or a "cover story" designed as a smokescreen to disguise substance abuse problems.

Although drug and alcohol abuse are serious medical and social problems, we need to understand that not every potential "warning sign" applies only to those conditions. The quiet person in sunglasses who can't seem to tolerate conversation and who needs to vomit repeatedly throughout the same morning may be a victim of a migraine disorder, and misinterpreting those symptoms can have a substantial effect on a person's ability to retain employment.

It may seem strange that we continue to overlook a disorder that is more common than asthma and that has been recognized by the U.N. World Health Organization as one of the top twenty disabling conditions, but we do. Every day, migraineurs are believed to have wholly different problems–and that misperception can be both frustrating and destructive.