World Migraine Awareness Day: Everything you need to know about it
World Migraine Awareness Day: Everything you need to know about it
Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder, that comes with different levels of severity, frequency, and impact on the lives of patients. Being misconstrued easily just as a headache, migraine has significant gaps of knowledge across the globe. Owing to this lack of awareness around the condition, about 40% of the patients in India seldom fail to recognize these symptoms which leads to a delay in diagnosis or sometimes even a misdiagnosis.[1]
Most patients check in or consult with a general physician or other doctors for issues related to eyes, digestion, and so on. It is essential for patients and caregivers to understand the early symptoms of the disease and keep track of these symptoms in order to intervene at an early stage and find the appropriate diagnosis. A neurologist is someone who specializes in treating migraine and other neurological disorders.
Dr Pramod Krishnan, Consultant Neurologist, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, said, “Not all who are afflicted by migraine are aware of the real nature of the illness, even though is it one of the most common headache disorders. Around 15-18% of women and 8-10% of men are afflicted with migraine because of hormonal imbalance/ cycles, stressful environments and more such factors. Most people refer to their migraine headaches as ‘common’, ‘usual’, ‘regular’ or ’normal’ headaches. While long standing episodic migraine is not associated with any major complications, if neglected, it can evolve into chronic migraine, where headaches occur 10-15 days a month and can be disabling. Most patients with mild infrequent headaches do not seek medical attention and resort to temporary solutions such as pain killers. However, frequent use of painkillers can be harmful in the long run.”
Early symptoms and triggers
Migraine headaches or attacks usually last about 4-5 hours in case of a mild migraine. Although gradually, if not treated in time, this may further grow into chronic attacks of 72 hours and/ or more.[2] To be able to treat the disorder in time, one must understand what symptoms to look out for and what triggers to avoid.
Many patients describe migraine pain as a throbbing one, but it can also come in slow and steady. In addition to excruciating and painful headaches, migraine can be identified by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, numbness, photophobia, phonophobia etc. Once these symptoms start to surface, one must get checked for migraine.
Dr Srikanta Swamy, Neurologist, Aster RV Hospital, Bangalore, explained why a person could experience a migraine attack, “Research shows that there is not any one specific aspect that would cause or trigger a migraine attack but a myriad of factors. Bright lights, severe heat, dehydration, hormonal changes, heightened stress, loud noises, unusual meals and sleep cycles, smoking, alcohol consumption etc. are some common triggers of migraine. In addition to these triggers, patients may experience depression, anxiety, neck stiffness, fatigue, dizziness, hyperactivity, irritability and more.”
Preventive Measures
As a disorder that is chronic in nature, migraine is not curable. However, the disorder can be efficiently managed and controlled by adhering to certain medicinal treatments, environmental and lifestyle changes. Consultation with a neurologist is of utmost importance towards managing the condition. A neurologist is the only specialist who can help the patient understand what migraine really is and help derive a holistic treatment approach. With a combination of medicinal drugs and lifestyle changes, migraine can be significantly controlled.
