Everyone Knows Someone Who Suffers From Migraines

Perfect example of the influence that cultural beliefs and trends have on health-related
behavior. Almost a third of people wo suffer migraine occasionally have never consulted a
doctor about it, and more than half of sufferers take medication without prescription. "It is
only a headache, and I am tired of taking pills that do me no good". On average, migraine
patients lose eight full working days per year, and this disorder is included in the WHO list of
the most incapacitating illnesses, rank 20.

Surely you know someone who suffers migraine: they usually take to bed, turn off the
lights and pray for silence: they do not talk, move or do anything! I remember being greatly
surprised the first time I witnessed this behavior, in my teens. Having the good luck of not
knowing migraines, I just wondered "But what happens to her? It is only a headache", and
earned a brief but clear explanation about the specifics of my friend's pain.

Sometimes people with migraine take so many analgesics that their organism develops a
resistance to the drug, making it useless in the future, or creates a physiological dependance,
which means that if you stop taking the drug, you will have a rebound headache. Other risks
of medication have to do with various adverse effects of some pharmacological compounds,
of course. For instance, some medicines used for migraine have a vasoconstricting effect, and
uncontrolled use can lead to vascular problems (even to stroke).

Specific drugs for migraine are usually recommended once other treatments, mainly
analgesics, have shown no positive effect, although a recent study affirms that aspirin should
be the first pharmacological option in occasional migraines and other headaches, irrespective
of pain severity. Best option is always to consult your doctor: tell him what happens, how
often, things you stop doing because of the pain, how you try to stop the migraine, things that
you notice happen after or before an attack, what medicines you take, etc. He will certainly
know better than popular belief, which makes many rather stay at home and think "It will
pass".

Regarding migraine epidemiology, four women per each man is the general figure, but for the
chronic condition, women almost monopolize the statistics, nearing a 90% of diagnosed cases.
Research tends to confirm that people suffering migraines are easily affected by changes and
stress, so leading a life with healthy routines is seen as a protective factor. Anyway, life is too
full of unexpected things, and more effective interventions are needed for what is still one of
the most frequent health issues we consult with our general practitioner.

Maria Gonzales, health blogger for Medico.com on a variety of topics including migranas, alergias, health 2.0 and more.