usmcsis's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- migraine info The following information is taken from an article found at http://www.migraines.org/myth/mythreal.htm titled Migraines: Myth vs Reality, An Understanding of Migraine Disease & Tips for Migraine Management. By Michael John Coleman and Terri Miller Burchfield of M.A.G.N.U.M. "One pill makes you smaller, one pill makes you larger, the pills mother gives you do nothing at all," observed the Cheshire-Cat. Over a hundred years ago a fine art photographer took us on a wonderful journey through the eyes of Alice. The photographer-turned-writer drew from his personal experience with the disease he so suffered from, that of Migraine. His name was Lewis Carroll, and one may argue that if it were not for his constant Migraine attacks, he may not have been inspired to give us these gifts of fantasy by writing Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There. After a century of society and the medical community blaming Migraines on their sufferers, advanced technology and the age of information gave us the knowledge to begin to understand this debilitating disease. However, dangerous and outdated myths surrounding the Migraine disease have not yet been dispelled on a widespread basis. Not only are such myths believed by many loved ones and co-workers of those with Migraines, but by those with Migraines themselves (Migraineurs). Furthermore, such myths continue to be unwittingly reported in the media. The Migraine disease is a serious health and disability problem that affects approximately 11 to 18 million Americans, most of whom are women, with up to 38 million Americans having Migraine genetic propensity. There is no known cure for the Migraine disease, only treatments for the symptoms. Furthermore, such treatments are not yet wholly effective and Migraineurs may show a diminished tolerance to a variety of medications, treatments, and pain management regiments. In addition to being disabling, Migraines can be life-threatening. To put this in perspective, more people died from Migrainous Stroke last year than were murdered with handguns. Celebrities and historical figures with the Migraine disease include, among many, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Julius Caesar, Napoleon, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Lewis Carroll, Mary Todd Lincoln, Elvis Presley, Loretta Lynn, and former head coach of the Superbowl Champions Washington Redskins Joe Gibbs. Did you know... MYTH: A MIGRAINE IS JUST A BAD HEADACHE. REALITY: MIGRAINE IS A DISEASE, A HEADACHE IS ONLY A SYMPTOM. Migraine is disease, a headache is only a symptom. Unlike a headache, the Migraine disease has many symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, auras (light spots), sensitivity to light and sound, numbness, difficulty in speech, and severe semihemispherical head pain. One Migraine attack alone can last for eight hours, several days, or even weeks. Migraine is a genetically-based disease. Individuals with a single parent having Migraine have approximately a 50% chance of having Migraine. (both of my parents have migraines) A Migraine is induced by various controllable and uncontrollable triggers. Uncontrollable triggers include weather patterns and menstrual cycles, and controllable triggers include bright light, aspertame, and alcohol. The severity and frequency of Migraines for one person depends upon how many triggers an individual must experience before a Migraine is induced. The combination of triggers is different for each person. MYTH: MIGRAINE IS CAUSED BY PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS, SUCH AS STRESS AND DEPRESSION. REALITY: MIGRAINE IS A NEUROLOGICAL DISEASE, NOT A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER. Migraine is a true organic neurological disease. Migraine is absolutely a biologically-based disorder with the same validity as other medical disorders including hypertension, angina, asthma, epilepsy, etc. Unfortunately, there have been many myths perpetrated in regard to this disorder. The most destructive of which are 'It is all in your head,' 'You have to learn to live with it,' and 'Stress is the major cause.' Misdiagnosis of Migraine as a psychological disorder can lead to a doctor prescribing unnecessary, counterproductive, and even dangerous medication. It is common for a Migraineur to be diagnosed, for example, with clinical depression and prescribed unnecessary drugs, leaving the Migraines unaffected. The continued presence of the Migraines may lead the doctor to believe that the Migraineur is unable to "handle" problems and is still "depressed", leading to continued unnecessary drug treatment ... and so on. Migraine is a disease that involves a heightening of one's senses, all of one's senses. A Migraineur is more sensitive to his or her surroundings, including light, sound, smells, taste (chemicals in foods), and touch (including the touch of the atmospheric pressure on one's body). Awareness of one's environment is critical for a Migraineur. A recent study entitled "The Effects of Weather on the Frequency and Severity of Migraine Headaches" conducted in Canada arrived at the following conclusions: 1) "Phase 4" weather, characterized by a drop in barometric pressure, the passing of a warm front, high temperature and humidity and oftentimes rain, is closely associated with higher frequency and severity of Migraine attacks; 2) a high humidex discomfort index during the summer is associated with an increased frequency of Migraine attacks;
3) wind from the southeast was shown to be associated with more attacks than wind from any other direction; and 4) a number of Migraine sufferers may be sensitive to extreme rates of barometric pressure changes. Another common uncontrollable trigger is the menstrual cycle. The Migraine appears to be the result of falling levels or reduced availability of estrogen. Migraine sometimes becomes worse in the first trimester of pregnancy, but many women are Migraine-free later in their pregnancy. Menstrual Migraine is often more difficult to treat than other types of head pain. Controllable triggers, on the other hand, include bright light, chemical smells, second-hand smoke, particular alcohols such as red wine and some hard alcohols such as scotch, foods that are known vasodilator such as fish, some chocolate, aged cheese, and foods which contain nitrates and/or the radical vasodilator MSG. MYTH: MIGRAINE IS NOT LIFE THREATENING, JUST ANNOYING. REALITY: MIGRAINE CAN BE LIFE THREATENING, INDUCING SUCH CONDITIONS AS STROKE AND COMA. Migraine can induce a host of serious physical conditions: strokes, aneurysms, permanent visual loss, severe dental problems, coma and even death. Twenty-seven percent of all strokes suffered by persons under the age of 45 are caused by Migraine. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in this country. In addition, twenty-five percent of all incidents of cerebral infarction were associated with Migraines, according to the Mayo clinic. Migraine and epileptic seizure disorders are also interrelated. The most intimate interrelationship between the two being Migraine-triggered epilepsy. Migraine affects up to 15% of the epileptic population. Not only can the Migraine disease be life threatening, but it can have a devastating and disruptive effect on normal living. Migraine sufferers experience not only excruciating pain, but social ostracism, job loss, disruption to personal relationships, and prejudices in the workplace. Oftentimes people think that those with Migraines just can't handle life, or, in reality, are drug addicts or alcoholics. Such perception can be formed when, for example, people see a Migraineur wearing sun glasses indoors (photo sensitive), lying in a dark and silent room (photo and sound sensitive), making frequent trips to the rest room (nausea and vomiting), leaving early, working late, slurred speech, all what they may think is erratic behavior. "Historically, patients with the most intractable Migraines experience a downward spiral in terms of income and contributions to society at large." Also, a recent study showed that the loss of labor time and lost productivity of Migraine sufferers may exact a significant toll on U.S. business. According to a position paper signed by the American Academy of Pain Medicine, et. al., 150 million work days per year, equivalent to 1,200 million work hours, are lost each year to head pain. The corresponding annual cost to industry and the health care system due to Migraine amounts to $5 to $17 billion. MYTH: ANY DOCTOR WILL RECOGNIZE AND PROPERLY TREAT MIGRAINE. REALITY: MIGRAINE IS ONE OF THE MOST MISDIAGNOSED, MISTREATED AND LEAST UNDERSTOOD DISEASES. The fact that so many doctors don't take Migraine seriously can be as disabling to the Migraineur as the disability itself. The leading doctors in the areas of neurology and head pain have themselves stated that this disease is grossly misunderstood and misdiagnosed. In fact, 60% of women and 70% of men with Migraine have never been diagnosed with this disease. This medical ignorance and corresponding inaccurate writings unfortunately perpetuate the myths and misunderstandings about Migraine and convey this to the general public. "Migraine is a serious and underestimated health problem ... Patients with Migraine are shunted along an assembly line of misdiagnosis, undertreatment, or frank mismanagement. They are subjected to unnecessary procedures and preventable consequences." "Migraine sufferers must not only cope with their pain, but also with society's misunderstanding of the disorder. Migraineurs are frequently dismissed as neurotic complainers who are unable to handle stress. The truth is that they frequently battle against great odds in order to hold down jobs and support families ... Young Migraine sufferers sometimes miss enough school so that they are unable to graduate with their peers." "In addition to misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis, Migraine sufferers will bear the brunt of discriminatory policies by a variety of health care agencies." Such agencies may deny reimbursement for emergency room visits and for hospitalizations for the most severe sufferers. It is not uncommon for doctors to think that a Migraine sufferer is in the emergency room to receive drugs, and dangerously turn them away. If you are not a Migraine sufferer, then remember the next time you offer advice to the person in your life that suffers from Migraines, make sure it's not toxic (i.e., you need to avoid stress, cheer up, don't drink Coke, or other well-meaning but emotionally debilitating statements). Rather, offer to turn down the lights and the TV, and let them know you understand. Remember: Migraine is an "invisible" disorder. interested in reading my personal description of a migraine? check out my throbbing entry. 11:44 pm - 06 Jun 2002 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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