In a new study, researchers found many people with migraine are needlessly enduring days of agony because they don’t know how to prevent migraines.
Once diagnosed migraines can be effectively managed. But the researchers say sufferers don’t recognize the symptoms and so don’t seek the right treatment.
The research was conducted by a team from The Australian National University.
A migraine is more than a headache. It is an incredibly disabling condition that is also incredibly common—about 15% of the population suffers from migraines.
What is unique about it is that among neurological conditions, migraines are one of the most underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed conditions.
A lot of people have migraines and don’t realize they have it. People think having headaches is not a big deal but having a migraine is not just a headache. It is much more severe pain and can be debilitating.
In the study, the team found one-in-five people who suffered migraine did not know about preventative medications they can access—which include Botox.
They found people suffering from migraines often have incomplete or insufficient information about their own condition.
If doctors can help people to have greater knowledge about migraine they can advocate for the right level of care.
The study also showed one-in-five people who had migraine did not know about any of the dangers of acute medication treatments, which are often used to treat the condition.
In the short term, acute medications can massively reduce the pain but there are other risks if those medications are overused.
They can create rebound headaches and they can create the problem that you are seeking to treat.
The team says If people have migraines, they need to talk to their doctors, get more knowledge and ask for a referral to a neurologist.
The researchers also highlight a need for a public health campaign to inform the community on the treatments and defining features of migraines.
The lead author of the study is Dr. Stephanie Goodhew from the Research School of Psychology.
The study was published in Nature Comprehensive Clinical Medicine.
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