Sore head?

If you’ve ever had a migraine, you’ll know how debilitating they can be. Often described as a headache with bite, migraines are so much more than a throbbing head and for the estimated 600,000 Irish people who suffer from them on a regular basis, they are not only painful – they have a direct impact on quality of life.

“The simplest thing to say about a migraine is that it’s a complex neurological disorder, it’s not just a headache,” says Jane Whelan from the Migraine Association of Ireland.

Jane says that while many of us associate headaches with migraines, not all migraine sufferers actually get a headache with an attack and if they do, it can be a small part of a larger story.

“Some people can get a migraine and not get a headache at all, but they’ll get other symptoms. That can range to anything from nausea to vomiting to dizziness and ringing in the ears,” explains Jane.

Other symptoms include visual disturbances, numbness, pins and needles and sensitivity to lights, sounds and smells. The headache itself, if even present, is usually just a small part of the overall experience.

How do you know the difference between a headache and a migraine? Jane says that one of the easiest ways is to look at the level of pain being experienced.

“The pain is usually moderate to severe. It wouldn’t just be a mind headache. It can be really quite severe. It tends to go across the top of the head, down one side of the face, down the back of the neck and down into the shoulders and it can move around,” says Jane.

“It’s not just a little headache. You can tell when someone has never had [a migraine] when they’re going, “Maybe you just need to go and get some fresh air or drink a bit more water?” … People really don’t realise unless they’ve had [one]. The pain in the head is horrific, but it’s all the other things as well that make it so much worse.”

Due to the individual nature of migraine, it can be hard to find solid statistics regarding the amount of people that are affected by it. However, it is estimated that migraine sufferers make up about 12-14 per cent of a country’s population and due to hormonal changes, women are usually affected more than men. In Ireland, it’s believed that of the 600,000 people who regularly experience migraine, roughly 30,000 people are chronic sufferers.

“Chronic migraine is if you have over 15 days a month with a migraine. 30,000 people? That’s a lot because if you think about it, if you’ve got pain and all those other symptoms for over 15 days a month, it’s going to impact on going to school or going to college, your job or your family,” says Jane.

Another worrying statistic is that 13,000 people in Ireland wake up every day with a migraine and migraine affects one in 10 children. With so many sufferers, it’s important to know that there are ways to get help.

If you’re being affected by migraine regularly and if your pain is becoming more persistent or changes in any way, then it’s essential to visit your GP. While there are no blood tests or screenings that can tell you whether you’re a chronic migraine sufferer, your GP will be able to take a detailed case history and possibly refer you to a specialist for further treatment if needed.

Jane says that it’s important to keep a diary of your symptoms to see if you can pin point any patterns.

“Just notice things like the time of the month, weather changes, what else has been going on, if there’s anything particularly stressful. Even for those attacks that are only now and again, note down anything you can think of and have the right medication,” says Jane

“Pharmacies can be a really good source of information on the right medication to take and the combinations of medication to take. That can be a very good idea to have a chat with the pharmacist or the GP.”

When dealing with migraine, mindfulness and balance is essential.

“For people with migraine, routine is key. It’s really important that they’re eating regularly, keeping their blood sugar level stable, that they’re getting regular sleep, getting up at the same time, going to bed at the same time,” says Jane.

When it comes to migraine, Jane says that more understanding and awareness is needed for chronic sufferers.

“I think unless people have experienced it or they have somebody in their family or a friend or a colleague, they don’t necessarily understand how bad it can be,” says Jane.

“The problem is usually people are lying on their own, in the dark, in their bedroom when they’re at the worst part of the attack so nobody sees them… It’s one of those invisible illnesses.”

The Migraine Association of Ireland provides information and support to those with migraine and other headache disorders. For more information see www.migraine.ie. The ‘What’s under the hat?’ campaign from the European Headache Alliance seeks to raise awareness about headache disorders. For details see www.europeanheadachealliance