Since June of 2009 I've been dealing with chronic daily migraines. The pain well is indescribable. Most people don’t realize how serious and incapacitating a migraine can be. So here are the facts.
Migraine is the 6th most disabling illness in the world. Every 10 seconds, someone in the U.S. goes to the emergency room complaining of head pain, and approximately 1.2 million visits are for acute migraine attacks. While most sufferers experience attacks once or twice a month, more than 4 million people have chronic daily migraines, with at least 15 migraine days per month. More than 90% of sufferers are unable to work or function normally during their migraine.
Migraine is not just a bad headache.
Migraine is a neurological disease with extremely incapacitating neurological symptoms. It’s typically a severe throbbing recurring pain, usually on one side of the head. But in about 1/3 of attacks, both sides are affected. Most people don’t realize how serious and incapacitating migraine can be.
In some cases, other disabling symptoms are present without head pain. Attacks are often accompanied by one or more of the following disabling symptoms: visual disturbances, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, extreme sensitivity to sound, light, touch and smell, and tingling or numbness in the extremities or face. About 25% of migraine sufferers also have a visual disturbance called an aura, which usually lasts less than an hour. In 15-20% of attacks, other neurological symptoms occur before the actual head pain. Attacks usually last between 4 and 72 hours. For many sufferers, migraines are a chronic disease that significantly diminishes their quality of life.
More than 4 million adults experience chronic daily migraines – with at least 15 migraine days per month. Medication overuse is the most common reason why episodic migraines turns chronic. Depression, anxiety, and sleep disturbances are common for those with chronic migraines. Over 20% of chronic migraine sufferers are disabled, and the likelihood of disability increases sharply with the number of comorbid conditions.
These are just some of the scary but real facts behind migraines. And remember...