'There Is No Treatment' To 'It Is Normal': 5 Migraine Myths You Must Stop Believing

Lack of awareness and knowledge gap, coupled with myths around migraine, has led to under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis of the chronic neurological disease.

Migraine affects over 1 billion people across the world.

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Migraine is a chronic neurological disease that affects over 1 billion people across the world. It is a common headache disorder, making up 16% of the total neurological disorder disease burden in India. Despite ranking consistently among the top 10 leading causes of years lived with disability, worldwide, the invisible condition remains poorly understood. 

“Most people do not realize that there is an entity known as migraine which requires treatment. So, if one is having frequent headaches, it is important to seek help from a neurologist rather than taking OTC products, as that can lead to complications in the long run. Women who are housewives, consider migraine as a headache due to routine household stress, while working women treat them as a ‘casual’ headache due to work stress. There is a huge lack of awareness leading to the low rate of diagnosis and treatment. Almost half of the patients come only when they are really in trouble,” says Dr Prashant Makhija, Consultant Neurologist, Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai Central.

The lack of awareness and knowledge gap has also been accompanied with myths around this condition which has led to under-diagnosis and misdiagnosis of this disorder.

Here are key Migraine myths and facts so that one sees a doctor according to their conditions: 

Myth #1: The biggest mythpeople tend to believe is that there is no treatment for Migraine

Fact: With advanced therapies and lifestyle changes, migraine can be managed well, and people with migraine can lead normal lives. 

Myth #2: Women mainly think migraine is a part of normal life and that everyone gets headaches.

Fact: Only 10-15% of women in the age group of 20-40 have migraine. Eighty per cent women do not have headaches, which means that it is not normal. Migraine is a definite disease, and it requires immediate medical attention. 

Myth #3: Headaches are usually linked with an eyesight number issue.

Fact: Since headaches are looked upon as frivolous and go away in a few hours with short-term remedies, people tend to ignore the long-term treatment of the condition. They do not work toward tackling subsequent attacks to avoid the recurrent headaches.

Myth #4: Environmental factors do not play a key role in headache triggers.

Fact: Recurrent headaches, accompanied by nausea and vomiting that are triggered by light and noise, and other environmental factors are symptoms of migraine, and it is important to understand them to self-recognise the disorder. 

Myth #5: Migraine has nothing to do with genetics.

Fact: Migraine is an inherited tendency and the predisposition to recurrent headaches is transmitted through genes.

While core features such as triggering factors, family history, and recurrent and disabling headaches are the same among people suffering from migraine, there are other additional symptoms that may vary from person to person. Headaches also vary across age groups, one may suffer from a certain kind of headache in the early years, however, the headaches can be severe in the later years. 

Dr Jaydip Ray Chaudhuri, Consultant Neuro Physician, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, said: “There is a significant gap in knowledge when it comes to managing migraine. Almost 5% of the patients are misdiagnosed as cervical spondylitis or infection in the brain. Therefore, there is a need to spread awareness around the preventive measures for this disorder. Migraine can be managed with simple lifestyle changes such as adequate sleep for 8 hours, eating timely meals, and refraining from stress.”

While significant barriers to migraine diagnosis and treatment persist, experts believe, it is imperative to outline and address these roadblocks to limit disease burden and pave the way for a smoother patient journey for migraineurs in India.