September complete mag

Migraine Awareness Week
At some point in our lives, we have all had a headache, and know how painful and debilitating
they can be. But if you are one of the 1 in 7 people in the population who suffer from migraines,
then you will understand the misery caused by this disabling lifetime condition. Migraine is the
third most common, and sixth most disabling disease in the world although the understanding
of the condition is still low.
Migraine Awareness Week is held
every year to try to raise awareness of
the condition, highlight its impact and
the understanding of it in the general
population, and raise funds for the
Migraine Trust, an organisation committed
to helping support the millions of people
affected. One of the main aims of
the week is to “work together to raise
the profile of migraine as a complex
neurological condition and dispel any
ideas that it is ‘just a headache’.”
This year, the week runs from the 6th
to the 12th September and everyone is
encouraged to get involved in some way.
Below are some ideas about things you
can do to help out, and some facts and
information about the condition to help
increase everyone’s understanding.
What is migraine?
Migraine is a complex neurological
condition with a wide variety of symptoms.
A migraine is usually a moderate or severe
headache felt as a throbbing pain on one
side of the head although many people
also have symptoms such as feeling sick,
being sick and increased sensitivity to light,
smells or sound. Many people need to lie
still for several hours in darkened spaces,
and attacks can last from 4 to 72 hours.
The symptoms vary with individuals and
can be very frightening for them.
Types of migraine
There are several types of migraine, as
listed on the NHS migraine webpage,
which include:
• migraine with aura – where there
are specific warning signs just before
the migraine begins, such as seeing
flashing lights
• migraine without aura – the most
common type, where the migraine
happens without the specific warning
signs
• migraine aura without headache, also
known as silent migraine – where an
aura or other migraine symptoms are
experienced, but a headache does
not develop
Who suffers from
migraines?
Anyone can be affected although there is
a higher incidence in women than men. It
can begin at any age but usually begins
early. Children as young as 18 months
have been reported with it, and about
10% of school-aged children and 28% of
adolescents aged 15 to 19 are affected by
it. Half of all sufferers experience their first
migraine before they are 12.
What causes migraine?
The causes of migraine are not fully
understood as it differs widely between
individuals. There may be some genetic
involvement since it seems to run in
families, and many people think that
their migraines are caused by a trigger
such as a food/drink, stress, or changes
in their hormones. A good way to help
identify triggers is for people to keep a
detailed diary of what they eat/drink, any
mood swings, external factors such as the
weather and the room temperature which
can be used to build up a detailed picture
of how these things affect their migraine.
How can you treat
migraine?
There is no cure for migraine, but many
people treat the symptoms of pain and
headache with over-the-counter painkillers
such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or
codeine. Another class of drugs called
triptans work to reverse the changes in
the brain causing migraine. They quieten
down overactive pain nerves and work
in a similar way to the brain chemical,
serotonin. However, they are not suitable
for everyone due to their vasoconstrictor
properties (narrowing of the arteries) and
everyone should check with their doctor
or pharmacist first before taking any
medications since some medications such
as codeine are also age-restricted.
How can you raise
awareness in your
setting?
1. Talk about it – hopefully, the very
fact that you are reading this article
means that you will have a little more
knowledge about the condition at
the end of it, than you had at the
beginning. Do you know anyone who
suffers from migraines? Have you ever
just thought they are ‘putting it on’ or
dismissed it as ‘another headache’?!
Why not instigate a conversation
about migraines and try to find out
how things really are? There is a lot
of negative stigma around migraines
and many sufferers literally do ‘suffer
in silence’ because they do not
think other people will understand.
This is where talking openly and
honestly about it can help. If you
know someone who suffers from
migraines, you could tell them about
the Migraine Trust, or other relevant
charities and the work they do.
2. Follow the Migraine Trust on
Facebook and Twitter and use the
hashtags #letsbeatmigraine and
#migraineawarenessweek on your
own social media sites to show that
you are supporting the week. There
is also a Migraine Trust YouTube
channel which you could share via
social media to help get people
talking and thinking more about
migraine.
3. Help others by sharing your own
story – if you have migraines, then
the Migraine Trust would love to hear
your own personal story – you never
know how many people might be
inspired by your experiences to either
get help themselves or understand
the condition more.
4. Raise some funds – money allows
the charity to continue with their
important research and support work.
There many fun charity activities you
can do to help raise some pennies (or
some pounds!) Things like sponsored
walks, cake sales, art events might
be your expertise, or you could tackle
more strenuous activities such as the
2021 London Marathon.
5. Give something up – a lot of people
with migraine believe their migraine
is triggered by certain things, such
as hormones, alcohol, stress or
certain foods and drinks. They
often avoid these things to prevent
their migraine. The idea behind the
#GiveUpForMigraine campaign is
that people give something up for a
month to help raise money – it should
be something they like (chocolate and
alcohol are usually good candidates)
and then they donate the money they
save to the Migraine Trust.
Whatever you do, the next time someone
says they have a migraine, you can show
empathy and support.
References and further
information
• https://www.migrainetrust.org/
• https://www.nationalmigrainecentre.
org.uk/
• https://migraineresearchfoundation.
org/
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/
migraine/
36 September 2020 | parenta.com
parenta.com | September 2020 37