Hyderabad doctors warn against ignoring frequent headaches, urge early diagnosis of migraine

Hyderabad: Migraine is a neurological disorder characterised by frequent headaches, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, which affects daily lives significantly. People also suffer from visual or sensory disturbances with headache or visual or sensory disturbances without headache.

Around 12 per cent of the world population suffers from migraine, as per the American Brain Foundation, while the prevalence in India is higher, with around 16 per cent to 20 per cent of people affected.

What is the cause of migraine?

Most people think migraine is just a headache, but it can affect the physical and mental well-being of those affected. The reasons for cause of migraine is still unclear, but according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, it can be genetic and influenced by environmental factors besides nerve and blood vessel interactions in the brain.

According to Dr Emani Srikanth Reddy, a senior consultant neurologist, Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad migraines and chronic headaches affect millions of people’s lives.

It is not just a headache

“Migraines are frequently misdiagnosed as ‘just a headache’. Severe throbbing pain, nausea, light and sound sensitivity and even incapacitating aura symptoms are all possible indications of this complicated neurological condition,” he said.

Many migraine sufferers experience feelings of loneliness, believing that others are unaware of the actual severity of their illness. Raising awareness becomes important and promotes candid discussions about pain and mental health and helps to dispel stigma.

Chronic headaches can also be draining, impacting everyday activities and general quality of life. Migraines, cluster headaches and tension-type headaches are all disorders that should be acknowledged and treated with kindness.

Medicine overuse

“All too frequently, people suffer in silence out of fear of rejection or being called complainers. However, the suffering is genuine and significant. People should adopt lifestyle modification, following sleep hygiene, stress management, and understand triggering points instead of ignoring symptoms to avoid headaches as much as possible,” Dr Srikanth said.

In India, where self-medication is rampant, it has also resulted in medicine-overuse-chronic headaches caused by mindless popping of pills to get relief from it.

Dr Srikanth said, “People affected by cluster headaches usually ignore symptoms like pain on one side of the head, watery and red eyes and even a blocked nose, attributing it to fatigue, general sickness, excessive screen time, lack of sleep or extended work hours.”

Multiple treatments

There are a lot of efficient treatments available, ranging from advanced therapy and support groups to lifestyle changes and preventive drugs. Proper management and early intervention can have a profound impact.

“By working together, we can create a future where everyone who suffers from migraine or chronic headaches gets the support, respect and care they need,” Dr Srikanth said.