Three to five percent of the Australian population suffers from chronic migraine pain. About 12% of the population suffers from migraines, making it a prevalent and disabling ailment. According to the 2019 Global Burden of Disease Study, migraine is the third leading cause of disability-adjusted life years globally. The frequency of a migraine sufferer’s episodes may rise with time. In the eyes of the professionals, there are three stages to this type of headache transition:
None, occasional migraine, or chronic pain attacks
About 3-5% of Australians experiences chronic migraine pain. In rare cases, people who have migraine headaches on an episodic basis may acquire chronic migraine headaches. Furthermore, yearly, it is estimated that 3% of those who have episodic migraine may “transition” to persons who experience chronic migraine.
When does a headache become a migraine?
Chronic migraine pain is defined by the International Headache Society as headache occurring on 15 or more days per month for more than three months, with at least 8 of those headache days having migraine features:
- There is a throbbing, hammering, or pulsing sensation in your head.
- The pain is moderate to severe and frequently acute, and it worsens with physical activity or movement.
- You might be experiencing discomfort on either side of your head, or both.
- In addition to the headache, the patient must also be experiencing other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and/or sensitivity to light and sound.
Not every day with a headache must involve a migraine. A migraine headache and any other kind of headache that occurs on the same day would be counted as two separate headaches.
SEE ALSO: Devastating Effects of Chronic Pain and their Solution
The existing definition of Chronic migraine pain does not represent considerable disparities in impairment suffered by patients, according to research published in the journal Headache®. The study indicated that the amount of handicap experienced by patients with 8-14 headache days per month was comparable to that experienced by individuals with 15-23 headache days per month. This investigation of the American Migraine Foundation’s (AMF) American Registry for Migraine Research (ARMR) data has the potential to improve patients’ access to therapy according to their degree of disability in the future.
How Serious Are the Dangers?
A number of prevalent, but manageable, risk factors contribute to the development of chronic migraine discomfort. Obesity, snoring, asthma, anxiety, acute drug usage, depression, and other pain conditions are all instances of risk factors. Concussions, caffeine, and emotional turmoil are all risk factors for brain and neck trauma.
How do doctors identify migraines with chronic pain?
See a doctor if your headaches seem to be getting worse over time; this might be a sign of chronic migraine. In this case, it might be either your regular doctor or someone who specialises in headaches.
The number of headache days, rather than the severity of impairment, is used to make a diagnosis. Maintaining a headache diary is, thus, highly recommended. How often people suffer from headaches is often over exaggerated. One reason for this is that people have a tendency to overestimate the frequency of bad days and underestimate the frequency of good ones. The best way to prevent this from happening is to keep a headache diary.
Avoid giving your doctor an inaccurate picture of your headache load by just reporting the worst of your headaches. Because of this, a diagnosis of Chronic Migraine Pain may be missed.
If you get regular headaches and think they could be caused by chronic migraine discomfort, your doctor will want to conduct a thorough examination to rule out alternative possibilities. Chronic daily headache is one type, but there are others, including secondary headaches (which are brought on by another health issue) and tension headaches. New daily persistent headache, hemicrania continua, or chronic tension-type headache are other possible headache disorders.
How Do You Deal with Recurring Migraines?
Chronic migraine pain treatment is quite similar to episodic migraine pain treatment, with a few notable differences. Both short-term and long-term medications, such as those used for prevention, may be part of a therapy strategy. Biofeedback and cognitive behavioural therapy are two examples of non-pharmaceutical preventative therapies. Depression, anxiety, snoring, and obesity are all risk factors that can be mitigated by treatment.
Migraine acute medicines are intended to be used at the onset of a migraine episode. Both OTC and prescription drugs are included (like ibuprofen, acetaminophen and sumatriptan, among others). However, the risk of drug overuse headache can be reduced by reducing the frequency with which they are used.
In order to lessen the frequency and intensity of headache attacks, preventative medicine is often prescribed. Botox, or onabotulinumtoxin A, was the first preventative therapy for chronic migraine pain authorised by the Drug Administration. Anti-CGRP migraine medications were given the green light by the FDA in 2018 for the prevention of both chronic and episodic migraine. Chronic migraine sufferers had their migraine frequency reduced by six to eight days each month, according to studies.
Chronic migraine pain may also be prevented by the same anticonvulsant or antidepressant or blood pressure drugs that are effective against migraines that occur only sometimes.
Medication is only one part of a comprehensive strategy for managing migraines. Biofeedback and acupuncture are two examples of non-medical treatments that can work in tandem with conventional medical care. Taking care of oneself, such as by getting adequate sleep and consuming lots of water, should also be a component of your strategy for managing migraines.
For more information on chronic pain symptoms, chronic pain resources or effective chronic pain management options, you should book a consultation session with a specialist at Chronic Therapy today, to give you professional advice that will suit your personal experience.
