Migraine awareness comes to a head in the month of June

Migraines, for those fortunate never to have experienced them, are often assumed to be “just bad headaches” that others use as an excuse to shirk daily responsibilities. For those of us prone to them, they are debilitating torture that can disrupt our lives for days at a time. As June is Migraine Awareness Month Dr Elliot Shevel, Medical Director of The Headache Clinic South Africa, was kind enough to answer a few questions and shed some light on this condition.

Sometimes people don’t realise they are having a migraine. According to Dr Shevel, what sets them apart from headaches are – along with an increase in pain levels – “certain side effects such as nausea and vomiting, light sensitivity and sound sensitivity, to name a few.” The difficulty with dealing with migraines is that they do vary among individuals. For example, there are no foods that specifically trigger a migraine, but that avoiding certain foods can help. The individual will need to keep a food diary to find a pattern between their diet and the onset of migraines.

There is also little that can be done at the onset of a migraine to lessen the effects. Dr Shevel made the point that owing to their individual nature, where some people might have an attack due to dehydration, merely drinking water can help. In other instances, this wouldn’t be the case. All hope is not lost though with surgery now offered that can access and treat the areas where the pain originates and Dr Shevel has made the assurance there is no age limit for this treatment. “We have had patients between the ages of 11 and 84 who have benefited. Not all migraine sufferers need surgery however, and we have to assess each patient to see whether they need surgery or not.”

For further information on the treatment of migraines, visit the clinic’s new web address at www.theheadacheclinic.net

Details: The Headache Clinic South Africa, 011 484 0933.

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