Migraine Resource Network is a comprehensive educational initiative for clinicians seeking current and emerging information on migraine headache. Our mission is to provide ongoing medical education that embodies evidence-based scientific data, current treatment strategies, and the insightful knowledge of expert faculty. Our goal is to support your ongoing dedication to optimizing treatment outcomes for your patients.

 
 
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About Headache Print
  • Migraine afflicts approximately 29.5 million Americans
  • This figure may be higher, as half the population do not seek medical attention
  • Studies have reported that half of the migraine sufferers seeking medical assistance are misdiagnosed
  • WHO estimated in 2003 that there were 303 million migraine sufferers in the world and rated migraines as the 19th most common cause of years lived with disability (YLDs)
  • Women are three times more likely to have a migraine than men
  • Peak prevalence age is 20 to 45 years, but can be commonly experienced between ages of 15 and 55
  • Neurologists are more likely to suffer from a migraine than the general population, and 57% of neurologists will experience a migraine in their lifetime
  • 70% to 80% of migraineurs have a hereditary influence
  • Caucasians and lower income groups have a higher incidence of migraine
  • Two main migraine cause theories have been identified:
    • Circulatory/vascular theory and
    • Neurological/nerve theory
  • Migraine causal substances and syndromes being investigated include vasoactive amine, serotonin, magnesium, reduced cerebral blood flow, and circadian patterns
  • 85% of migraineurs can identify a trigger factor, with half of sufferers identifying either weather, stress, alcohol, menses or crying as the main trigger
  • Only 15-20% of migraineurs experience auras; it is a misconception that migraines always cause visual disturbances
  • Migraine pain can last between 4 to 72 hours
  • 60% of migraines are unilateral, with 15% of migraineurs always experiencing the pain on the same side
  • The average number of recurring migraines per month is 3-4
  • The main symptoms experienced by migraineurs are pulsing or throbbing pain (85%), nausea (80%), and sensitivity to light or noise (80%)
  • Migraines are usually classified as either classic (with aura) or common (without aura)
  • Types of migraines include:
    • Abdominal
    • Acephalgic
    • Basilar artery
    • Cyclic
    • Dysphrenic
    • Hemiplegic
    • Menstrual
    • Nocturnal
    • Ocular
    • Ophthalmoplegic
    • Retinal
    • Status
    • Transformed
  • Screening and diagnosis tools for complicated types of migraine include:
    • CT
    • MRI
    • Spinal tap
  • Migraine treatments fall into three main categories:
    • Pain-relieving medications – 98% of migraineurs take medication for temporary relief
    • Preventive medications – only 1 in 5 migraineurs use preventative therapy (American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study)
    • Cognitive and behavioral treatments
  • The economic burden of migraine has been estimated at more than $31 billion
  • Almost one quarter of migraineurs have missed one day of work per quarter due to their migraine, while nearly half were prevented from doing daily household chores
Last Updated on Tuesday, 17 November 2009 16:26