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Migraine
What is migraine?
Migraine is a severe, episodic disorder with freedom from symptoms between attacks. Attacks are characterised by transient focal neurological symptoms, headache, or both.
Diagnoising migraine
Correctly diagnosing a migraine headache enables prompt and appropriate therapeutic intervention, reducing the distress and pain experienced by patients. An incorrect diagnosis of migraine can have a significant effect on both migraineurs and their families.
Several sets of guidelines have been developed to assist in the diagnosis of migraine.
Among migraineurs, understanding and assessing the severity and disability of a patient’s illness is an important step in ascertaining their treatment needs.
The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS)
The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) questionnaire is a self-administered form that assesses the impact that migraine has on a patient’s work and social life. It can be used prior to and at the time of an initial consultation and throughout treatment to monitor the patient’s progress.
The use of a headache diary, which allows patients to record events that play a role in their headaches, is also a useful tool that may aid the physician in the diagnosis of migraine.
Despite the availability of migraine-specific medications such as the triptans, which are effective and well tolerated for the acute treatment of migraine, many migraineurs lapse from physician care before being prescribed an effective treatment.
Treatment
It is advised that users of this resource consult their local treatment guidelines before initiating any treatment programme for a patient with migraine. Once migraine is diagnosed, patients and physicians should decide together how best to treat acute attacks and whether to use preventive medications.
Useful links:
- Migraine Action Association
We aim to raise awareness of migraine, support research, and offer advice and information to migraineurs about the latest developments and treatments available. - World Headache Alliance
The World Headache Alliance (WHA) was founded to reduce the burden of headache disorders throughout the world, in particular, by sharing information among headache organisations and by increasing the awareness and understanding of headache as a public health concern with profound social and economic impact.
Source: EPG guide- www.epgonline.org/migraine.cfm
Last Updated 25-05-2010