At the initiative of the medical community, September 12 is International Migraine Day, with the aim of drawing attention to the seriousness of this disease, raising people's awareness of the consequences it may have, and showing how underestimated this problem is. After all, the disease affects not only the physical and mental state of the patient, but also his work, family, and social life.
Migrainew (fr. Migraine by lat. Hēmicrania, Greek. Αμικρανία «head pain covering half of the head») is usually designated as periodic attacks of pulsating headaches of medium and high intensity lasting from several hours to 2-3 days, which can worsen with physical activity. Moreover, they are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, hypersensitivity to light, sounds and odors.
According to statistics from medical organizations, migraine – is the third most common disease in the world (according to WHO, every seventh person on Earth has experienced a migraine attack at least once in their life), one of the most common causes of disability for people under the age of 50, and lost work days, due to this disease, cause significant harm to the economies of states. This disease is placed on a par with vascular diseases of the brain, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.
According to doctors, the development of the disease is due to the combination of the genetic component of a person and environmental factors. In addition to heredity, among the main causes that provoke migraines are overwork, stress, poor diet and daily routine, and alcohol abuse. In women, the disease may worsen during menstruation. Hormonal changes play a significant role. For example, before puberty, boys suffer from migraines slightly more often than girls, and adult women experience migraines 2-3 times more often than men.
In addition, therapy for this disease remains a rather difficult task for doctors, and people themselves often prefer self-medication rather than turning to specialists, which leads to the abuse of painkillers in an attempt to quickly relieve a painful attack. According to neurologists, only correct and timely diagnosis and a comprehensive approach to therapy can achieve good results in the treatment of the disease.
However, it is important to remember that in addition to visiting doctors and drug therapy, a person also needs to monitor his lifestyle. Therefore, in order to reduce the risk of migraines, it is important to get enough sleep, give up bad habits, eat right and balanced, walk in the fresh air, exercise and be able to cope with stressful situations. All kinds of «intellectual loads» – solving problems, crosswords, brainstorming, learning foreign languages will not be superfluous…
It is all these issues, and most importantly – migraine prevention, that the events organized by activists and medical workers on Migraine Control Day are dedicated to, including – educational events and exhibitions, scientific seminars and conferences. It is important to remember that modern medical methods make it easier to tolerate the disease, and people living with it are not alone in the struggle to alleviate their suffering.
Postcard «September 12 — International Migraine Day»