Migraine and Headache Awareness Month – June

A Month to Promote Migraine and Headache Disorder Awareness

Over 37 million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with migraine. Although 47 percent of the adult population experiences headaches annually, migraine and other headache disorders are poorly recognized and inadequately treated. For this reason, Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM) is observed every June in the United States.

The goal of Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is to build awareness, educate the public, and reduce the stigma associated with migraine, cluster headaches, and other headache disorders. Most people know little about migraines and headache disorders and their symptoms. During June, people who suffer from such disorders, and those who care for them, help lift the mask of misunderstanding by educating loved ones and others about the pain with which they live and the role the disorder plays in their lives.

Each year in June, the American Headache and Migraine Association promotes Migraine and Headache Awareness Month (MHAM). This year their theme is Unmasking the Mystery of Chronic Headache Disorders. It’s an appropriate theme because it holds great potential to help reduce the stigma associated with migraine and other headache disorders. People tend to fear or ridicule what they don’t understand. Migraine and Headache Awareness Month is intended to promote understanding of the often mysterious and painful disorder of migraine and chronic headaches.

 

What’s a migraine?

Migraine is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by recurring moderate to severe headaches. It’s a type of vascular headache, which refers to a group of conditions in which blood vessel dilation or swelling is the major component in the production of pain. The blood vessels in the tissues surrounding the head swell, become distended, and inflamed, so that the normal pulsation of the vessels causes a throbbing type of pain.

 

What causes a migraine?

Migraine is most commonly experienced between the ages of 15 and 55. 70 to 80 percent of sufferers have a family history of migraine. Many factors can trigger migraine attacks, such as alteration of sleep-wake cycle; missing or delaying a meal; medications that cause a swelling of the blood vessels; daily or near daily use of medications designed for relieving headache attacks; bright lights, sunlight, fluorescent lights, TV and movie viewing; certain foods; and excessive noise. Stress and/or underlying depression are important trigger factors that can be diagnosed and treated adequately.

Chronic headache pain is a serious condition; especially for seniors. Migraine & Headache Awareness Month is an important event for creating awareness and showing compassion toward those who suffer from such disorders. To learn more about migraines and other headache disorders, visit the websites of the American Headache & Migraine Association, the National Headache Foundation, and the International Headache Society.

 

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Blog Date:  June 25, 2013

writer: Ryan Allen