National Migraine and Headache Awareness Month

A month to promote headache disorder awareness

It’s more than just a headache. It’s a painful and debilitating condition. It’s a migraine. And if you’ve ever had one, you know they’re awful. 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, as a way to bring the condition to light.

According to the American Migraine Foundation, a migraine is an inherited neurological disorder that is characterized by over excitability of specific areas of the brain. Although we do not clearly understand how a migraine brain is different or what happens in the brain to start a migraine, we know that individuals with migraine are more susceptible to the influence of transient factors, termed “triggers” that raise the risk for having a migraine attack. These triggers include hormonal fluctuations; environmental stimuli like weather or bright lights, certain smells, alcohol, certain foods, poor sleep, and high stress. However, not everyone has a clear trigger for their migraine attacks.

The goal of MHAM, which is promoted by the American Headache & Migraine Association, 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.

This year, the theme is Dreaming of a world without headache and migraine. It’s an appropriate theme because chronic headache pain is a serious condition; especially for seniors. Migraine and 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: wednesday June 25, 2014
writer: Ryan Allen