Migraine are a serious health and social problem

How Migraines Impact Quality of Life

Migraine headaches are a serious health and social problem that affects more than 28 million Americans. They impact your general health as well as how well you function in society. Researchers call that your “quality of life.” They point to studies which show that migraines have a negative effect on sufferers' quality of life before, during and after attacks.

From an economic perspective, the effects of migraines are pretty dramatic. Studies demonstrate that migraine results in lost work productivity and increased absenteeism. In the United States alone, the annual loss of productivity due to chronic headache is estimated to range from $1.4 billion to $17 billion.

From a personal perspective, migraines also strike a damaging chord. In the American Migraine Study, one of the largest studies of headache sufferers ever conducted, 51 percent of patients reported that their migraines reduced work or school productivity by half. Approximately 30 percent missed at least one day of work or school in the previous three months because of migraine. More than half of migraine sufferers said their headaches were so bad that they caused severe impairment in activities or required bed rest. Three percent of sufferers said the condition led them to seek emergency medical care.

What Makes Migraines So Debilitating

Because a migraine episode involves much more than just the acute attack, it becomes increasingly difficult to function before, during and after the event.

About one third of sufferers experience symptoms of fatigue, mood changes and gastrointestinal problems up to 48 hours before an attack. In 20 percent of cases, that can be followed by an aura, which can include problems with vision and feelings of numbness. A startling 70 percent of women and 57 percent of men report feeling tired and weak and complain of lingering headache pain for up to 25 hours following an attack.

Then, there's the acute phase of the migraine. It's during this— the most debilitating stage— when the headache is usually characterized by throbbing pain that is aggravated by the tiniest movement. Often, the pain is accompanied by vomiting and nausea. Many migraineurs complain of sensitivities to sound and light as well.

With so many debilitating symptoms occurring at once and a maelstrom of other symptoms happening before and after, it's not surprising that daily function can be severely curtailed. In a study looking at the quality of life iof migraine sufferers, 94.5 percent of patients reported difficulty performing normal daily activities, and 74.2 percent of patients said they had to lie down. More than half of patients who participated in the study found it difficult to bend down.

In the same study, which was published in the medical journal Headache, patients also complained that migraines interfered with their social activities. Three-quarters of the people surveyed said they had to avoid contact with others. Nearly 70 percent reported that migraines interfered with their work and 64 percent said that migraines compromised their social activities. Almost three-quarters of the people said they had to postpone leisure activities as well. Many reported feeling irritable and generally fed up with their condition.

Quality of Life Affected In Between Attacks

Although the pain and debilitating symptoms of migraines eventually subside, their negative effect on quality of life continues.

It's very common for migraineurs to spend the time in between attacks worrying about when the next one will occur. In fact, the thought of an imminent attack tends to overshadow all other activities, whether at work or play and prompts sufferers to take all possible precautions. They avoid any possible triggers in the environment, such as smoking, noise and sunshine that has the potential to bring on an attack.

The recurring condition often causes migraineurs to feel frustrated. In addition to interfering with their social life, migraineurs say they believe the condition robs them of their personal time. Studies of migraine sufferers find that many report feeling they've lost their self control. There is a tendency to give up on things more easily. Migraine sufferers express concern that others don't understand the headaches and what they must go through. They also express concern that their friends and family are worried about them.

Professional Help Can Make a Big Difference

Dozens of medical studies show that even though headaches are not fatal, they are a serious health handicap that can significantly impact a sufferer's quality of life. That's why it's so important to seek professional help. Your doctor, nurse practitioner or physician's assistant can help diagnose the condition and get you started on the right treatment.

Part of what prevents doctors from making an accurate diagnosis is lack of information. It's vital to tell your health professional how migraines impact every aspect of your life. You can do this most effectively by keeping a headache diary in which you track all aspects of your headache. Your diary should include copious notes on when the headache occurred, how long it lasted and how severe the pain was. It should include information on all the symptoms you experienced, from the time before the actual pain began to the period that followed the attack. It should also include details on what measures you took to relieve the pain, whether they included medication and whether you sought relief with alternative methods such as cold compresses, heat or sleep.

Armed with this extensive knowledge about your personal experience, your healthcare practitioner will be better equipped to discuss therapies that will stop the headache once it begins. They'll also be able to advise you on appropriate preventative strategies, including medication and alternative therapies, such as stress reduction, acupuncture and biofeedback, that will reduce the frequency of future migraines and put you back in charge of your health care.

Source: townnews.healthology.com