Another section of the MAGNUM site is Migraine: Myths Vs. Reality, where you will find:
- MYTH: Migraine is not life-threatening, just annoying.
REALITY: Migraine can be life-threatening, inducing conditions such as sgroke and coma.
Migraine can induce a host of serious physical conditions: strokes, aneurysms, permanent visual loss, severe dental problems, coma and even death.
According to the New England Journal of Medicine, "migraine can sometimes lead to ischemic stroke and stroke can sometimes be aggravated by or associated with the development of migraine." Twenty-seven percent of all strokes suffered by persons under the age of 45 are caused by Migraine. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in this country. In addition, twenty-five percent of all incidents of cerebral infarction were associated with Migraines, according to the Mayo clinic." - MYTH: Any doctor will recognize and properly treat Migraine.
REALITY: Migraine is one of the most misdiagnosed, mistreated, and least understood diseases.
The fact that so many doctors don't take Migraine seriously can be as disabling to the Migraineur as the disability itself. The leading doctors in the areas of neurology and head pain have themselves stated that this disease is grossly misunderstood and misdiagnosed. In fact, 60% of women and 70% of men with Migraine have never been diagnosed with this disease. This medical ignorance and corresponding inaccurate writings unfortunately perpetuate the myths and misunderstandings about Migraine and convey this to the general public.
Dr. Saper stated that "Migraine is a serious and underestimated health problem ... Patients with Migraine are shunted along an assembly line of misdiagnosis, undertreatment, or frank mismanagement. They are subjected to unnecessary procedures and preventable consequences." And as Dr. Silberstein wrote to M.A.G.N.U.M., "Migraine sufferers must not only cope with their pain, but also with society's misunderstanding of the disorder. Migraineurs are frequently dismissed as neurotic complainers who are unable to handle stress. The truth is that they frequently battle against great odds in order to hold down jobs and support families ... Young Migraine sufferers sometimes miss enough school so that they are unable to graduate with their peers."
Similarly, Dr. Sheftell stated "In addition to misdiagnosis and under-diagnosis, Migraine sufferers will bear the brunt of discriminatory policies by a variety of health care agencies." Such agencies may deny reimbursement for emergency room visits and for hospitalizations for the most severe sufferers. It is not uncommon for doctors to think that a Migraine sufferer is in the emergency room to receive drugs, and dangerously turn them away." 3
Health Watch estimates a greatly increased risk
of stroke in migraineurs:
Migraine and Stroke
People who suffer with migraine headaches may have an 80
percent higher risk of stroke than those who don't have the painful headaches.
Stroke is the third-leading killer in the United States. Compounding the problem
is that the term "migraine" is one of the most frequently overused medical
words. Migraine sufferers have complained that they encountered skepticism from
doctors when first suggesting they might be experiencing migraine headaches...
Recognizing early stroke symptoms also is important. Some of the warning signs
of stroke include sudden loss of vision or blurred vision, particularly in one
eye; sudden difficulty speaking or understanding simple statements; sudden
numbness, weakness or paralysis of the limbs or face; unexplained dizziness or
loss of coordination. You need immediate medical attention if those symptoms
develop."4
A point on which there is general agreement is that migrainous stroke risk is increased in the presence of untreated migraine and other risk factors:
"Long-term migraine without treatment has been shown to predispose sufferers to increased effect on the blood vessels of the brain, especially in those with signs of migraine with aura (classical migraine). Persons who have visual or neurological symptoms accompanying their migraine attacks should avoid other risk factors such as smoking, high cholesterol diets, the use of estrogen and untreated hypertension. These risk factors for cerebral vascular disease, if present in a setting of migraine, may greatly increase the risk of one having a migraine related stroke."5
