Teenagers with migraine – a study
For many people, it’s the time when migraine symptoms start. But those of us who have dealt with migraine for years and years know that finding the right treatment can be a long and difficult path. So what can we do to help teenagers with migraine?
Recently in the USA a study of 18,714 people from 12-19 was completed. Over the course of a year, 5% of boys and 7.7% of girls reported frequent migraine attacks. Frequent! Most of these used over-the-counter drugs to deal with the attacks.
Now, here’s the scary part. 31% had attacks frequent and bad enough that they should really be looking into preventative treatment. That means that the attacks were seriously impacting their lives. And yet, less than 20% of those had tried preventative meds, and only a little more than half of those were still using them.
Ok, so what does this mean? Dr Paul Winner, director of the Palm Beach Headache Clinic and professor of Neurology at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale says it best: "That represents a lot of pain, suffering, and loss of school and family activities."
The other disturbing factor is that the symptoms may be rare at first, and then a year or two later it may be happening once a twice a week or more. There are a number of factors here, of course. Hormonal changes almost certainly contribute to an increase in symptoms. But it also seems likely that these people aren’t getting the treatment they need, and are ending up worse off.
If you’re a teenager with migraine symptoms and/or severe headache, there are two things you need to know – first, you’re not alone. Second, this is not "normal" – in other words, not something you should just put up with. Fight back, and make sure your doctor takes you seriously. There is help available.
11 June 2012 @ 8:29 am
My headaches started as a teen, my junior year in high school. My pediatrician diagnosed them as cluster headaches and game me cafregot. I took it once and was queezy as anything. It did get rid of the pain. The odd thing is that the headaches went away for about a year. They came back my freshman year in college. Every other weekend like clockwork. The school clinic gave me Imitrex and told me that if it didn’t work nothing would. It didn’t. That summer when I went home I started on the journey of drugs and preventatives. That was 1996. Luckily we found that Imitrex combined with fiorinal would abort the headaches but frequency has slowly crept up over the years. They are near daily now with odd breaks here and there. If only I knew what caused the breaks I might be free.
11 June 2012 @ 10:16 am
I would have to say I disagree I am 14 and I have chronic migraines. I have had these since I was one (mother fact). My doctor says there is nothing you can do about migraines other than take some pain relievers or Tylenol or aspirin and rest! Chronic migraines can be caused by stress, not enough sleep, to much work, or just any reason. To some teenagers this IS normal I have been living with it my whole life! You can’t just fight back it’s not that easy.