The Advanced Migraine Prediction Hardware System
What if you had a device – maybe even an app on your smart phone – that could alert you when you were about to have a migraine attack? What would you do?
It might not surprise you to know that such a device is being researched right now.
Of course, if we listen to our bodies, many of us have our own “migraine alert systems” – those little warnings that our bodies give us that an attack is on its way (or already here, even though the pain hasn’t started yet). But imagine if a device could pick up on those signals first, and give you warning?
In simulations so far, researchers have been able to do just that, in Spain. The Advanced Migraine Prediction Hardware System is another one of the clever devices that are being developed in the age of smart phones.
A special device, perhaps connected to an app on your phone, would gather “hemodynamic” data. Ana Sandoiu at MedicalNewsToday explains:
Hemodynamic data refers to the variables that “announce” the onset of a migraine attack, and they include surface skin temperature, the skin’s electrical properties, heart rate, and the oxygen saturation of the capillaries.
One other “predictor” that has been used by migraine patients who are sensitive to weather changes is the Migraine Barometer. Although not specifically developed for migraine, it alerts patients to pressure changes that, for some of us, are a major migraine indicator.
What would you do if you could better predict a migraine attack? Developers are suggesting taking medication early, which is sometimes helpful. But remember, there are a variety of ways to lessen or avoid an attack if you catch it early enough. What works for you?
