Migraine

Migraine headache is a common primary neurological disorder that leads to severe pain in the head.  It is often over excitation of the nerves of the brain leading to headache and other symptoms including sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, vomiting, and terrible pain.

Migraine is the most common neurological disorder.  More than 1 billion people have migraine worldwide.  About 25% of women and 10% of men suffer from migraine.  In Israel, over a million people suffer from migraines.

It is often hereditary and passed down from parents to children.  It is multifactorial and both genetic and environmental factors influence migraines in people.

The goal of migraine treatment is to decreased the numbers of attacks altogether, along with also reducing the intensity and duration of each attack.

Treatment consists of treating acute attacks, preventing attacks from occurring in the first place, and lifestyle changes to avoid triggers that lead to more migraines.  Both stopping attacks and preventing attacks are critical in the treatment of migraine.

Often, patients end up taking many pills every day to stop the pain.  This can be dangerous and lead to serious consequences such as rebound headaches, increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, liver dysfunction and kidney dysfunction.