40% of migraines not diagnosed: Expert

DUBAI — “Some days a piercing pain wakes me up as if being struck by lightning,” said Farah Ashoka, describing how she feels when migraine hits.

Farah was only 12 when these intense “headaches” started but it was only later that she was diagnosed with chronic migraine. The condition has taken a toll on her personal and professional life, both emotionally and financially.

“My marriage is affected and so are my children,” she said at the launch of an awareness campaign that sheds light on how individuals bear the burden of the disease.

“I missed out on being a mum to my kids because they know I am not to be disturbed if I am locked away in a dark room,” said Farah, who suffers these episodes 25 days a month on a pain scale of nine out of 10.

Migraine is not a headache but a neurological disorder, according to health experts, and how it affects an individual differs from one person to another. In 2016, migraine was the second highest cause of disability in the UAE. It can only be managed through treatment since there is no cure for it. Dr Taoufik Alsaadi, consultant neurologist and chief medical officer at the American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology (ACPN), said: “Migraine is a debilitating condition and yet, it is often mistaken by others as a headache.”

He said 40 per cent of migraines are not diagnosed, as they are also often confused with sinusitis; hence, “it is important to educate the physicians as well”.

What triggers migraine

Attacks are characterised by a headache of moderate or severe intensity that can last for hours to days, nausea and vomiting, with sufferers developing sensitivity to light and sound.

“Episodes can be triggered by stress, lack of sleep, diet or changes in hormones,” said Dr Alsaadi.

He also said that 40 per cent of women and 20 per cent of men suffer from migraine. “Six days per year are lost due to unproductivity related to migraine.”

At least two-thirds of patients were not receiving the right treatment, with “many taking over-thecounter drugs that do not work for migraine”, Dr Alsaadi said.

Changing public perception

Mohammed Ezz Eldin, head of Novartis’ Gulf cluster, said: “Through education and awareness, we can challenge stereotypes and change

public perception. With the aim of driving a new conversation around the neurological disorder, we are holding this nationwide awareness campaign in the UAE.”

Dr Abu Baker Al Madani, head of the neurology department at the Rashid Hospital, said: “Appropriate treatment of headache disorders requires the training of health professionals, accurate diagnosis and recognition of the condition.”

I missed out on being a mum to my kids because they know I am not to be disturbed if I am locked away in a dark room. Farah Ashoka, patient