Around 12M Filipinos suffer from migraine, one of the most disabling disorders worldwide particularly among women

An estimated 12 million Filipinos suffer from migraine, a type of headache disorder that is among the top 10 most disabling disorders worldwide and is particularly burdensome among young and middle-aged women, according to the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors (GBD) Study.

“Migraine isn’t just a headache; it is a distinct neurological disease. Migraine involves recurrent attacks of moderate to severe head pain that is typically throbbing, often on one side of the head and associated with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, sound and odors,” said Dr. Corina Maria Socorro Azores Macalintal, Adult Neurologist at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center. “Migraine is more common in women than in men, with a female to male ratio of about 3:1. Estrogen is a key factor in the increased prevalence of migraine in women.”

Dr. Macalintal spoke during the “Migraine In Women Mini Round Table Discussion” organized by Novartis Healthcare Philippines in line with celebration of the 2019 National Women's Month.

There are two major categories of migraine, Dr. Macalintal explained, migraine with aura (once called “classic migraine”) and migraine without aura (formerly known as “common migraine”). “Aura” usually includes visual symptoms like seeing lines, shapes, or flashes. Some individuals may even experience partial vision loss vision for 10 to 30 minutes and tingling in their arms and legs. Migraine can also affect smell, taste, touch, or speech.

Migraine can be further categorized on the basis of frequency, according to Dr. Macalintal. A person has chronic migraine if he or she has at least 15 headache days per month, of which eight or more days have migraine features, for more than three months. A person has episodic migraine if he or she experiences up to 14 migraine days each month. Over three months almost 10% of people with episodic migraine miss out on at least 5 days of family activities.

Chronic migraine is particularly disabling, and has a profound and limiting impact on patients' ability to carry out everyday tasks.

Migraine places a heavy personal and societal burden in terms of pain, disability, productivity loss, damaged quality of life, and financial cost. In the United Kingdom alone, some 25 million working- or schooldays are lost every year because of migraine. Ninety percent ( 90%) of people report they cannot work or function with a migraine.

“Because of its debilitating symptoms, migraine negatively affects time spent with our family and friends. My family and I also often have to deal with misconceptions and social stigma associated with migraine,” said Rowena, a 49-year-old migraine patient.

Almost half (45%) of migraine sufferers reporting they missed family or social events because of their condition. More than a third (36%) believed they would be better partners without their headaches. More than half (52%) of parents reported that migraine made them more likely to argue with their children. A third (32%) reported avoiding making plans for fear of cancellation due to migraine.

“Unfortunately, migraine remains under-recognized and under-treated, with more than 40% of sufferers remaining undiagnosed. Novartis supports stakeholder efforts to promote awareness on migraine and enhance its diagnosis and management. Treatments that are effective in reducing migraine frequency could reduce the clinical and economic burden of migraine,” said Ms. Christine Fajardo, Corporate Affairs Head, Novartis Healthcare Philippines.

To learn more about migraine, visit the Speak Your Migraine FaceBook page at https://www.facebook.com/ speak your migraine ph.