There are a wide variety of misconceptions floating around about migraine and other headache disorders. Often, these misunderstandings prevent sufferers from seeking out and receiving effective treatment for their condition.
Are you choosing to live in pain when you don’t have to? Take a look at the 4 “Migraine Myths” below; we bet at least some of them will surprise you!
"It's no big deal. Everybody gets headaches sometimes, right?"
It is a big deal! A headache disorder such as migraine or cluster headache is a serious medical condition.
Migraine is the 3rd most prevalent illness in the world, and the 6th most disabling. It is the cause of approximately 1.2 million Emergency Room visits in the United States every year. Nearly 1 in 4 households includes someone with migraine , and more than 4 million suffer from chronic migraine occurring more than 15 times a month.
"I don't want to take opioids, barbiturates, or narcotics, and that's what migraine treatment is."
Controlled substances such as opioids, barbiturates, and narcotics are NOT correct treatment for migraine
"I've gone to so many doctors and specialists, and none of them were able to help me. My case is just hopeless."
Effective treatment is possible! Headache Specialists undergo in-depth, ongoing training specifically on headache that no other practitioners receive.
"I get headaches often and they're pretty bad, but I can usually power through with over-the-counter meds."
Trying to "just deal with it" can actually make your headache disorder worse over time!
That over-the-counter pain reliever might help you get through the day, but medication overuse is the top cause of episodic migraine transforming into a chronic condition. Having migraine also increases your risk for other physical and psychiatric conditions. And when you suffer, your condition affects not just your own quality of life but that of others in your family and household.