Migraine strikes at any age, in fact there are people who swear they were born with it and have been battling with migraine attacks for as long as they can remember. However, in a senior’s case, doctors are more careful—apprehensive, even–in treating migraines since there are factors which need to be considered first such as medications and illnesses the senior may have at the moment. Furthermore, healthcare providers believe that treatments available for migraine sufferers tend to cause more discomfort for seniors, hence doing them more harm than good. That alone compels doctors not to treat seniors with migraine problems. Here are some of Migraine’s myths and facts to help you understand the said condition:
MYTH #1: Migraine is a psychological condition.
FACT#1: Migraine is an all-together different condition than the one you are most likely to have when you are suffering from depression or other psychological condition. It is a serious physical condition categorized as neurological disorder which can be triggered by varying factors.
MYTH #2: Migraine is an imaginary disorder brought about by the person who imagined it.
FACT #2: Migraine is really a medical disorder and can be treated. Go ask your doctors about it.
MYTH #3: Since migraine attacks are often without warnings, your doctor cannot do something about it.
FACT #3: Yes, migraines are without cure but it can be controlled. Most migraine attacks have their own triggering factors, if you actually know them, you can avoid them hence lessening your chances of having one.
MYTH #4: Migraine personality—that is, your personality brings about migraine.
FACT #4: Although many studies suggest that your personality causes migraine, there is no scientific basis backing it up. Not even your lifestyle can be blamed for migraine attacks.
MYTH #5: Migraine attacks are signs that there’s something terribly wrong with your brain.
FACT #5: A brain tumor can indeed cause headaches but migraine won’t. As said earlier, migraine is an all-together different condition and should be treated as same. This is also the reason why doctors are most likely to have a suspected migraine sufferer undergo certain lab tests first to eliminate other possible causes of headaches before they can conclude that you indeed have one.
MYTH #6: Allergies cause migraine attacks.
FACT #6: Migraine and allergy are closely associated with each other, yes, but they are two different conditions. Although they share some similarities in terms of pain experienced by their sufferers, there are marked characteristics between the two.
MYTH #7: Migraine attacks are only bad headaches. Nothing to worry about.
FACT #7: Migraine is a condition, headache is a symptom. Seniors should know that headaches go away the minute the underlying cause of it is remedied. However, migraine cases require specific treatment and medications to solve it.
