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Getting diagnosed with migraine can mean different things to different people. If you’re one of those patients who have spent years trying to get a conclusive answer from a range of doctors, a visit to a migraine specialist could be a defining moment in your life. On the other hand, if you’ve recently begun experiencing blinding headaches and had a quick diagnosis, you might be dismayed and alarmed to hear that you now have to deal with this medical condition.
Migraines have become so well known that many people simply categorize any severe headache as a “migraine.” This isn’t accurate, however, and there are a number of differences between migraines and other types of debilitating headaches. Cluster headaches, in particular, are very painful and have actually caused patients to commit suicide on occasion. How do you know whether that blinding pain in your head is a migraine or cluster headache? These comparisons will help you to determine what...
Finding a neurologist who is right for you can be more of a process than you might think. Doctors are humans first, and nobody is perfect. But when you’re suffering from chronic pain and you’re referred to a specialist, it isn’t always easy to walk away and look for another one.
Here are some of the reasons why you might want to switch neurologists:
Doctors and patients can come from worlds apart. When your migraine specialist says you don’t have anything life-threatening, it doesn’t mean he (or she) doesn’t believe in your headaches. Rather, it likely means they are trying to reassure you so you don’t stress and make the headaches worse in the process.
In case you’re thinking this is a post about drinking, it’s not. It is, however, about hangovers—those brought on by migraines are just as draining and challenging, without having had the benefit of a party. And they require the same level of careful nursing to come out safely on the other side, too.
Migraine surgery offers new possibilities for sufferers who have exhausted all other options. Just because there isn’t a provider in your city is no reason not to consider it.
Few things can temporarily disable someone like a migraine headache. From visual disturbances, like blind spots or flashing lights, to physical weakness and difficulty communicating, migraine can debilitate its sufferers for hours – even days – at a time.
And with 1 billion people worldwide – including 18% of U.S. women and 6% of men – suffering from migraines, it’s more important than ever to understand the symptoms, triggers and treatment options for these chronic headaches.
Frequent sufferers will confirm that few things in life can compare with a full-blown migraine, and that relief is often elusive and only partial at best. Alternative treatments are showing signs of promise, however. Migraine surgery is a fairly new option that is gaining ground as an effective treatment for patients when almost everything else has failed. If this describes your situation, you might be a candidate for surgery.
