Migraine is one of the most common diseases in our changing life conditions. It is usually characterized by throbbing and unilateral headache attacks. Although it is a common disease in Turkey, most patients who suffer from migraine do not go beyond complaining about the disease. One out of 6 people and one out 4 women suffer from migraine. It causes an average of 12 days of work loss per year. Despite the very high incidence of migraine, diagnosis rate in Turkey and around the world is very low because patients are either not aware of the situation, did not consult a doctor, or they are trying to solve the problem on their own. On the other hand, nervous or tension-type headaches and sinusitis are often confused with migraine. A significant number of patients take medication that they hear or learn from people around them, instead of consulting a doctor for treatment. The misconception that migraine is genetically and psychologically related and has no cure are among the main reasons for this indifference. The ineffectiveness of medications recommended by their acquaintances leads patients in despair. Pfizer Turkey and the Headache and Pain Studies Association started the disease awareness campaign, “Migrene Son Hayata Devam”, which means “Migraine lasts a lifetime”, to describe the symptoms of migraine and emphasize the importance of seeking treatment from specialists. Although we cannot attend this meeting because of heavy workload, we want to express the subject by making use of the ones transferred to us.

One out of four women suffer from migraine

Pfizer and the president of Headache and Pain Studies Association conducted a migraine prevalence study aiming to reveal the state of the disease in our country. Association President, Prof. Dr. Mehmet Zarifoğlu, stated that, according to the academicians and experts in the field of Headaches and Migraine Epidemiology Study in Turkey, “Prevalence of migraine in Turkey” was determined to be 16.4 % in over 5323 people in 21 provinces of Turkey in 2008.  It is estimated that there is a total of 8 million migraine patients in our country, but only about half of these patients are referred to a neurologist. Professor Dr. Zarifoğlu said that this campaign aims to identify the symptoms of migraine, recognize that it is different from other headaches and to consult a specialist regarding the disease. Prof. Dr. Zarifoğlu, emphasized the importance of consulting a specialist in the treatment of migraine said that, ” If left untreated, every attack lasts for 4-72 hours. More than half of the migraine patients in Turkey with a history of more than four attacks a month significantly affects their family, work and social life. Migraine causes serious loss of work force and propel many negativities in the social life of individuals. Many factors trigger migraine, among the potent factors include, stress (69%), wind (54%), fasting (54%), insomnia (53%), and light (39%)”. Questions of migraine patients were answered in detail on the website, migreneson.com.

Webpage Consultation made available

Associate Professor Dr. Elif Ilgaz Aydınlar, who is assisting in the announcement of the campaign and directly enforcing the 3-question ID Migraine test at migreneson.com, emphasizes that “Migrene Son” campaign will increase the awareness of migraine in the community and says: “On the campaign website, patients can learn their possibility of having migraine by answering the ID Migraine Test consisting of 3 questions. Our purpose is to inform the community about migraine, a type of headache that can be easily managed, and to create migraine awareness in the community”. According to this test, important symptoms of migraine can be identified if there is nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light and failure to perform work for one day while having a headache over the last 3 months. If you have 2 of these 3 symptoms, you are 93% likely to have a migraine. In the Migreneson.com website, all questions from patients are responded by specialists. The site also features many interesting topics, such as the Migraine Diary, details of the nearest local neurologist and the information on pain centers and weather forecasts, that are important for migraine. “Migraine Son” focuses in women, since one out of four women in Turkey suffers from migraine.