Health Matters Black Women's Health Imperative

MIGRAINES AFFECT HIGH NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, YET THIS GROUP IS LESS LIKELY TO SEEK MEDICAL ATTENTION, GET TREATMENT

African Americans are more likely than other ethnic groups to report higher levels of headache pain, yet less likely to visit a doctor about their symptoms and seek medical treatment, according to a 2006 study. Now, the Black Women’s Health Imperative and national sportscaster Pam Oliver, who has struggled with migraines for years, are working with GlaxoSmithKline to educate black women about migraine.

“I’m speaking out about my struggle in hope that black women suffering from migraines will see a doctor about their symptoms,” said Oliver, one of only a handful of black female professional sportscasters. “I never realized there were migraine-specific treatments available. After struggling for years to find the right medication, I finally found a treatment that provides the relief I need,” she added.

Like many people who suffer from migraines, Oliver did not realize that the frequent, bad headaches she has had since her 20s were migraines. As she began her career in the competitive broadcast profession, she refused to let her “bad headaches” get in the way of doing her job. “I couldn’t let anyone think I couldn’t do my job, so I tried to work through the pain,” said Oliver.

“But the debilitating throbbing I felt on one side of my head and sensitivity to light I experienced became too much,” she said. Oliver also noticed that her headaches became more frequent, especially when she was stressed, tired or around loud noise, all difficult situations to avoid when broadcasting from the sidelines of a professional sporting event, she noted.

Unfortunately, Oliver is not alone in her struggle with migraines. Nearly half of the approximately 29.5 million Americans who suffer from migraine are undiagnosed. Women are affected three times more often then men.

Oliver finally spoke with a physician about her symptoms and was prescribed a migraine-specific medication that works for her. “Talking to my doctor about treatment options has made such a difference in my life,” said Oliver, who is also a spokesperson for GlaxoSmithKline. “Now, when I get a migraine, I take my migraine-specific medication at the first sign of pain and can reduce the length and intensity of my migraine, allowing me to get on with my day.”

Migraine: More than Just a Bad Headache
“While many black people believe that they are less likely to have migraine, this is simply not true,” said Dr. Carolyn Britton, associate professor and chief at the Neurological Institute of New York. “It’s important for black women to understand that a ‘so-called bad headache’ could be a migraine and could be serious. Individuals with frequent, bad headaches that interrupt their work or personal life should speak with a healthcare professional about their symptoms. If you’re diagnosed, there are treatments available to help you get back to living your life without debilitating pain.”

Although headache pain is one of the most recognized symptoms of migraine, other associated symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Symptoms of migraine can vary from attack to attack in the same person and different people may exhibit different symptoms. Migraine sufferers may also experience a variety of non-traditional migraine symptoms including sinus pressure and neck pain.

Migraines can be caused by a number of triggers that are both behavioral and environmental. These triggers include certain foods and drinks such as cheese, chocolate, nuts, processed meats, red wine and coffee. Pungent odors, bright lights, stress, inconsistent sleeping patters, change in weather, and hormonal cycles can also trigger migraines.9A While it is nearly impossible to avoid all triggers, you can identify which ones cause your migraines and learn to manage them.

The debilitating pain of migraines can last from four to 72 hours if left untreated. Migraine often leads to missed days of work and a disrupted daily routine. In fact, it has been estimated that migraine-related absenteeism alone costs employers roughly $10 billion annually, according to a study presented at the American Headache Society meeting in 2006.

Knowing How to Get Help
To help those suffering from frequent, bad headaches talk to their doctor about their symptoms, Dr. Britton recommends taking the simple online Headache Quiz and sharing the results with their doctor.

“Only your doctor can diagnose you with migraine, so it’s important to discuss your symptoms in detail,” said Dr. Britton. “The Headache Quiz is a simple, yet helpful tool to start this conversation. If you are diagnosed with migraine, your doctor can prescribe a migraine-specific medication to take at the first sign of migraine pain. Treatment can decrease the debilitating pain, which can help people resume their normal life.”

About Migraines

For the approximately 28 million migraine sufferers in the United States, the debilitating impact of frequent, bad headaches can extend far beyond the actual pain of a migraine attack. If left untreated, migraines can be disruptive, even disabling, making it impossible to participate in daily activities.
Half of all migraine sufferers are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. This only delays pain relief and could lead to unnecessary tests, medications and sometimes even surgery.
Women are disproportionately affected compared to men – about three to one, which translates to nearly 21 million women.
According to the International Headache Society’s diagnostic criteria for migraine headaches, the following symptoms must be present and not attributed to another cause.
At least two of these symptoms:
Pain on one side of the head
Moderate to severe pain
Throbbing pain
Worse pain when moving or bending
At least one of these associated symptoms:
Nausea or vomiting
Sensitivity to light and sound
Symptoms of migraine can vary from attack to attack in the same person, and may exhibit different symptoms in different people.
Several studies have shown that migraine headaches are inadequately diagnosed, and consequently often inadequately treated. For example, the American Migraine Study II (AMS II), a population-based survey of more than 20,000 households, showed that less than half (48 percent) of people who met diagnostic criteria for migraine had been told by their doctors that they had migraines.
Additionally, the Landmark Study, published in Headache, evaluated over 1,200 patients who visited a physician about their headaches and found that 9 out of 10 patients had migraine or probable migraine headache and one in four did not get the proper diagnosis. This failure to better diagnose migraines may be due in part to lack of understanding of migraine, and the similarity in symptoms to other, better recognized conditions.