The James Paget’s Neurology Department is raising awareness of a condition which affects quality of life for millions of people in the UK.
This week is Migraine Awareness Week, an annual event organised to highlight this complex and debilitating neurological disorder and how it affects sufferers.
Our Neurology Department, led by Consultant Neurologist Dr Carlo Canepa and Neurology Specialist Nurse Sarah Mann, helps local sufferers of migraine who have been referred by their GP - and has seen success with treatments including injections which have been specifically developed for the treatment of migraine.
During a migraine attack the cerebral nerves and blood vessels release substances including Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP), which is known to be involved in the brain processes which cause pain during the attack.
The injections target CGRP to prevent migraine developing. Research has found that these medications are safe and effective in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.
One local patient who has undergone the treatment has said that it has changed her life after many years of suffering from migraine.
“It’s been amazing, life-changing,” she said. “I don’t have to give Migraine a second thought any more. After years of having at least a couple of days off work every month, I have had no sick days and have actually increased my hours at work. I’ve got my life back, my independence back.”
Here is some more information about migraine, from the Migraine Trust:
What is migraine?
Migraine is a severe and painful long-term health condition. If you have migraine you will have migraine attacks, which can be a whole-body experience.
Common symptoms of an attack can include:
- head pain,
- problems with your sight such as seeing flashing lights,
- being very sensitive to light, sounds and smells,
- fatigue,
- feeling sick and being sick.
Different people get different symptoms. When you have a migraine attack, you may not be able to function normally.
Migraine attacks usually last for between four hours and three days. Some symptoms may start about 24 hours before you get head pain, and end about 24 hours after you stop having head pain. Most people don’t have any symptoms in between migraine attacks
Migraine symptoms
Photophobia, Phonophobia, speech dysfunction, food cravings, fatigue, scotoma, osmophobia, paraesthesia, irritability, diarrhoea, flashing lights, drowsiness, water retention, vomiting, somnolence, scintillating scotoma, neck pain & stiffness, mental slowing, headache, brain fog, allodynia, yawning, nausea, anorexia, impaired concentration,
More information
For more information on migraine, please view the videos below:
Migraine information videos : University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (uclh.nhs.uk)
Heads Up podcast - National Migraine Centre