Pfizer’s virtual roundtable emphasises the complexity of the neurological condition.
Most migraineurs, those who suffer from the neurological condition, would agree that a migraine is more than just a headache. Are you aware that if your throbbing headache is accompanied by mood swings, stiff neck or shoulders, or even depression, you may be a migraineur?
This was the message delivered by a doctor from the UAE during a virtual event held on Monday by the large pharmaceutical corporation Pfizer in honour of the June Migraine Awareness Month.
“Migraine is not just a headache,” explained Dr. Suhail Alrukn, Consultant Neurology at City Hospital, Mediclinic, in the United Arab Emirates. Complex neurological symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light and sound are also present, along with the condition’s hallmark of intense pain.
A pulsating headache on one side of the head, made worse by movement, is typically a sign of a migraine. The pulsing, throbbing headache can develop bilaterally (on both sides of the head), although often being unilateral (on one side of the head), according to Dr. Alrukn.
Understanding Symptoms
He emphasised that in addition to headaches, patients may also experience a variety of other symptoms such as photophobia, phonophobia, mood swings, stiff neck and shoulders, sugar cravings, and the interesting aura phenomena.
Ten to fifteen percent of migraine sufferers experience aura, which can cause speech impediments or visual problems.
Patients with migraines frequently feel nausea and recurrent vomiting, especially in women. Migraine sufferers who experience photophobia become sensitive to light, which makes them steer clear of gadgets like iPads, cell phones, and TVs.
According to Dr. Alrukn, some phonophobic patients isolate themselves and avoid social situations as a result of their sound sensitivity, which adds to the stigma associated with migraines.
