The occasional garden variety headache is something everyone deals with, and the pain can usually be knocked out quickly by taking an over-the-counter remedy. However, when you’re struck with a migraine attack, the intense pain and other debilitating symptoms cause you to experience a unique, profound agony.
As if having migraine wasn’t bad enough, it’s estimated that about 148 million individuals worldwide struggle with chronic migraine, which is when you have more than 15 headache days per month. Living with chronic migraine can also lead to anxiety and depression, as you wonder when the next attack will hit and what activities you’ll need to bow out of as a result.
Fortunately, the compassionate team at Houston Neurological Institute has extensive experience treating chronic migraine with the most advanced approaches — and seeking treatment is essential if you’re dealing with these monstrous headaches so frequently.
The course of a migraine attack can encompass four stages, though you may not be affected by each one:
Chronic migraine disorder is devastating to live with, and you shouldn’t try to “go it alone.” Consulting with the neurological experts at Houston Neurological Institute is critical.
There’s no reason to suffer through the simultaneously unpredictable and overwhelming symptoms that accompany chronic migraine. We’ve put together some compelling reasons to seek treatment for the condition sooner rather than later.
Chronic migraine disorder puts you at higher risk for an array of concerning health problems, including heart disease, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),seizures, and stroke (if you’re female, under age 45, and experience auras). Though rare, people living with migraine are twice as likely to have sudden hearing loss as well.
You’re also more prone to sleep disorders since migraine pain can keep you up at night. Unfortunately, sleep problems also lead to migraine.
Earlier, we noted that worrying about when your next attack will hit can lead to anxiety and depression, but we also now know that if you have chronic migraine disorder, you’re at higher risk for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a disabling trauma-related anxiety disorder. One study concluded that people living with migraine are five times more likely to also live with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
We all know how serious and life-threatening a stroke is. Quite a few migraine symptoms are the same as those of a stroke — intense head pain, weakness or numbness on one side of your body, facial tingling, nausea, vomiting, vision changes or loss, and dizziness.
This symptom overlap is concerning, and why it’s imperative to be carefully monitored and treated for chronic migraine by your Houston Neurological Institute provider.
The simple fact is that with treatment for chronic migraine, your daily life can greatly improve — along with your emotional health. Proper treatment can help prevent headaches and stop them in their tracks when they do occur.
Our practice treats chronic migraine with innovative approaches:
The Houston Neurological Institute team is here to help you get your life back if you’re tired of unrelenting migraine misery.
June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, so it’s the ideal time to call us at our Pasadena or Pearland office to make an appointment or book one online. You deserve relief!
