While about 10 percent of people experience migraines, about one-third of them mistakenly believe they are only a symptom and do not need treatment, the Taiwan Young Patient Association said yesterday.
The association’s migraine perception survey, which garnered responses from 1,012 people aged 20 or older, found that 73 percent said they have headaches from time to time, while 67.5 percent have taken time off work due to a headache, association chairwoman Pan Yi-ling (潘怡伶) said.
Among those who reported headaches, about 15 percent said they have an average of more than 15 days with headaches per month, which meets the definition of chronic migraines, Pan said.
Photo: Chiu Chih-jou, Taipei Times
The survey also showed that of those who reported having headaches, about 90 percent said the discomfort seriously affects their daily life, making them unable to concentrate, physically drained and affecting their work, she said.
A survey conducted by the Taiwan Headache Society showed that about 9.1 percent of people in Taiwan, or about 2 million people, have migraines, with their prevalence higher among women, the association said.
The association’s survey showed that about one-third of respondents believed migraines are only a symptom that do not need treatment, while 34.1 percent take over-the-counter drugs to treat them and 32.7 percent were unaware that prolonged use of pain relievers can worsen headaches, it said.
Pan said that at times she would have four or more days of headaches a week accompanied by stiffness in the neck and shoulders.
She would get a massage to relieve the pain, but her headaches continued to worsen until she sought treatment, she said.
Lin Shin Hospital Department of Neurology physician Lin Chih-hao (林志豪) said migraine symptoms include throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on one side of the head, which feels worse when moving around or exercising, with nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound also possible.
Many people have the misconception that it is only a symptom, but migraines can be hereditary, Lin said, adding that if people take pain relief medication regularly and too frequently, they might develop medication overuse headache, causing episodic headaches to become chronic.
Although there is no cure for migraines, seeing a doctor for proper treatment can help reduce the frequency of headaches and improve quality of life, he said.
Moreover, limiting use of pain relief medication can prevent drug dependence or unexpected harm to other organs, such as the liver or kidneys, he added.
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