Quality of Life and Migraine Headache

Migraine headache significantly impacts the quality of life of the patient in many dimensions, such as socially, academically, and in the place of employment. Onset of a migraine headache typically results in complete withdrawal from their surroundings into a dark, quiet room where they can "sleep off" their migraine, whether or not they have taken medication. Since the appearance of a migraine is not necessarily predictable, these significant inconveniences can occur at random times when the patient may be deeply involved in something very important to them. People who suffer from migraine headaches also have higher rates of depression, anxiety, and sadness. There is a constant worry for many people as to when the next migraine attack will occur.

There are several questionnaires, such as the Headache Impact Test and the Migraine Disability Assessment, that help the patient and physician assess the level of impact of migraine headaches on the quality of life and measure progress as treatment continues.

In addition, in the family sphere, migraine headache has major impact when a family member is in severe pain and cannot function in their family role. A recent study noted that 35% of migraine sufferers reported that they would be better partners if they didn't suffer from headaches and 50% of those who took part in the study felt that they argued more often with their spouse and children because of their migraines.

For more information about family issues and migraine, please click on the following link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=PubMed&Cmd=ShowDetailView&TermToSearch=12807522&ordinalpos=62&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.PubmedResultsPanel.PubmedRVDocSum

The American Headache Society (AHS) recommends that in order to minimize the impact of migraine headache, the patient can institute some lifestyle changes including:

• Regular sleep patterns - people should get between 7-9 hours of sleep a night. More than 9 hours and less than 7 hours can cause a headache for some people.
• Exercise regularly - some people find that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week is effective in reducing the frequency or severity of migraines
• Eat meals regularly - don't skip meals.
• Control or reduce stress - some people benefit from practicing yoga regularly

• Avoid triggers, including:

  • Dietary
  • Sleep
  • Environmental
  • Hormonal
  • Stress
  • Injuries
  • Overexertion

• Establish a daily routine for prevention of migraine headache, such as relaxation, exercise, prevention medications

• If you smoke, try to stop since smoking has been implicated as a trigger for migraine headaches.

The National Headache Foundation (NHF) recommends that the patient drink plenty of water since there is a possibility that dehydration can cause migraine headache. They also recommend limited ingestion of caffeine and alcohol since withdrawal of any of these stimulants may bring on a headache.