Migraine is a disease that can disable people on a daily basis and that in Mexico affects 20 million people, having repercussions on their work and social environment, since the crises can be intense. Yesterday, International Migraine Day was celebrated and Javier Andrés Galanes Olalde, a specialist at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery (INNN) “Manuel Velasco Suárez” defined this as “an intense pain that occurs in the middle of the head, accompanied by vomiting and nausea. When it starts it is mild and as time progresses, it increases until it is intense and can last from 4 to 72 hours”.
Migraine is one of the 20 most disabling diseases
According to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, migraine is one of the 20 most disabling diseases and the second cause of headache, after tension headache. Of the total number of people who suffer from it in Mexico, 70 percent are women and 30 percent men.
Normally, this condition begins in adolescence, with a peak between 30 and 39 years of age. It is already between the ages of 50 and 60 when migraine attacks begin to decrease both in intensity and frequency and often disappear.
There are foods and drinks that trigger crises
Likewise, migraine is associated with other hereditary factors in first-degree relatives. That is, if the mother or father suffers from this disease, her children have a 3 percent higher probability of suffering from it.
In each case there are usually conditions, situations or products that trigger migraine attacks. Although it is not general, there are some foods and drinks that trigger these crises such as chocolate, alcohol, cheese and tomatoes, among others.
The INNNMVS has promoted a continuing medical education campaign on the treatment and control of migraine for first-contact health professionals and internists. Complex cases, for their part, must be referred, in a timely manner, to a highly specialized institute or hospital.