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Headache Awareness Week is a platform used by the National Headache Foundation in countries to educate the public about the personal and economic costs of headaches, migraines in particular, and to encourage people who suffer from headaches to seek treatment.

Although there is no similar awareness initiative in South Africa, millions people in the country suffer from severe headaches that severely damage their quality of life at home and at work, says Dr Elliot Shevel, medical director at The Headache Clinic.

Headaches cost millions
Headaches are thought to take a toll of hundreds of millions of rand on the country’s economy in the form of lost productivity, and could affect as many as four to five million South Africans, he adds.

Research from around the world indicates that headache problems cut right across nations, cultures, and races, affecting a similar percentage of people in most countries.

The National Headache Foundation in the US says that more than 28 million or nearly 10 percent of, Americans experience migraine headaches of varying intensity.

Migraine in a category of its own
Shevel says that headaches come in a variety of forms, the most common of which is the tension headache. The migraine is a category of its own, with symptoms that include throbbing head pain, nausea and sensitivity to noise and light. An attack can last between four and 72 hours.

Migraines are hereditary and three times more prevalent among women than men. Migraine is often associated with conditions such as affective disorders (such as depression) and with risks such as stroke. In addition, migraine affects many structures in the head and neck area.

"It is important that migraine patients, and those they live and work with, understand that migraine pain is a real neurobiological disease that can be treated following proper diagnosis," says Shevel.

Patients can take control of their condition by seeking treatment and keeping track of the factors (stress, diet and so on) that seem to trigger their migraines.

Awareness in SA low
“Awareness and understanding of migraines in South Africa is low, compared to most First World countries. As a result, many sufferers do not seek treatment and end up overusing prescription and over-the-counter headache medications in a bid to control the pain. This exposes them to side-effects, including a condition known as Medication Overuse Headache,” says Shevel.

Headache sufferers should seek help from a multi-disciplinary team of medical experts because headache is a complex condition that may need to be diagnosed and treated by a number of specialists working together.

"People who suffer from migraines do not need to live with a condition that undermines their quality of life. Healthcare providers, such as The Headache Clinic, can help to find the underlying causes of each patient's pain and provide treatment that will prevent the recurrence of the headaches,” concludes Shevel.

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